Swim the Suck Training Week One

The first Swim the Suck training week was a huge success, and my confidence is sky high. The only thing that worries me is the water temperature. Around here, I have been able to do something I could never do before: swim anytime of day in a catfish pond. In that past, the water temp would be high enough to literally burn you around mid-day in July or August. Now the water is cool anytime of day with only a warm spot in the downwind corner.

That means in Chattanooga the water must really be chilly, and this year the swim is a week later. A week's time in October can make a lot of difference, especially that far north. For the past three years, the water in the Tennessee for the Suck has been consistently around 70-72 degrees. I can do that. For four and a half hours, I can most likely handle 68. If it falls below that, I may get into trouble.

Be that as it may, I am training for a fitness breakthrough. I wrote already about pulling off my 20 X 100 set @ 1:57. Since I have two Garmin 910XTs, I am going to strap them both on and go for 21 X and then 22 X and so forth. The watch will only save twenty steps which is one reason I never go over 20 X anything unless I do it on an even number like @ 2:00. Anything else and I get confused once fatigue sets in.

All in all, last week, I

swam 20,502.92 meters,
ran 22.29 miles,
lifted weights two times, and
walked 6.44 miles.

I lost another pound, but at the rate I am losing, I will still be fat for a long time.

Next week I start back to work, and not only that but I have to work late and work Friday. That really messes up my training. In addition to the long hours, the weather looks spotty at best. If the weather holds. John and I can still get some good swimming in since I don't start my night classes until next week. The running, however, may suffer.

Everything above was written Sunday afternoon. I just got back from the pool where I had a really nice swim set. After running 3.21 miles, at Twin Rivers I swam

1,700
24 X 100 @ 1:57 (the first five were @ 1:56)
500 easy
total: 4,600 meters.

I could tell the difference between today and last week. The set was not nearly as difficult, I was more relaxed while swimming, and my recovery between reps was quicker. I could have done more than 24, but I thought that was a pretty big jump as it was and since the race is still out there a ways, I don't want to peak too quickly. I may do the set again later in the week, but tomorrow I need to do a different kind of swimming. Maybe I'll do some, 50s with lots of rest, some paddle work, and my countdown set where I change gears a lot.