February 2017 Week 6 Session 3

I put a bit of effort in this evening and was rewarded with 12/12 'fast' sets being at 2:00min/100m or better. A few of these were around 1:52min/100 which I'm happy with. Unfortunately my closing 100m set didn't achieve the threshold pace of 2:00min/100m but I was quite fatigued by then; indeed each of the 3 lengths was distinctly slower.

February 2017 Week 6 Session 1

I was tired from the minute I first got into the water, the slowest warm-up set in months! Anyway, that slowness might have worked out as I managed 20/21 'fast' lengths at better than 2:00min/100m. Really I should have done 20 so actually that could count as 20/20. None were close to a PB, mostly 36s or more per length.

SPL looking good too at 21 as a maximum even for the faster lengths near the end of the session. I am getting that I can put more force into the water and not just splash as I try harder. I think that I slightly shortening my reach but for SPL is constant or dropping there can't be much of a shortening. It does feel to me as though this slightly shorter stroke is giving me more feel and a bit more speed.

February 2017 Week 5 CSS time trial

Today's swim was off the programme as I didn't have time for a long swim and shouldn't be doing fast intervals. So it seemed perfect to do a CSS time trial. That needs good effort for 400m and 200m. So it would be interesting go see if I could beat 8:00 minutes.

After the warm up I set off straight into the 400m with an excellent, possibly too fast pace. For the first 300m I was clearly faster than 2:00min/100m but then slowed. It didn't help that I lost track of lengths and so did 2 extra, which also meant that mentally I saved energy more than needed. The last 3 lengths were slow and so I completed in 8:00.5 minutes which is a personal best but still not better than 8:00 minutes!

After a brief a breather I did 200m in 3:58 minutes. Using the swimsmooth CSS calculator  I should aim to train at 2:01min/100m.

So for my long session the theory is that I should aim to include 1200m, across a few sets, at this pace to work close to lactate threshold.

February 20147 Week 5 Session 3

Not too bad today, a sub 5:00 minute warm-up and then 66m intervals. Of these 9/11 'fast' intervals were better than 2:00min/100m and the other two were very close. It was great to see that I achieved 1:50min/100m for one set. My 'steady' sets faded as well as the faster ones but even at the end I was at 2:14min/100m.

Looking at SPL is positive too as I managed between 20 and 22 SPL for my fast sets, naturally more towards the end of the session. Over the last year I've certainly knocked a stroke or two off each length whilst maintaining g, or possibly improving, pace.

February 2017 Week 5 Extra Session

I had a little gap in my diary in which I could fit a 20 minute swim (plus changing) and thought it would be an opportunity to do some medium intensity lengths. I'd not got the pull buoy so it would be hard work.

I swam a total of 800m as 400m, 200m and 200m sets and it went very well. The 400m was done in just over 10 minutes and excitingly even after that, I managed 200m in 4:51 minutes which is a PB for that sort of set. The final 200m was only just over 5 minutes too.

Irritated my right ankle...again

So for many months, maybe a year, I've been letting my right ankle settle down. I've not worn hiking boots, avoided shoes with work heels, done limited strengthening exercises and gradually become accustomed to zero-drop shoes. The pain around the lateral malleolus seemed to have disappeared.

Earlier I went for a walk in the woods and wore new Vivobarefoot hiking boots. Within an hour my ankle was sore and by the time I was home at two hours I was contemplating walking in really barefeet. This is disappointing and concerning. Disappointing as I'd hoped the problem had resolved and concerning as I've entered a long distance walk in a few months time and I don't want to be recovering from injuries.

February 2017 Week 5 Session 1

A good swim this morning. Sub-5:00min warm-up and then 20/20 'fast' lengths at 2:00min/100m or better. I tried a final 100m set but I was tired and could only manage 2:08min/100m.

In terms of style, I thought about extending my left arm, but apart from that I accepted being rougher. For some early sets I experienced with a different feel; rather less reach and a bit more of a 'scoop'. I think it was a bit faster. I wonder if this style helps keep my elbow high?