A hard days graft.

It's not often at work that I have to put in a hard day physically, but when the local electricity board decided to replace a number of power cables in the vicinity of our office it was pretty obvious that we couldn't do a proper days work.

Plan B was spend the day archiving and destroying files so I've spent about 8 hours trudging up and down stairs carrying boxes and bags for shredding and I am absolutely knackered.

Still managed to make it out for training though and there's a definite rest theme going on with EMSC 1.0 at the moment. It paid dividends though as my times continue to move in the right direction.

3 x 150's
as swim 150
50 swim, 50 kick, 50 swim
50 swim 50 pull, 50 swim
12 x 100"s
as
4 x 100 @ 2:00 (1.31 - 1.35)
4 x 100 @ 2:10 (1.87 - 1:89)
4 x 100 @ 2:20 (1:85 - 1:87)
100 loosen
3 x 50 @ 55
3 x 50 @ 60
3 x 50 @ 65
3 x 50 @ 70
100 loosen
2 x 25 @ 30
50 swim down
2500 metres

EMSC one point zero goes soft?

There's been a distinct amount of rest in EMSC sessions recently and I can't decide whether he's gone soft or whether I'm getting faster.

As I walked on the poolside this evening I got a real scare when Queenie Reid enquired what I was thinking of entering the 1500 at the British Champs?

This really worried me because I was pretty sure I hadn't succumbed to the lure of the metric mile, but there was a grain of self doubt gnawing away at the back of my brain as I plodded through the work out.

Thankfully I hadn't (although I did enter the 800!

This evening's sesh was a bit of a fail as I couldn't make the second set of 133's progressive and the 66's were not even close to the intended time (or at least after the first three as I faded pretty badly).

5 x 200 @ 10s rest
as
200 swim
133 swim, 66 kick
66 swim, 66 kick, 66 pull
133 swim, 66 pull
200 swim
12 x 133 @ 2:40
1-4 progressive
5-6 hold pace
7-10 progressive
11-12 hold pace
200 loosen
12 x 66 @ 1:20 *
266 swim down
3900 metres

Aiming to swim these at less than half the pace of the fastest 133 in the previous

Post Bank Holiday Blues

It was difficult getting back into the swing of things after the bank holiday weekend.

We'd spent yesterday (Monday) at Beamish with about a zillion other families in company with my brother in law and his three kids (a 5 year old and 3 year old twins, ) who were great fun but bloody hard work.

At the end of the day I felt we'd earned the stop by the old fashioned sweetshop, for cinder toffee, coconut ice, sherbet lemons and white mice.

As you might imagine after that little lot I was quite wired and relieved there was no training on yesterday.

Tonights little session was an attempt to pick the pace up...mmm what I can't believe is that I chose to do the sprint repeats breaststroke. Painful and not much rest!

450 warm up
4 x 200 @ 4:00  3:10, 3:07, 3:04, 3;01
2 x 25 breast @ 30 secs
4 x 150 @ 3:00  2:25, 2:22, 2:18, 2:15
2 x 50 breast @ 60 secs
4 x 100 @ 2:00  1:37, 1:34, 1:33 & 1:31
2 x 75's breast @ 90s
4 x 50 @ 60s  47, 45, 43, 41
2 x 100 breast @ 2:00
150 swim down
3100 metres

Waiting for an Alibi or Rush to Judgement!

Now as someone in a sad middle aged malaise and accustomed to spending Saturday nights taxiing Teenage Triathlete and her boyfriend around the north east, the invite to Matt the Cash's 50th birthday party came as a welcome opportunity to get out more....and it didn't disappoint.

You may have noticed that I haven't swum down in Gateshead recently and therefore I hadn't a scooby who would be there, but there was a great turn out with all of the usual suspects.

Fairy Snow Baby, Synchro Dad, Proudie, Judo, Sumo, EMSC 3.0 (and Marion) Park Ranger, Helen Martin, Nick and Judith to name a laneful or two were all there to mark Matthew's half century (and in true Oscar acceptance speech style if I missed you out I apologise)

A great night, even if holding a conversation amidst the noise of the disco was a bit of a struggle, I think all of us are suffering from waining audible ability or simply old age and deafness and there was lots of "eh?" "what?" or  "sorry say that again?"

Now I remember when the timbre of white noise you suffered every weekend was a badge of honour and directly proportionate to the volume of the disco and the quantity of alcohol you'd consumed on a Friday night.

However the piece de resistance of the whole evening was a superhero transformation of the birthday boy; who went from being the rather ordinary accountant/masters treasurer "Matt the Cash" into mega rocker Matt the Thrash. His band (not sure what they're called) played a rocking set with highlights being covers of Thin Lizzy (yes Whisky in the Jar really was a hit in 1972!), Green day Proud Mary and Brown Sugar. I'm not sure if this tech stuff will work but here's a flavour of it featuring Matt (just call me Sting).

Critiquing the set at swimming this afternoon Proudy and I both thought the band were pretty "tight", which is an adjective you could probably use to describe my muscles as we ground our way through this session. EMSC 1.0's cunning plan was that the straight swims were steady and the repeats were progressive..... spookily another reminder of last night's performance.

400 free @ 6:45
3 x 133 @ 2:40
300 free @ 5:30
3 x 100 @ 2:00
200 free @ 3:40
3 x 66 @ 1:20
100 free @ 2:00
3 x 33 @ 40
3 x 66 @ 1:20
200 free
3 x 100 @ 2:00
300
100 swim down
3100 metres

Any stroke so long as it's front crawl.

None of this backstroke and breaststroke nonsense from EMSC 1.0 tonight just a straight freestyle session; although he did suggest that the 33's 66's and 100's could be swum as a different stroke.

Yeah coach like do you realise how hard that would be and how much rest we wouldn't get?

Not surprisingly everyone in my lane plumped for the freestyle, although I did notice one or two brave souls in the fast lane trying out fly on the 33's. The session did have quite a high rate of attrition and there was only 6 of us made it to the swim down.

Warm Up
266 swim
66 kick
200 swim
66 pull
133 swim
66 drill
66 swim
4 x 33 @ 50 hard
4 x 200 @ 3:30 steady
4 x 66 @ 90 hard
4 x 200 @ 3:45 steady
4 x 100 @ 2:10 hard
4 x 200 @ 4:00 steady
33 swim down
4100 metres

Me knee's are knackered

Tuesday 20th May

Teenage triathlete was wrapped up in AS revision to night so no mother daughter bonding at swimming which left me free to venture down to Gateshead for the first time since February.

Now swimming with EMSC 1.0 suits me because most of the work's on freestyle (in fact all of the work's on freestyle) so all this back and breaststroke stuff came as a bit of a shock to the system, and oh my goodness my knees on the breaststroke.

It was a pretty busy session and I moved into the top lane as the usual culprits Fairy Snow Baby, Matt the Cash, and Synchro Dad were skiving. I stopped at the end of the warm up to discover that in my absence we'd gained another swimmer Phil Latimer, a former Newcastle swimmer and part of the Latimer dynasty (his dad Fred was a former ASA president).

I hung off the back, just generally getting in the way of everyone, the aim of the session was survival and I wasn't really paying attention to the turn around times, any way it wasn't very pretty but I made it over the 4k mark.

600 free
4 x 50s back @ 65 25 kick, 25 swim
300 free
4 x 50's @ 65 brst 25 kick, 25 swim
200 free
200 back kick
300 back swim
2 x 150 back
200 breast kick
300 breast swim
2 x 200 brst
200 kick
400 pull
500 swim down
4100 metres

Where's Godzilla when you need him?

What a glorious weekend! although yesterday was ruined by a day in the office trying to catch up on the stuff I should do during the week.

Where does all the time go? This  weekend started off pretty well with a trip to the cinema on Friday night... Seeking a sophisticated and cultured evening we ended up at the Handmade Burger Company (well it's one up from Domino's Pizza) and as the movie choice was pretty limited..... Godzilla.

Now despite featuring Mr Walter White himself Bryan Cranston, I have to confess I found the storyline just a tad unbelievable and requiring a significant effort to  willingly suspend my disbelief.

Secretly quite enjoyed it though, as a pretty good friday night movie when you can unplug your brain and just marvel at the special effects.

I also quite like the idea that there is a gigantic monster all set to come and save us from MUTO's which led me to ponder on whether or not he would also save us from Evil Mutant Swim Coaches?

And if he really would protect innocent swimmers from EMSC's where was the 100m tall monster when you needed him, like at Consett this afternoon when EMSC one point zero laid this demanding little set on us.

You might've guessed that the 100's were meant to be progressive and although I couldn't quite gauge the 70%, 80% or 90% malarky I pretty much managed to swim each set on average faster.

On the whole not brilliant times, but signs that I am beginning to be able to pick up the pace.  I was quite chuffed with them particularly because Consett pool (at 33m ) is pretty horrible to train in, can't wait till we get the new 25 metre pool next year.

Warm Up 600 as
200 swim, 133 pull, 66 kick
100 swim,   66 pull, 33 kick
3 x 200 @ 3:30 steady
6 x 100 @ 2:00 70% pace 1:43, 1:37, 1:33, 1:35, 1:34, 1:37
2 x 200 @ 3:30 steady
4 x 100 @ 2:00 80% pace 1:37, 1:35, 1:36, 1:35
1 x 200 @ 3:30 steady
2 x 100 @ 2:00 90% pace 1:35, 1:30
200 swim down
Total 3200 metres

Thursday 15th May Mum's Revenge ?

There was a certain predictability about the fact that Teenage Triathlete decided that she should lead our lane this evening and with a determined burst cruised effortlessly past me.

(Sadly I have to concede she is a much better swimmer than I am, although missing the Binge work ethic!)

So it made quite a pleasant change to hang onto her feet (in my dreams).

In actual fact we were probably both repping on the same times but somehow it's always harder to lead out a lane (even when there are only two of us in it) then to draft on another swimmer's feet.

Anyway we worked our way through another EMSC 1.0 special.


200 warm up
4 x 150's @ 3:00
1 min rest
3 x 150's @ 3:00
6 x 25 @ 30 s
1 min rest
2 x 150's @ 3:00
3 x 50's @ 1:00
6 x 25's @ 30secs
1 min rest
1 x 150 @ 3:00
2 x 75's @ 1:30
3 x 50's @ 1:00
6 x 25's @ 30 secs
100 swim down
2700 metres

You have been warned a very boring post.

There were glimmers of hope beginning to surface during tonight's session and while there was still no speed my swimming was beginning to feel smoother and more fluid.

I was forced to suffer the indignation of having Teenage Triathlete cruise past me effortlessly on the first 100...  and then get out the pool feeling sick, returning and hanging on my feet grrr.

That really gets up my nose. I did suffer a crisis of confidence for a brief moment, as I failed miserably to catch a swimmer in the next lane who I had been creaming last week.

It wasn't till we stopped I realised it was a case of mistaken identity and I had been trying to catch the Mighty Morgan, (in my dreams)

400 @ 7:30
2 x 200 @ 3:50
4 x 100 @ 2:00
1 min rest
2 x 200 @ 4 mins
4 x 100 @ 2 mins
8 x 50 @ 1 min
400 pull swim down
2800 metres

Slightly more boring than usual? (if that's possible)

Monday 12th May 2014.

Fairly uneventful session this evening, but the key aim at the moment is simply making it to the pool.

Pretty quiet turn out as well, only three of us in the plodders lane, most definitely plodding.

There was an interesting discussion as to why this evening's session was easier than Sunday afternoon's efforts.

The combined brain power of Proudy, Clarkie 2.0 and Binge were unable to come to any definitive answer and put it down simply to just feeling better.

This is all a bit relative of course as I'm still swimming pants.

Warm up 600
as 133 swim, 66 pull, 66 swim 33 pull
& 133 swim, 66 kick, 66 swim, 33 kick
2 x 200 @ 3:30
4 x 100 @ 1:50
1 x 100 @ 1:50
1 x 66 @ 1:20
1 x 33 @ 45
1 x 100 @ 1:50
1 x 66 @ 1:20
1 x 33 @ 45
6 x 66 @ 1:20
12 x 33 @ 45
2 x 200 @ 3:30
300 swim down
3300

More Moans Whinges and ....Dweebs?

Only 4 of us turned up for the Masters session this afternoon so I ended up swimming behind Proudy and I mean miles behind Proudy.

All he did the whole session through was moan about how hard the session was.....

Hard! he doesn't know the bloody meaning of the word, there I am struggling along on about 25 seconds rest and he must be getting close on 45 and he thinks this is hard!

Rant over:

We did have an interesting discussion about the lack of patience and intolerance EMSC 1.0 was displaying towards the little dweebs (his name not mine) in the end lane who were also under his guidance. That's probably unfair and subject to a touch of exaggeration if there any parents reading!

666 warm up  200 swim, 200 pull, 133 swim 133 pull
6 x 100 @ 2:00  1-35-1:37
4 x 66 @ 1:20
2 x 33 @ 40
4 x 100 @ 2:00
4 x 66 @ 1:20
4 x 33 @ 40
2 x 100 @ 2:00
133 swim down
2733 metres

Seeking Inspiration and how many lawyers........

Friday found me in London on a conference, (don't ask) in true Binge style I'd completely buggered up my booking. last minute.com strikes again (but who would've thought there would be such a demand?)

As a result the conference dinner was fully booked, no worries I could always spend Friday night visiting the Olympic Pool. Sadly after a bit of whinging and tenacity I managed to blag myself into the dinner so unfortunately no swim on Friday; but a great night out and I learned the answer to the question how many lawyers does it take to get a bottle of alcohol out of a vending machine in a hotel at 1:30am..... ?

Conference over I had now well and truly made my mind up that I was going to check out the pool at Stratford before I caught the train home...

I was dying to swim in it and anyway if I was planning on making this week a green week then I needed to put in an extra 1000 metres somewhere.

I "borrowed" a towel from my hotel (it'll be in the post tomorrow I promise) and headed out for Stratford, getting to the pool was easy but getting in was a bit more of a challenge, I succeeded in completely circumnavigating the place one and a half times before I located the entrance. (cunningly hidden on the level below the main walkway to get to it and very poorly signposted)

I also pre booked my ticket it cost me a mere £3.50 for the swim. Walking onto the pool side I selected the emptiest lane and dived in. As I did so there was a girl hanging on the pool side under the block and two guys talking at the other end and that was it. Annoyingly just as I came up to turn one of these guys moved into my way, so swearing at him (under my breath of course) I had to grab turn but as I pushed off the wall they got out and by the time I reached the other end I was the only one left in my lane.

Amazingly it stayed that way for the best part of half an hour, maybe I was swimming up such a storm that the vibes emanating from me were just "don't mess with the Binge" but it wasn't until my swim down that anyone else ventured in my lane.... How's that for great value?

Apart from the value the pool didn't disappoint, a great temperature, a huge airy space and the feeling that you are about to be abducted by aliens as you turn to breathe and catch sight of the circular lighting rigs embedded in the roof, a touch of close encounters.......but a great experience can't wait to race in it.

The answer to the lawyer conundrum is it doesn't matter how many of them you have (there were 5 of us at one point) because what you need is the hotel porter with a pocket full of change (to swap for your notes) and an access code.

600 warm up mixed swim, catch up
200 steady
16 x 50 @ 60 secs
 200 swim down
1800 metres,,,

Grrr..... kids these days

Thursday evening found me back at the public Masters session at Stanley Pool, with TT in tow obviously up for her second bout of exercise in a week.

You may have noticed that the turn around times for this session were quite benign for EMSC 1.0 and I was holding a fairly steady 1:35 throughout the 100's.

I did mutter at him that the rest here was a bit of a novel concept.

TT assumed her now familiar position of hanging on my feet (that's of course when she wasn't otherwise engaged fixing her goggles or going to the loo.)

We went side by side for the final set of 25's and I was creaming her till the last 25 when she put a bit of a spurt on and beat me. God doesn't that just really get you mad. She also had the brass next to claim victory for the whole session despite the fact that she'd missed out at least 400 metres and it was 11:1 to me in the 1 length sprints.

Grrrrrr

2 x 200 swim 75, kick 25, swim 75 pull 25
12 x 100 6 @ 2:10
               4 @ 2:00
               2 @ 1:50
12 x 50   6 @ 1:10
               4 @ 1:00
               2 @    50
12 x 25   6 @ 40
               4 @ 35
               2 @ 30
150 swim down
2650 metres

5 guys named.....Ian

There were 13 of us in swimming this evening, 4 of us were women and of the remaining 9, 5 of them were called Ian.

I was reflecting upon the fact that if EMSC 1.0 just called out a random Ian at one of the guys he had a better than 50% chance of being right.

Makes things easier for him doesn't it less information to hold in his brain.

Tonight was a pretty solid session but still really slow and ugly.

5 x 200 alternate 66 swim, 66 kick, 66 swim & 66 swim, 66 pull, 66 swim @ 10s RI
2 x 200 @ 3:40
4 x 133 @ 2:40
2 x 200 @ 3:40
4 x 100 @ 2:00
2 x 200 @ 3:40
6 x 66 @ 80s
2 x 200 @ 3:40
100 swim down
3,900 metres

AAArgh get off me feet

One of our local pools has started to operate a public Masters session twice a week, conveniently coached by EMSC 1.0.

I suggested that Teenage Triathlete take a break from AS revision hell and come and join me and to me amazement she readily agreed.

The session that we were supposed to swim was bloody well impossible the whiteboard suggested that the 100 repeat times drop to 1:30.

"Ha ha coach you're having a laugh" and "not on your nelly" were the phrases that came to mind as the full impossibility of the session sank in.

Anyway I set off making up repeat times as I went along. TT started in one of the lanes further down the pool but worked her way up and somehow not only ended up swimming in my lane but then simply sat on my heels, grrrr.

On the whole a fairly horrible session which simply felt like a continuous swim.

400 warm up
4 x 125 @ 2:20
4 x 100 @ 2:00
4 x 75 @ 95
4 x 50 @ 60
4 x 25 @ 35
2 x 100 @ 2:00
2 x 75 @ 90
2 x 50 @ 60
2 x 25 @ 30
1 x 100 @ 1:55
1 x 75 @ 1:25
1 x 50 @ 55
1 x 25 @ 25
100 swim down
2750 metres

The Comeback Continues.

There was only three of us turned up for swimming this afternoon, I suspect everyone else was away for the weekend, (an all too sensible way to spend the May Bank Holiday).

For the saddo's who were unable to conjour up the imagination to get away we were subjected to a horrible set. (I'm sure it might've been quite good if I'd been anywhere near fit.)

EMSC 1.0 was trying to persuade me that as the set went on I was going to get more rest. He also wanted to drop the turn around times on the second set. Sorry coach in your dreams.

I'm not normally a defeatist when I'm training and I'll give most things a try but it was painfully obvious that as I was repping 66's on a very slow 68 for the 2 length swims there was no way I was going to make a 3:30 turn around time for the 200's. To his credit EMSC 1.0 assessed the state I was in and relented.

The only saving grace was no 100's and no swimming tomorrow. Enjoy the rest of your weekend.

200 free, 133 pull, 66 kick
133 swim, 66 pull
66 swim
3 x 200 @ 3:45
3 x 133 @ 2:30
3 x 66 @ 1:30
2 x 200 @ 3:45
2 x 133 @ 2:30
2 x 66 @ 1:30

233 swim down

2833 Total

The Road to Montreal Week 1 (enter a very weak one)

As mentioned in the previous post, in true Binge fashion, swimming became just a bit too hard in March and it wasn't until the end of April that I made it back into the pool.

Now if a come back's good enough for Michael Phelps it's clearly good enough for the Binge Swimmer. So I was in good company and I can assure my readers (all 7 of you) that I haven't been bingeing on Phelp's favourite Bong in this swimming hiatus.

Back in the water then, it started pretty gently last Sunday (27th April) with a trip to Consett, I have to say I was pretty relieved when all the guys got out to watch the football and I just sort of followed the crowd curtailing what might've been an excruciating hour into a painful 45 minutes.

I was so despondent about the swim that although I recorded the yardage (2000 metres) I can't remember what I swam except that well you guessed it...It was Sunday so it must be 100's, you can always rely on EMSC 1.0 and although the fine detail escapes me I can confirm that it was pretty ugly stuff. (what do you expect? I hear you say) You would think by now I would know better....

It was very much the same on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. The only silver lining in this horrible reintroduction to the water was the fact that I've put in 2 green weeks in terms of my swim log. I even cracked the 3k for a session at the Ryton Tri sesh on Saturday and I was the only one who stayed in till the bitter end, (still couldn't manage the full 1500 though). Triathletes; no staying power

So my unblogged swims through the week netted me 7950 metres and start my build up to Montreal as I booked my flight last week. Can I keep this up? who knows...

200 steady
4 x 25's kick 10 m hard 15 easy @ 20s RI
200 steady
4 x 25's swim 10m hard 15 easy @ 20s RI
4 x 100
400 pull with paddles steady DPS
4 x 50's hard @ 60
400 pull with paddles steady DPS
4 x 50's hard @ 60
400 swim steady DPS
200 steady
1000 swim alternate 100's catch up, DPS and bilateral breathing (should've been 1500)
3600 metres

February Fitness Madness over and Binge is still swimming (although not for long)

March started so well as I made the first Sunday session in March but it was all downhill from there.

It turned out that this Sunday set was a comfortable little session under the watchful gaze of EMSC 666.

With the hard work from the last two months beginning to pay dividends there was no stopping me....

Or was there!

Exhibiting extremely dodgy personal judgement with a healthy dose of predictable bingeness I didn't make it back into a pool until the end of April. Lots of excuses including professional engagements, and the approaching end of our financial year and the killer excuse simply couldn't be bothered, the settee and telly was always more inviting than the trip to the pool.

I also forgot to post this set so as usual I'm playing catch-up blogging (some 9 weeks later)


1000 warm up 50 free, 25 back, 25 breast
10 x 25 kick no 1, 10 x 25 pull no 2
5 x 50 brst @ 65 s hard
5 x 50 free @ 60 moderate
10 x 50 free @ 60
10 x 25 free @ 35
10 x 25 brst @ 35
6 x 75's odds 25 fly, 25 back, 25 free steady, even 25 back, 25 free 25 brst hard
350 swim down
3800 metres