Swim #1; 1200, 400s

1. 3-10-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:28, 1:30, 1:32, 1:33, 1:34, 1:33, 1:35, 1:35, 1:32, 1:36, 1:35, 1:32. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals: 22:53. Total variance: 8 seconds. Avg 100: 1:32 (3-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:28 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:36 (#10).
2. 2-19-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:34, 1:35, 1:33, 1:34, 1:37, 1:36, 1:35, 1:37, 1:35, 1:38, 1:37, 1:37. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 23:14. Total variance: 4 seconds. Avg 100: 1:35 (8-second decrease from last time). Fastest 100: 1:33 (#3). Slowest 100: 1:38 (#10).
3. 2-03-09. Times for the 12×100@20 seconds: 1:35, 1:41, 1:44, 1:45, 1:43, 1:45, 1:47, 1:44, 1:45, 1:44, 1:44, 1:42. Total time (including eleven 20-second rest intervals): 24:50. Total variance: 12 seconds. Avg 100: 1:43. Fastest 100: 1:35 (#1). Slowest 100: 1:47 (#7).

The full swim workout was this:

• 300 warmup
• 8×50 drill
• 12×100@20 seconds in 22:53 (21 seconds faster than last time)
• 8×50 drill
• 200 cooldown

When I swam the 2,500 straight, I timed the last 500 with 100-meter splits. Those splits were:

• 3-05-17. 1:51, 1:51, 1:50, 1:50, 1:43 (Avg: 1:48. Total: 9:04)
  
• 2-05-17. 1:52, 1:53, 1:52, 1:52, 1:47 (Avg: 1:52. Total: 9:26)
  

This morning I had to share a lane with a guy who refused to stop to let me in (I waited for him to go at least 100m [4 lengths]), so I just started, and then he refused to swim side-by-side, so I had to circle swim. Ugh. Plus his stroke was so wide I thought I was going to get nailed by his hand every time I went by him. Not fun! The life guard apologized for him afterward, which I thought was humorous. Couldn't she have just come over and told him the rules of the pool? Oh, well, it's over and I did the requisite 2,500.

A couple other ladies who were swimming thought I was crazy for having peppermints with me. One thought I was eating them as I was swimming and would have been impressed if that were true. The other was confused. But they make fabulous counters: they are wrapped, so they don't spill or anything, and then I don't have to remember which of the 12 I'm on.

It was gorgeous outside, so I ran at lunch. The 3×(2×1200@5:10) wasn't happening. First, I did not have enough time. Second, I need a recovery week so I didn't want to do the entire thing. So I did a 2-mile warmup, 1200@5:07, and 3×400@1:38, 1:30, and 1:35 with approximately a 1:30 RI. The path around the pond across the street from where I work is almost exactly 1/4 mile, so it was the perfect distance. It's slightly rough, though, so I definitely had to watch my footing!

The bad thing is that we don't have showers and I sweat a lot...so I did what I could with my hair in the sink in the bathroom and relied on wet wipes. No one told me I stunk, but I would have much preferred a real shower!

Will also agreed to let me take it easy, so today's 5 on, 5 off was less intense than in the past.

• 1-leg squat: I still don't think I have this quite right. I felt like my knee was bearing more of the work than my quads/hamstrings/glutes, and I know that's not right.
• Glute ham: This one is one of my favorites, because I feel like I'm working really hard. I lifted the bench (25-lb plate on my side, 45-lb plate on the other) for the first 3, but it wasn't going anywhere after that!
• Push up on feet: For the last 3, I had to go to my knees for the last 15–20 seconds.
• Preacher curl: 18-lb bar. Note to self: dumbbells are way easier to hold than the bar, but the bar is way easier to lift up for the rest interval than dumbbells. Oh I can't wait until Will comes home and we can work out together.

From last week's group dance lesson at NDC, I got a free lesson with Blake, our instructor, so I also did that tonight. Honestly, I so did not want to go; I just wanted to go home and sleep! But I went, and it was pretty good. I learned mainly about the dance frame--where the points of contact are and how to stand right. He said if you have a good dance frame and good pressure on the points of contact, your partner will think you know what you're doing. But, he said I shouldn't fake it and rather should warn my partner that I really don't know much more than the basics. I thought that was pretty funny! That's really all; we only had 45 minutes, and he said he likes to treat that first lesson as a confidence-builder.