Swimming a little faster

My swim times at each distance were a little bit faster today.
Swimming = 1,650 yards total

• 8 x 50
• 1 x 200 @ 3:04
• 1 x 800 @ 12:49
• 1 x 200 @ 3:02
• 1 x 50

Today's weight on the YMCA scale = 178.5LBS

Building Bike Endurance

Today was another day for building bike endurance. It was windy again, but I felt a little bit more strength and speed in my legs.

Total Distance = 74.31 Miles

Average Speed = 16.5MPH

Zack and Craig's Tour of The Midwest

IronCraig http://schlawin.blogspot.com/ and I decided to go for a bike ride today. At the start of the ride we were not sure where we were going to go or exactly how far. We just kind of kept going a little bit further. We were going at a very easy pace. Eventually we had made our way into Wisconsin and kept going for almost 10 more miles. When we turned around, we realized we were heading into the wind. This made for a long and slow return trip. But it was good training and a good time. Here are the totals:

Total Distance = 71.66Miles

Total Ride Time = 4:48:00

Average Pace = 15MPH

Double Duty

I hope to make some real improvement in swim times and body weight over the next month. I need to be real careful about what I eat and monitor my weight closely. The Ironman is no place for extra poundage. This morning's weight at the YMCA was 182LB.
1)AM Workout:
Swim = 1,700 yards total

• 8 x 50
• 1 x 200 @ 3:10
• 1 x 500 @ 8:20
• 1 x 200 @ 3:07
• 8 x 50

2)PM Workout(No rest between sets)

1. Jump Rope = 250
2. Wide Grip Pullup = 11
3. Burpees = 15
4. Dips = 16
5. Jump Rope = 250
6. Close Grip Pullup = 11
7. Burpees = 15
8. Planks = 1:00
9. Jump Rope = 250
10. Incline Dumpell Press = 65LB x 7
11. Burpees = 15
12. Body Weight Rows = 12
13. Jump Rope = 250
14. Close Grip Pushups = 16
15. Burpees = 15
16. Hang Clean, Front Squat, Push Press = 35LB x 7 (Dumbells)

Total Time = 20:59

Swim Fast without Swim Practice

Today was the first time I have swam in well over a month. For the last couple of weeks I have been practicing "mental swimming". This is what I do when I don't have time to get to the pool. It can't replace swimming, but it is better than nothing. The way I practice "mental swimming" is to go through all of the technique elements of swimming while doing another activity such as driving to work. I wanted to give myself a little test to see how my mental swimming has contributed to my speed and here are the results:

Swim 4 x 400 Yards (Tot = 1,600 yds)

1. 400 yds = 6:38 (then 2:00 rest)
2. 400 yds = 6:36 (then 2:00 rest)
3. 400 yds = 6:38 (then 2:00 rest)
4. 400 yds = 6:45 (then 2:00 rest)

Depending on who the swimmer is, the times above could be fast or slow. For me, these are pretty solid times. In fact, each of the 400's was significantly faster than the 400 I swam in the Freeport Triathlon last year (7:11). There are a couple of other reasons I think I can swim faster right out of the gate. One is due to general fitness and the other is explained in this previous post. http://trizack.blogspot.com/2009/03/swim-fast-without-swim-training.html For the rest of the season, I plan on getting faster while training in the water.

Lifting Weights with my kids

Friday, 5/8: On this day I had both of my kids. It was hard to get much of a workout in. I did a quick weight circuit while my daughter was taking a nap. My 3 year old son was "lifting" with me.

• Wide Grip Pullup = 12
• Dips = 20
• Close Grip Pullup = 12
• Ab Roller = 10
• Hang Clean, Front Squat, Push Press = 75LB x 10
• Incline Dumbell Press = 66LB x 10
• Planks = 2:00
• Tricep Dumbell Kickbacks = 10LB x 12
• Shoulder Press = 105LB x 7

Rockman Bike Part 2

Today IronCraig and I did the Rockman Half Ironman bike course. For me, that makes 2 days in a row. I am tired. My total mileage over the last 3 rides (4days) is 163 miles.

Total Mileage = 56M

Total Ride Time = 3:15:30

Avg Pace = 17.2MPH