Go-To Swim Workouts and Why Snakes Are Lucky

I have a “go to” swim workout that I use as my fitness gauge going into a big race.  I like to have it in my arsenal as a comparative tool so I know if my fitness is peaking relative to prior trials.  And since swim workouts can get monotonous, inserting one frequently that contains a performance goal gives me something to look forward to.

Credit goes to Frank Fisher (his last name is rather appropriate – Frank is no joke in the water) for pointing me to this main set.  For some reason it just stuck with me:

Warmup

Main Set:

5x200 on 3:00

100 ez

5x100 on 1:30

Warmdown

Today was the first time I attempted it this season (I have to psyche myself up!), and I’m by no means peaked out yet but I was extremely pleased just to be able to get through it.  Really.  When I started this set a couple years ago, puking was imminent. Today I got through rather easily, but nowhere near the times I am capable of.  For the 200’s: 2:45 to 2:49.  For the 100’s: 1:20 to1:23.  By Kona, I should easily be able to do the 200’s in 2:35 and the 100’s in 1:14.  For you fishes out there, this is probably quite laughable but for somebody as un-amphibious as I am I’ll take it.

So what’s your go to swim test?  Those pool sessions get pretty mundane.  Don’t let yourself get caught up in goal-less laps!  Find yourself a goal and give it a whirl!

On another note, the cortisone shot that I had in my knee last June to alleviate the meniscus pain I experience when running seems to have worn off.  The pain comes abruptly during a run and I never know at what mileage it will happen.  Balancing on one leg to put on my drawers is out of the question.  I’m back to square one it seems with only 8 weeks to go til Kona, and I’m not eligible for another shot for 5 more weeks (3 month minimum in between).  I’m gonna have to get creative with how to keep the legs moving and the brain motivated through this period that I can’t train as much as I would like to.  This does not put my mind in a good place.  Not.  At.  All.  Angie didn’t like the idea about going to a different doctor for a shot and not telling them I recently had one.  Deep water running may have to be part of my training repertoire but I’m struggling with believing that it offers any better run simulation than cycling.  ECU doesn’t have one of those new gravity-less treadmill thingies.  I’m open to suggestions.  Anybody know a good shaman?


Knees suck.  Snakes are so lucky.