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September 25, 2008
Why Not?
One of my favorite questions to ask myself. Elizabeth wrote about it yesterday (as eloquently as ever) and it's a question I also ask myself ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I have a legitimate answer. But most of the time I don't have any good excuse.
So when we were doing 50s this morning at masters practice and I had the option of doing them on 35 or 40. I asked myself - why not at least give the 35s a shot? Why not? Because you don't know how to do flip turns? Because you aren't a "real" swimmer? This is usually when I tell myself to get over myself. To just get over "it".
In case you are wondering, I talk to myself a lot. As in all the time. Not aloud, but inside my head. There is constant chatter during hard workouts and races within the confines of my skull. A lot of the time I just repeat things over and over again - "you can do this, you can do this, you CAN do this, you CAN do this." Over and over and over and over. It works. Usually. :)
Anyway, the workout this morning at masters was deceptively hard. 6x(6x50) with a FAST interval and a moderate interval. So, since I decided I would try the 35s the workout went (1x50 on 35, 5x50 on 50), (2x50 on 35, 4x50 on 50), (3x50 on 35, 3x50 on 50), (4x50 on 35, 2x50 on 50), (5x50 on 35, 1x50 on 50) and (6x50 on 35).
Well of course it starts off easy. Not that doing 50s on 35 is easy at all for me but when you are only doing one or two or even three in a row, it's not too bad. Plus the early sets had enough moderate 50s that you got plenty of rest. But then all of a sudden it wasn't so easy. In fact within the blink of an eye it got really hard. Evil hard!
So again, like Monday, I'd like to say I made all those 50s on 35 in the last 3 sets. But I didn't! Close, but no cigar. But I gave it my all and am that much closer to getting it next time.
Yesterday I had three great workouts. Mostly because of the weather. And I know you have GOT to be sick of hearing me yammer on about how nice our weather is. But I do this now so someone can remind me in a couple months when it's snowing and cold and I haven't riden my bike outside for weeks, that I did indeed have it REALLY good in the fall. Just like someone has to remind me that I HAVE to learn how to do flip turns this winter. :)
Anyway, the workouts yesterday were 9 miles of running, 4 of which were very hard intervals on the track. Geez is that track running difficult! Of course I should know this from years of doing it but I guess it still surprises me sometimes. :) Then a short, easy swim right after. Then, in the afternoon/early evening, a beautiful 2 hour ride in 75 degrees and sun. It simply doesn't get better than that!
Finally, I leave you with a quote from an article I was reading about Constantina Tomescu-Dita, the gold medal winner in the women's marathon in Bejing. Her coach is talking when he says:
“You want my advice, for the athlete and the coach?” he said. “Don’t care as much about your training as you care about your recovery. Why is that? Because if your recovery is good, then your training will be good. Always.”
I love it.
Posted by beth at September 25, 2008 7:41 PM
Comments
Will you keep it down over there! All that talking to yourself in your head is loud and distracting me from making up my algebra quiz!!! :)
Posted by: O at September 25, 2008 8:30 PM
ok, 50s on 50" would be a decently hard challenge for me, 50s on 35 are an impossible dream. you are awesome. BUT BUT BUT i do flip turns!! wooo! so i can feel cool about that. i treat it like a jump on a horse... just find the distance and take off. silly analogy i know but it works for me ;)
Posted by: Courtenay at September 25, 2008 10:07 PM
I want to try that set! Thanks for sharing it, your masters sounds like so much fun! Well, hard, but fun!
AND that quote, you shared it at the perfect time... I am so batteling with MUST TRAIN and MUST recover! Thank you!
Posted by: Bree at September 26, 2008 12:31 AM
Who needs flip turns when you can hit 50s on 35?!?!? Holy cow! I hope someday I can rock in the pool like that. Great job, Beth!
Posted by: Kristen at September 26, 2008 8:56 AM
You are becoming a fish! Look out JH!! :) And for the record, I do the head-talking thing too. You're not alone! Keep on doing the great workouts - your final races are getting close and you will be SO ready!
Posted by: marit c-l at September 26, 2008 9:30 AM
I second the thanks for sharing that workout. It sounds awesome! Now don't forget you must learn flip turns!! :)
Posted by: barb at September 26, 2008 10:45 AM
Oh...yeah...those are some good times, Beth! WOW is it coming ... nice! Keep up the hard work! :) IT will pay off!
Posted by: Jennifer Harrison at September 26, 2008 6:06 PM