Sunshine goes to Binge's head?

What a glorious day, I must've been suffering from sun stroke as not only did I decide to go swimming twice in one day but..... I drove to the wrong pool!

I was passing the Metro Centre when I remembered I should've turned off at Swalwell roundabout and made my way to Blaydon... (early onset alzheimer's or mad cow disease?)

After this morning's effort it was quite a relief to schlep along in a low key steady state session.

2 x 250 150 swim 50 drill 50 kick, 150 drill, 50 kick 50 swim
100 50 kick, 50 drill
6 x 50 @ 75 golf score
2 x 100 @ 2:05 hard
4 x 50 @ 75 sprint
200 swim down
6 x 50 @ 75 golf score
2 x 100 @ 2:05 hard
4 x 50 @ 75 sprint
200 swim down
1000 pull with paddles
50 metres swim down

Whose Idea was this then? (Binge's thought processes)

As I drove to the pool this morning I was contemplating what we should be doing in the session. 

Now I know that the amount of swimming I do fluctuates between nil, negligible and derisory, but on the whole I've been thinking that I don't do enough variation.

It's easy (well relatively speaking) to plough up and down a pool at the same pace but I'm not sure what benefit I'm going to get from that so I thought I would shake it up a bit....

With an unassuming warm up I lulled my team mates (who were all late) into an unsuspecting sense of security and then hit them with the set of 150's.

The idea was to take the first 25 out as hard as possible, try and hang on and stretch for the second 25 and then use the 100 free to recover. I assured them there was plenty rest as well and oh yes if freestyle is your number 1 stroke you swim the first 50 your number 2.

I moved into the top lane to keep Beckleberry boy and Custardly Sgt Mark company and we set off, I hadn't quite anticipated how hard the first freestyle length was going to be as my body was saying "stop that's quite enough thank you," but it did become bearable by the time we'd finished the 100.

As you can see from the print out this was a pretty tough set.  Toosmartwatch advised me "This training increased your maximum performance and sprint race speed. It toned the nervous system of your muscles and required maximal or near maximal effort for breathing and muscles. This training intensity is recommended for short exercises. It is important to warm up before and cool down after the workout"

It neglected to mention what my legs felt like after it. Maybe I'll take up tiddlywinks?

12 x 50 @ 60 ish up free down back/brst

8 x 50 @ 75 kick

8 x 25 free @ 30 prog 1-4 5-8

8 x 150 @ 3:15 50 flat out no 1 100 free recovery ( active rest)

6 x 100 @ 2:20 25 left arm, 25 rt arm, 25 catch up 25 swim

4 x 25 IM order sprint @ 40

450 swim down

3550 total

All Our Yesterdays circa 1978?

I made it to training at Gateshead this evening (although it cost me a trip to Newcastle for teenage triathlete to spend her pocket money)

There was a real element of deja vu and all our yesterdays as I found myself swimming at the back of the boy's lane following Fairy Snow Baby, Proudie and Fireman Mike.

It could have been a session from the late 70's, although Fairy Snow Baby was truly the baby of the squad at that time.

I really enjoyed a wallow in nostalgia with them. Fairy Snow Baby had obviously worked out a cunning plan for the session beforehand, and I was two thirds of the way through the set before  I realised that we should be swimming equal amounts of each stroke. ( I say should because I dipped out of most of the fly.)

8 x 50's back@ 65s
25 @ 30 free,
50 @ 60 free, breast
75 @ 90 free, breast, back
100 @ 2 mins free, breast, back, fly
75 @ 90 free, breast, back

50 @ 60 free, breast
25 @ 30 free
25 @ 30 fly*
50 @ 60 fly, back
75 @ 90 fly, back, breast
100 @ 2 mins
75 @ 90 fly, back, breast

50 @ 60 fly, back

25 @ 30 fly 

25 @ 30 free,
50 @ 60 free, breast
75 @ 90 free, breast, back
100 @ 2 mins free, breast, back, fly
75 @ 90 free, breast, back

50 @ 60 free, breast
25 @ 30 free
25 @ 30 fly
50 @ 60 fly, back
75 @ 90 fly, back, breast
100 @ 2 mins
75 @ 90 fly, back, breast

50 @ 60 fly, back

25 @ 30 fly 

100 swim down

2100 metres

"I have a cunning plan" (EMSC 1.0 must think we're stupid)

There was a pattern to tonight's swim session and more than a few 100's, cunningly disguised by a supreme effort of cunningness from Evil Mutant Swim Coach 1.0.

Who obviously thought that he could fool us by writing 3 lengths on the white board and we wouldn't notice they were 100's!

I almost got out 1200 metres into the session but I kept telling myself just one more and I eventually held out till the swim down.

Warm Up
2 x 200 4 length swim 2 length kick
2 x 200 4 length pull, 2 length swim
200 free
The above were on a notional 3:40 but they ended up pretty much a continuous swim
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
200 @ 3:30
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
200 free
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
200 free
100 free @ 1:45
66 free @ 1:20
33 free @ 45
166 free
3766 metres

Easter break gives perfect excuse not to swim! (and eat chocolate)

Oops a week without swimming and then the Easter break so no swimming on this coming  Sunday and Monday.

Thanks to that week in Lanzarote at the beginning of the month see from here to here, I'm pretty much on track for the mile a day challenge.  But the Speedo keep going day after day challenge  looks a bit dodgy! because it will be 3 swims in 10 days leaving me a bit to do.

Those nice Speedo PR people supplied my with some cool photos of their products to enhance my ramblings. They were obviously concerned that their Endurance+ brand was associated with the image from the last post.

(although I wonder if they expected me to add my own twist!)

No Matt the Cash or Fairy Snow Baby at this morning's session, and no kids either, so the 10 of us who turned up spread out over the 6 lanes. We were even able to designate our own antenatal lane for Awesome Emma and Marie-Helene who are valiantly keeping going despite burgeoning bumps.

You can tell I came up with the session can't you (the pull with paddles and the 125's are a bit of a give away)

600 warm up change stroke each 25
3 x 200 @ 3:40 100 drill, 100 build
8 x 25 free @ 35s progressive 1-4 & 5-8
10 x 100 pull with paddles 4 @ 1:35, 4 @ 1:40 2 @ 1:45
8 x 125's @ 2:30 50 pull, 25 kick, 50 swim
200 swim down
3,600 total.

Saggy Bums and Cleavage?

The second day of the new Speedo Endurance+ test, it's a different cut to my normal suits and my initial thought on donning it yesterday was "no saggy bum" (or maybe that was a reflection on the amount of weight I'd put on during my holiday.)

Not sure about the top half of the suit though as there's a liner in the which gives me a cleavage! something which is pretty alien to me in general never mind in a cossie.

So Sunday session and not a 100 in sight what's wrong with Evil Mutant Swim Coach 1.0? As you can surmise from the warm up I was a bit late and Clarkie enquired if I was "making up for being early yesterday?"

Having had 10 days out I'm struggling a bit and trying to pick up the pace in the final set was just a tad difficult.


133 swim
200 swim 66 pull 33
3 x 100 @ 1.45 as no 1 3 x 33's @ 35, no 2, 66 @ 70 33 @ 35, no 3 straight 100
66 @ 70
133 @ 2:20
200 @ 3.30
133 @ 2:20
66 @ 70
60s rest
200 @ 3.30

133 @ 2:20
66 @ 70

133 @ 2:20
200 @ 3.30
60secs rest
1 x 66 @ 70
20 secs rest
2 x 66 @ 70
20 secs rest
3 x 66 @ 70
20 secs rest
2 x 66 @ 70
20 secs rest
1 x 66 @ 70
133 swim down

2733 

Binge sells out to commercialism (there's no such thing as a free suit)

It's taken me a good 10 days to find my way to the pool after my week chasing Joolz and Noolz. 

I arrived home to find a pack of freebies courtesy of Speedo, an endurance plus suit, a pair of goggles and  swim cap. I have to take the Speedo keep going swim after swim challenge 20 swims in 30 days and then evaluate the suit.

I felt a bit guilty that it's taken me a week to start the challenge but the water test began today so hopefully it'll provide a bit of motivation to keep going.

How's your weather, unusually we've escaped the worst of the snow but it was bl**dy freezing and the wind was blowing a hoolie. Bob and arrived a couple of minutes early (shock horror) and walked to the entrance where the receptionist refused to open the doors leaving us freezing on the pavement.

Needless to say we beat a hasty retreat to the warmth of the car (well it is hot magenta!) see here for explanation! I couldn't quite summons up a response to her cheerful good morning and wide smile when we walked in 3 minutes later....Fume spit some customer service training needed me thinks.

Matt the Cash was into quality again but sadly I wasn't and simply ploughed through his set. The 100's breaststroke.

700 warm up change stroke each length
8 x 25 @ 35 progressive 1-4 & 5-8
4 x 100 @ 2 mins fast
4 x 75 @ 2 mins faster
6 x 50 @ 90 secs sprint
100 swim down
6 x 75's kick @ 90s
4 x 100 breast @ 2:10
150 swim down
3000 metres