Day 7, Binge develops serious Lemsip habit.

Day 7 and I'm in survival mode, with this raging cold, I was even closer than yesterday to wimping out and not going, but decided that I'd do about 20 minutes.

I guess that if I was a bloke this would be a very serious dose of man flu.

A bit like yesterday I felt better in the water than I have all day and hung on for about an hour and a half before calling it a day.

I followed Marie-Helene who set a great pace and
as we worked our way through the set I was encouraged by the rep times and the comfortable way we were making the turn around time.

We were both particularly impressed by a 5.55 for the 400, and absolutely crushed when we realised that the pace clock was out by about 4 seconds per 100!

250 warm up
4 x 100 @ 1.45
2 x 200 @ 3.30
400 @ 7 mins
2 x 200 @ 3.30
4 x 100 @ 1.45
4 x 50 @ 55
2 x 100 @ 1.45
200 @ 3.30
2 x 100 @ 1.45
4 x 50 @ 55
16 x 25 fly (I did them drill) @ 40s
150 swim down
3800 metres

February Flu and bunged up Binge

I was just thinking that I hadn't suffered from a cold for well over a year, when aargh I was smitten with an interminably runny nose, sore throat, bunged up feeling and temperature.

Feeling like death warmed up, I seriously thought about giving the pool a body swerve today, but, I was out and about before lunch and had to drive past the pool on the way back to my office so it seemed too good an opportunity to pass up.

I picked up my gear (blast I've lost a paddle) and very gently put myself through  the following somewhat leisurely set simply concentrating on my breathing patterns and long strokes.

Actually it felt much better than moping and sneezing around the office. Cocoa and an early night for me and maybe I'll feel better tomorrow.

Warm Up 1200 metres alternate 100 swim, 100 catch up
800 pull @ 13.00 mins, breathing every 6 strokes
600 pull @ 10.00 mins, breathing every 6 strokes
400 pull @ 7 mins, breathing every 6 strokes
2 x 200 pull @ 3.30, breathing every 6 strokes
200 swim down
3,600 metres

Day 5 and Consett Carnage Mark 2

Now I've previously commented upon the capacity of Consett Masters for drink; remember here well yesterday was Clarkie's 40th birthday (an event I unfortunately had to miss in favour of a retirement do.)

Of course with any excuse for a pi** up the rest of the squad enthusiastically turned up in force to help him celebrate, which is more than can be said for their turn out this afternoon at training.

The double whammy of hangovers and the match meant that there were only three of us lined up to suffer the agonies that Evil Mutant Swim Coach 1.0 inflicted on us this afternoon and yes there were more of those bloody 100's..... Although on reflection I quite enjoyed them and my times were quite encouraging.  5 consecutive days of swimming in now only another 24 to go!

400 mixed swim drill warm up
1 x 100 breast kick  @ 2.20
1 x 100 66 kick 33 swim @ 2.10
1 x 100 33 kick 66 swim @ 2.00
1 x 100 swim
1 x 100 @ 1.40 hard *
1 x 100 @ 2.00 recovery
2 x 100 @ 1.40 hard**
2 x 100 @ 2.00 recovery
3 x 100 @ 1.40 hard***
3 x 100 @ 2.00 recovery
2 x 100 @ 1.40 hard****
2 x 100 @ 2.00 recovery
1 x 100 @ 1.40 hard*****
1 x 100 @ 2.00 recovery
500 swim down
3100 metres

*1.25
** 1.24, 1.24
***1.24, 1.23, 1.24
**** 1.24, 1.25
***** 1.21.9

More FFC Info here http://www.barracudas.org/pool/febfitness/ffc.htm

Day 4 Alien attack attempts to derail Binge's challenge

Having spent half the night in Durham nick unsurprisingly I didn't make training this morning. I was bushed.

Pretty good session at Blaydon with the triathletes this afternoon which included a teenage hotshot, Binary Callum (I call him that because he has to work on zero's amd fives).

When I came out of the pool the much predicted snow had arrived, or partially, and brought with it a rather peculiar phenomena (captured on my iPhone) which may well have been an alien death ray.

8 x 50's @ 10s RI 25,swim 25 drill
4 x 100 @ 20s RI 25 kick 75 swim
8 x 25 @ 20s RI  15 hard 10 easy, 10 easy 15 hard
200 hard @ 3.50
200 175 hard 25 easy @ 3.50
200 150 hard 50 easy @ 3.50
200 125 hard 75 easy @ 3.40
200 100 hard 100 easy @ 3.40
200 75 hard 125 easy @ 3.40
200 50 hard 150 easy @ 3.40
200 25 hard 175 easy @ 3.40
200 steady
100 recovery
8 x 100 with fins @ 2 mins 25 hard kick 75 swim
12 x 25's @ 10 s RI drill*
500 swim down
4500 total


* no 1 catch up
   no 2 fists
   no 3 kayak
   no 4 finger trail

Oops Day 3 and nearly missed out

What a day! madness and mayhem, starting with a telling off from my assistant "oh for god's sake stop fannying about". (Would you put up with that sort of abuse from an employee?)  and ended with my naive belief that courts are there to dispense justice and fairness well and truly shaken. (I can't really believe I've just written that.)

You would think that after over 25 years in this job I would have learnt my lesson and adopted a more cynical and jaded approach, but no, I still think that courts will aspire to be fair and do the right thing.

Just shows how much I know!, or maybe I'm just losing my touch, or even quite possibly I'm right with my conclusion that all magistrates are numptys completely devoid of any compassion or innate sense of what's right.

Well the upshot of this truly black Friday was I made it back to the office for 4pm having missed lunch and just as the public session at Consett ends. Dashing my hopes of a decent swim to take out my frustration on the water.

The only alternative I had to keep this challenge going was an endless pool session. I wasn't really enthusiastic about this prospect as I hate training on my own but I plunged into 22 degree water and covered a paltry 1300 metres.

I just collapse on the settee for the traditional and very boring Friday night fare of beer, pizza, sofa and TV when the phone goes, my business partner's gone off to play 5 aside football and forgotten to take his phone and he's on call oh and by the way there are two cases outstanding at Durham nick..... return home 2.30am Saturday morning.. post blog!

12 x 100 @ 1.50
50 breast kick
50 free
1300

The link to the February Fitness Challenge website is
http://www.barracudas.org/pool/febfitness/ffc.htm

Day 2 and counting

I spent a couple of hours late afternoon attending a career's fair with teenage triathlete, and secretly quite enjoyed the talks on "how to get into med school" and "what it's like being a doctor" although I think it might be a bit premature as she's only 14 at the moment.

I of course played the role of pack horse as she managed to collect about 50 prospectuses (or is it prospecti) which I dutifully carted around for her. Ah well a bit of unscheduled weight training and an impressive waste of trees.

As I was down on Tyneside anyway I dropped into the session at Gateshead Leisure Centre; where we blasted through the following rather unimaginative set.

Day 2 of the February Fitness Challenge and so far so good. Awesome Emma let slip that she'd managed to swim both days and this was her second session of today, I think she's trying to live up to her Blog listing.

600 Warm up 25 free, 25 alternate back or breast
2 x 300 @ 5mins
4 x 150's @ 2.45
6 x 100 @ 1.50 progressive (in my dreams)
4 x 50's up IM order down free @ 60s
200 swim down
2,800 metres

The link to the February Fitness Challenge website is
http://www.barracudas.org/pool/febfitness/ffc.htm

February Fitness Challenge Starts Here

Where did January go to? almost before you know it we're into February and it's frog time again.

A sleepless night, and a hectic day meant it was touch and go as to whether or not I made the session, but I arrived at the pool and realised that there was no towel and costume in my rucksack.

A quick detour to the office (where I'd left the aforementioned items drying on my radiator) and I made the session some 10 minutes late.

It was a pretty busy night with 15 of us in two lanes, as usual the crack was good, I'm not so sure if there was any real difference between the aerobic 200's and the harder 100's but it was a smooth and steady start to this month's toil.

200 free
100 pull
100 free
3 x 33 @ 35
2 x 33 @ 35
1 x 33 @ 35
2 x 200 @ 3.30 steady
4 x 100 @ 2 mins hard
2 x 200 @ 3.30 steady
3 x 100 @ 2 mins hard
2 x 200 @ 3.30 steady
2 x 100 @ 2 mins hard
2 x 200 @ 3.30 steady
1 x 100 @ 2 mins hard
500 swim down
3700 metres