Back In The Pool

I finally got back to the pool!!  I haven't swum since last October!  The pool that I use is indoor but not usually heated, so the thought of jumping into really cold water when it's REALLY cold outside isn't very appealing.  It's a very nice facility at the Brunswick County Community College - the Dinah E. Gore Aquatic and Fitness Center. 

My first swim was last week, I swam 3100 yards.  I could tell that my endurance is down, felt the fatigue set into my arms, shoulders and lats pretty early into the workout.  Because it's was my first swim of the season I did the distance but not on any intervals, just used 10-15 seconds rest.  Yesterday I went ahead and tried to make my intervals - it went just fine. It is so good to get back in the water again!  I only wish that the pool wasn't so far from my house, I know I'd be more consistent if the pool was closer.  It's a 42 mile roundtrip.




8 Lane Lap Pool and Warm Water Therapy Pool

 

Here is what I did last week (3100):

Warm Up:

2 x (300 Swim / 4 X 50Kick / 100 Stroke / 100Swim)

Main Set:

400 Swim (7:00)
2 X 200 Pull (3:30)
4 X 100 Swim (1:45, 1:40, 1:35, 1:30)
200 Kick
Cool Down:
300 Easy

Yesterday (3000):
Warm Up:
500 Swim
Main Set:
5 X 150 Pull @2:45
5 X 100 Swim @ 1:45
5 X 150 Swim @2:45 (50 Swim / 50 Stroke / 50 Swim)
6 X 50 Swim @ 1:00
Cool Down:
200 Swim/Kick

Felt much better yesterday in the pool.  There were two older gentlemen in the lanes next to me.  They both seemed to take turns racing me for a 50 here and there.  It's pretty obvious when they take off right when you come by to flip.  I will admit that I didn't let either of them beat me!  Ah.. the old spirit of competition!!

One stopped at the end of the pool to chat while I was waiting in between an interval. He told me that he competed in the Senior Games in the 70-74 age group.  He swam some in high school and took it back up when his back problems forced him to stop playing golf.  He asked me for some pointers, so I swam a few lengths with him watching him swim.  He was a good swimmer, just needed to drop his head a little so his body alignment would come up in the water.  It was really nice to see other people at the pool that swim well. 

When I got to the car the weather driving home was so beautiful that when I got home I grabbed a book and went to the Resident Center pool here in my subdivision and sat in the sun to read.  What a life!!