n + 1 swim challenge (Page 20)

Trying to remember how much the draft can help? Continued moving right along, but tonight was really fast. Had 3 big guys in front, thinking they're all like 220-230 some. Leaving every 5", but the guy right before me tends to go a bit early at 6-7".

My total swim time was ~44 min including rest

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/480663852

 I do take an extended lunch (~1.5hr) and inhale a sandwich to make it happen.

W00t!!!!!  Happy 40th and a GREAT swim!!!

Yeah, lotta reps to get in on that one!

Yesterday afternoon's session:

50 SCM:
purpose:  endurance, pacing on a moderate effort

500 SKIPS WU
4 x 50 push pace on 1:10, in on :52-:54, 1:37/100y pace (:53,:56,:55,:54)
1' recovery
4 x 200 moderate on 4:30, in on 4:02, 1:50 pace (4:05,4:04,4:03,4:03)
1' recovery
4 x 50 pull/paddles on 1:05, in on :52, 1:35 pace (avg :53)
100 pull CD

1800 total, ~45 min in the pool

This was a solid swim set for me...it was my second workout of the day, following the hardest non-race run session I've had in a while and a good strength session.  The purpose of the workout is to try to develop my moderate pacing, which is probably the weakest part of my swim speed curve right now. 

+1 on sticking with the N+1 group, though you owe me a "get yo' azz on the bike" challenge group, Elesa!

+1 to that! Though I probably couldn't do it.

<hangs head> I still haven't gotten back on the bike. My husband did, however, rescue it from the farm, so there's that.  Baby steps. 

I love the challenges.  It's a very cool thing about BT.  I've learned more by doing them than through any other forum or medium, except maybe experience itself. 

Salty and I have been discussing a longish-term challenge group that would be purpose based and reflective that could encompass all three disciplines.  I will flesh out the details with her this week and post it, with the goal of it starting up the week after Boston.  For those of you who don't know Salty, she is an incredible runner  and is sitting very pretty for a fast BM (Boston Marathon) and M PR on Monday.  I will be e-stalking her all day. Watching the BM for me is what I imagine watching the Superbowl or the World Series is for many.  If you haven't ever watched one start to finish,  I highly recommend it.  And stalking Salty, of course.

Looks like I'm the only one still swimming. 

Today's Masters workout:

25 SCM, 3200M total, 1:25 in the pool

500 choice WU
5 x 100 (50 drill/50 swim - catch-up x 3, 3/4 catch-up x 2, fist)
5 x (4 x 100 - descend per set):
   set 1: baseline "smooth" stroke count on 2:15 (avg strokes 46.5, avg 1:42/100y)
   set 2: add extra dolphin kick on 2:10 (49, 1:44)
   set 3: add 1 stroke per length on 2:10 (50, 1:41)
   set 4: add extra dolphin kick on 2:05 (53.5, 1:44)
   set 5: add 1 stroke per length on 2:05 (54, 1:45)
30"-1' RBS
200 pull CD

This kicked my azz pretty good.  The point of the whole session was to work on getting faster by quickening your stroke count.  Welp, I got the more strokes thing down just fine, but my times stayed pretty much the same if not going up a bit from fatigue. 

I've been having a suck week for swimming!  I'm going to have swim during lunch today and once during the weekend to make my 'n'.  Blah!

This week's n + 1 puts me at about 6700 yards for the week, the most for me in almost a year and something like my 5th largest volume week ever.  I jumped volume about 18% from last week, which is a little more than I wanted to but coach beat us down this morning at Masters.  I'm hoping by the summer I can get in 8-10K a week steady, but we'll see how the next six weeks goes.

I haven't been to the pool all week as I was travelling for work.  The pool is only open for a few hours today and I'm probably not going to get there.  

You know it's good for you.

Got swim #2 in the week finally!

350 WU

5x50 drill/swim

5x200 moderate

5x100 moderate

4x50 kick

200 CD

2500m total

The purpose of the swim is getting base yardage in and actually getting a swim in this week.

Wow Brian, that's a massive improvement, congratulations!!!

Missing tomorrow as Masters is cancelled, so won't make "n" this time. But was able to get more in this past week on other ones, so the weekly total is still up there.

REALLY didn't want to get out of bed this morning, but dragged myself over to the pool:

20SCY:

600 SKIPS WU
10 x 40 on :50, in @ :35, 1:28/100y pace (first 6 @ :35, next 3 @ :36-37, last @ :33)
200 CD

1200 total, 30 min-ish in pool

Those 40 repeats felt strong...I was able to hold high 1:20s/100y while still feeling in control.

Swam 3250m last night.  It's been a minute, since i did a set over 3k.  Here was the workout:

350 WU

5x50 drill/swim

10x100 moderate RI:5

7x150 VO2 RI: 1:15

250m kick

350 CD

http://connect.garmin.com/activity/484742190

The 100's I came in on average at 1:32/100m (1:24/100yd).  I feel like I need to TT sometime soon, as that's faster than my 1kTT.  Not bad for having very little rest between the 100's

The 150's at VO2 I came in on average at 1:26/100m or 1:19/100yd, which I felt was perfect for creating that feeling that comes with VO2 efforts.  I ended up averaging 1:30s rest after each one, because they were simply that tough.  Pushing off for the third lap each time came with a feeling of fatigue.  I was tired towards the end.

However, being able to hit those paces after the 1k portion of the workout tells me that I'm swimming stronger than I probably ever have.  I got a few more weeks until Memphis in May, so I'll see how much I can improve until then.

Yesterday afternoon's set:

25 SCM, 1850 total
purpose:  endurance, extend to longer intervals
500 SKIPS WU
4 x 50 "push" pace on 1:15, in on :53, ~1:37/100y pace(:54,:53,:52,:52)
3 x 250 moderate on 5:30, in under 5:00, ~1:48 pace(4:59,4:59,4:58)
6 x 50 pull/paddles on 1:10, in on :52, 1:35 pace (:52,:53,:52,:51,:51,:50)
100 pull CD

Considering the hard track workout I had at 6 AM, I was pleased with the pacing.

What I'm trying to work on in particular in this type of swim set is trying to keep a consistent pace and hold form as I begin to fatigue.  My stroke count was almost identical the first two 250s, and then it went up a little the third.