Back at it
After yesterday’s off day, I was anxious to work out today. Because of some things going on around the apartment, I couldn’t make it this morning, so I ducked out of work during lunch for a quick swim. I felt great right from the start. Sometimes, I get into the pool and it feels like the water’s a little “thick” and I’m moving s-l-o-w. Today though, I was cruising (at least for me). The day off certainly did me right.
Swimming is something of a relative weakness for me. I’ve never had formal lessons, so I’m certain that I’m not very efficient. I work pretty hard at it and have learned some technique from watching and talking to people and reading, but I know that I can be faster and more efficient. This off-season I’m hoping to take some lessons.
When I swim, I swim for distance instead of time. In fact, I never really pay attention to the time. I think that 2000 yards (with short breaks between sets) takes me somewhere around 35-40 minutes. I normally swim 2000-2300 yards twice a week and have two different workouts:
the first (the one I did today) looks like this:
– 600-700 yard warm-up (freestyle, pull-bouy, kickboard)
– 2x 300-500 yards
– a mix of 50 and 100 yard sets at a fast pace
– 100-150 yard cool down
the second workout looks like this:
– 500-600 yard warm-up
– 500-700 yards of 50-100 yard sets at a fast pace with 10 or so seconds between sets
– a mix of 150-250 yard sets at a comfortably fast pace
– 100-150 yard cool down
Then, after work I got in a great run. I ran my usual route down to the tip of Battery Park and back, but I ran hard and fast. My heart rate never really spiked, but I was really cruising. It felt great. I certainly couldn’t have kept up that pace for too many more miles, but it was fun to feel that fast.
Swim
Distance: 2100 yards
Run
Time: 55 minutes
Distance: ~8 miles
Average Heart Rate: 155
Route: West Side Highway to Battery Park and back
Conditions: Beautiful night, 67 degrees