Slornow and Wannabefaster's Winter Mentor Group-CLOSED (Page 36)

Jim I get it if the person is of similar pace and you want to use them to push you.  I have struck up a conversation with someone like that and asked if he would mind if I swam with him.  Especially in a crowded pool where swimming in a circle with someone close to your skill level is a great way on not being in someone’s way or vice versa.  I don’t get a guy with fins on racing anyone, much less someone he clearly can’t keep up with.

Rene the pool I swim in has one lane next to an open area where kids play.  I often swim there intentionally specifically for the rough water.

Michael it didn’t really bother me at all.  Like you, I am happy to play rabbit.  But this had all the feeling of ego, not interest in improvement.

Hopefully he learned a little humility!

Thanks for the sweet words. The kids are pretty great. They're willing to go to these events because the environment is very supportive and friendly.

David: Super awesome pictures! Looks like some crazy fun.

Jason: Great job with the stretching and rolling! I don't roll, but I really enjoy the benefits of stretching. Keep it up!

Chunga: Thank you! It pleases me to no end that the kids enjoy running. It just kind of blossomed and I truly appreciate it. It makes for healthy, family fun.

Jim: Awww... my kids get me all "verklempt" on the daily with one thing or another.

Rene: Thanks! I'm hoping for big improvements from last year's sprints.

Randy: I'm getting more comfortable on the roadie with each ride! I still get spooked when a gust of wind nearly knocks me and my bike over when it hits from the side. Yowza!

Stuart: I think I did something like that with a fellow swim team member. Even the falling away part! I felt drawn to her pace, like that's how fast I should be going, you know? Then I realized, I can't go that fast! We were in lanes next to each other. Wonder if I annoyed her. I'll ask.

Well, I did it! I figured out the gears! I just went bananas after I got it all worked out. A lot faster and the hills didn't hurt nearly as bad. My pace was more consistent over all rather than really slowing down on hills and then not getting any spin on the flats. I'm not sure what that is called really. When it's flat or slightly declined and it's useless pedaling? Anyway, I am STOKED!

As for my month's challenges, so far had two great days of eating, and I think I'm already feeling and seeing improved strength in my quads from the daily 100 squats. My thighs are going to start a fire soon from rubbing together and might even break some chairs with my butt. I've improved to 50 air squats and 50 weighted with 30 pounds.

So got my zombie, crack o' dawn 5 miler in and an 11 mile bike session. Tomorrow I'm going for an OWS at lunch and running in the evening.

Have a great Tuesday! It was a pretty awesome one on this side of the world.

Edited to add: LOL novel! THE END.

ok for challenges, I think I'm going to pluck a few that other people are doing  I love the squats every day but I'm going to start with 30 a day.

Also, I'm going to roll my IT bands every day.

ready.....GO!

I do rabbit occasionally in the pool, but never really out of ego. If someone is clearly faster than me, I'll sometimes try to keep up just to challenge myself, but I never try to beat them. I always assume that if I can beat you, you're not that fast, so I'm not going to feel great about winning.

I got my morning swim in this morning, and even though making myself get up at 4:45, instead of 5, isn't that fun, it is really nice to have a 5 minutes to sit in the jacuzzi after I get out. Stuart, I've been working those poolside push-ups into my drill sets, and boy can I feel them afterward!

1-hour run tonight, and Tuesday will be done!

Blanda-Cute kids! Glad you figured out your gears. Good luck this weekend!!

Dave-Very cool. I've always thought about trying that but I'm not sure I have the upper body strength. Thanks for sharing the pics.

I do sometimes find myself alongside someone in the pool and will push a bit to stay ahead but not for ego just to test myself for a lap. there's no point in really racing when everyone is just there doing their own thing. My pool is a pretty laid back environment though and most people are just there for the exercise. There wouldn't really be anyone to race. I've been told I'm fast at the pool and I'm really not. I'm just the only one doing flip turns.

Swim workout for today done! Kind of an unusual workout. Main set was 12X100 ALL OUT leaving on 2:30. Most of my swim intervals are done on fairly short rest. Looking at this set the rest interval had me thinking this would be a breeze and in my mind I decided to set a goal of 1:20 or better for each interval.......UGH! Going all out for 100 gets the HR sky high and although I recovered alot between intervals by about the 7th the clock was moving alot faster than I wanted it to and the intervals were starting to really hurt. Happy to say I met my mental goal of 1:20 or less. First 2 were @1:20, next 8 @1:19 and the last 2 were @1:18. Not much left after that as I was whupped.  Its been a long time since I have done 100 all out. I think my previous best was 1:16. Might have been able to beat that today if I was just doing a single 100 after a nice easy warm up....but I'll leave that for another time. These times are no where near real swimmer fast but since I dont fall into that classification I'll take it!   

That's a great workout Randy!

9 mile run after work today.  Was going to follow it up with a swim but the pool was full.  I mean even the lap lanes had 4-5 people, and the large lane was full of kids.  I decided to forgo the swim and will try again tomorrow. 

Getting excited as I made the last minute decision to fly to San Diego next week to visit my son at college.  I will also get lots of running/swim focus that week.  If able, I will try to get to the 50 meter pools on the Navy base.  There are 2 50 meter pools within 1 mile of each other!  Another one across the bay.  I wish our community would get a 50 meter pool.  Fat chance!

Does anyone in our group regularly train in a 50 meter pool?  If so, I am envious!

Glad you are safe

Blanda - Wow. I've never felt an 8 before. I'll take tornados here in Kansas over earthquakes any day.

Got in an easy 1200 yd swim this am followed by 30min bike trainer session. I'll try to get in a run this afternoon and hopefully have enough left to get my core (the challenge) workout in tonight.

Blanda glad to know you are OK.  I have been thru three big quakes here in California but nothing in the 8+ magnitude range.

I decided to flip today's workout and tomorrow's.  It was in the high 50s and sunny today and we are expecting heavy rain for the next two days so I took advantage and got a bike ride in.  Tomorrow I will do my run at the PT's office.

I am doing well on my challenge for this month.  So far I have just over 111 miles logged on a bike out of my target of 400 miles.  If I don't lose too many days to rain I should be good.  I just can't go more than 30 minutes on a stationary bike without wanting to shoot myself out of sheer boredom.  I need to be out on the road.

Glad you're ok, Blanda!!

The running is going well this week-even if it feels a bit slow to me. I think it'sreally what I needed to get my energy back up.