01/13/03 - decreasing ladder

For really the first time since I've started back swimming, I felt like a swimmer again. I've been struggling to keep up, and not feeling too good in the water. Whether it be my great weekend diet, or just the added commitment that I'm going to continue with this, something started to come together this morning, and feel better.1,000 warm-upMixed it up with 200 swim, 300 pull, 200 kick, 300 swim alternating free and breast.2 x 400 on 6:00 1st swim, 2nd pullThis is really when I started to feel pretty good. Usually on this type of set, I don't do very well, and I don't feel any rhythm. I just kinda struggle through trying to keep up. So I went third in the lane so I wouldn't get in anybody's way. Well... little did I realize how good I felt, so I ended up having to lead, which is always scary in freestyle. Actually planned on holding the pull at about 5:00, but came in at 4:40, which kinda surprised me, but hey... I'll take it.2 x 300 on 4:15, 1st swim, 2nd pullA little faster interval, so I just tried to maintain the pace I set up on the 400. I was pretty much able to hold it without too much trouble.2 x 200 on 2:40, 1st swim, 2nd pullAgain, faster still, but still not too bad. The times were getting a little slower, but like I said, it was the FIRST day I started feeling better... I'm NOT back yet!2 x 100 on 1:15, 1st swim, 2nd pullNo problem making the interval, PROBLEM putting on my hand paddles in time to leave for the 2nd 100 though. I missed the interval because I LOVE to pull with my paddles, so I had to make up for it in the swim. PHEW. That got the heart rate going.Easy 100 kick... which I took FULL advantage of.10 x 100 on 2:00 25 sprint, 25 easyI went breaststroke on the fast, and free on the easy. I was really trying to BLAST the 25's which meant that by the time I got to the 2nd 25, I was going too slow... simply because the 1st one took so much out of me. So, what I did instead, was to work the 2nd fast 25 on the 1st 5, and the 1st fast 25 on the 2nd 5. This allowed me to work my finishes on the 1st 5, and my turns on the 2nd 5.When I am going to sprint breaststroke, I do try to stay commited to SPRINTING it... not just going fast... but going FAST (all caps... see... that's as fast as I can go!). Because I do put so much effort into the one that's really fast, I can't do too many of them. It's like selling out, not worrying about what you're going to do on the next lap, but putting all your focus in that one short blast.Try not to worry about how smooth, or how many strokes when you do this, just turn everything off, and hope nobody is in your way... 'cause if you're focused enough, you're biggest problem will be STOPPING at the other end.Anyway, without the easy 75 in each of these 100's, I probably would have not felt so good, so, keep enough slow swimming between true sprinting... in other words... I really enjoyed this set.Easy100 kick.. and that's it!