Much busier than Thurs Night Session. Back to the 8 lane main pool. Great to see most of the guys who I last saw at Sheffield in October.
I moved up a lane to the 3rd fastest. It was hard work but I need to stick to it if they let me as it makes me work harder. Started going off 3/4th but ended up at the back at the end of the main set.
800 warm up as [100 pull, 100 kick, 100 swim (4x25 fast kick)] x 2
10 x150 as 100 steady 50 build to sprint finish on 2.45.
400 recovery swim
Starts and sprints. approx 200m
Swim down 200m
I struggled to keep ahead of the swimmers behind me on the main set of 150's but finished everything OK. One of our resident channel swimmers led the lane and was pretty swift (compared to me). I came into my own when we did the sprints later. I need 3-4 sessions per week like this but won't be over again until Thurs.
Competing next weekend but more of that next week. The drive home (only 32 miles) seemed a long time but I left the water at 8.55 and was home for 10.05.
Oh well up to leave home at 0500 in the morning and a public lane swim at 1900 tomorrow evening.
Sunday 27 February 2011
Saturday 26 February 2011
Friday Lane Swim, Lazy Saturday Weigh Day and Rugby on TV
After my rehab at Gloucester Masters on Thursday I was back in Public lane swimming Friday Lunch time. Just to clarify, Public lane swimming at Leominster is pretty good for Masters and Tri-athletes. On the odd day, we get some slower swimmers who insist on swimming in the 'Fast Lane' especially if there is only one or two of us swimming. Generally we are pretty free to follow our schedules with very little interruption.
Our coach at Gloucester told me my hand entry was incorrect and I was slapping too much. He gave me some guidance to correct this fault. I spent most the Friday lunch time session working on drills to alter my hand entry and pull a little more towards my sides rather than down my centre line. (My excuse for only doing 2000 Metres)
I also did lots of backstroke drills now my shoulder allows me to swim this stroke again. Saturday a day off before the 90 min club session at Gloucester on Sunday evening.
Weigh Day Saturday , no improvement from Thurs Blog but another steady 2 lbs off this week. I'm at the weight I normally get stuck at but hopefully (No definitely!!) this time I will keep going.
As well as no training it's Sports day on TV today. Hoping England beat France later and the Match Play Golf from the US is getting to the interesting stages with lots of Europeans still in the tournament.
Our coach at Gloucester told me my hand entry was incorrect and I was slapping too much. He gave me some guidance to correct this fault. I spent most the Friday lunch time session working on drills to alter my hand entry and pull a little more towards my sides rather than down my centre line. (My excuse for only doing 2000 Metres)
I also did lots of backstroke drills now my shoulder allows me to swim this stroke again. Saturday a day off before the 90 min club session at Gloucester on Sunday evening.
Weigh Day Saturday , no improvement from Thurs Blog but another steady 2 lbs off this week. I'm at the weight I normally get stuck at but hopefully (No definitely!!) this time I will keep going.
As well as no training it's Sports day on TV today. Hoping England beat France later and the Match Play Golf from the US is getting to the interesting stages with lots of Europeans still in the tournament.
Friday 25 February 2011
A happier Fat Swimmer and do swimmers sprint 200's
My first year of swimming in 2008 was 100% Public Lane Swimming. I joined my local swimming club to get my asa registration but they had no Masters section and could offer no pool time. All my competitive efforts were based on my training 3-4 times a week approx an hour each session. I did Ok winning a few events at Open meets and finally scraping a silver for the 50m Free (Splash and Dash) at the asa Masters (sc) at Sheffield in October 2009. I am currently and will likely remain a sprinter at heart, although I would love to swim a competitive 200M at some time.
Now talking about 200M brings me to the reason I am happier today. Last night I had my first session back at my Club, Gloucester masters. I joined Gloucester after my minor success at Sheffield in 2009. The problem with doing my own sessions is that they were based on my memory of sessions I did with my coach Arthur Dann when I was a boy of 15/16. I am also very lazy. I needed to train with like minded master swimmers and after looking at Masters Clubs within evening commuting distances from Rural Herefordshire I decided on Gloucester.It is a 60+ mile round trip but Gloucester are a strong club who do well nationally and have a presence at many Open meets.
Anyway to stop my meandering on and on my first session back after a 4 month break due to Shoulder surgery. Luckily it was a Lactate Tolerance session so total was steady and all went well.
We were asked to swim 4 x 75 at 200 sprint speed. I said anything over 50 is not a sprint. I was assured that 200's are indeed a sprint event. I havn't swam one for 38 years so thought I'd do one at our open meet in April . Will it be a sprint??? Time will tell.
Now talking about 200M brings me to the reason I am happier today. Last night I had my first session back at my Club, Gloucester masters. I joined Gloucester after my minor success at Sheffield in 2009. The problem with doing my own sessions is that they were based on my memory of sessions I did with my coach Arthur Dann when I was a boy of 15/16. I am also very lazy. I needed to train with like minded master swimmers and after looking at Masters Clubs within evening commuting distances from Rural Herefordshire I decided on Gloucester.It is a 60+ mile round trip but Gloucester are a strong club who do well nationally and have a presence at many Open meets.
Anyway to stop my meandering on and on my first session back after a 4 month break due to Shoulder surgery. Luckily it was a Lactate Tolerance session so total was steady and all went well.
We were asked to swim 4 x 75 at 200 sprint speed. I said anything over 50 is not a sprint. I was assured that 200's are indeed a sprint event. I havn't swam one for 38 years so thought I'd do one at our open meet in April . Will it be a sprint??? Time will tell.
Thursday 24 February 2011
'The Fat Swimmer Bit'
'Diets' Who needs them. Well I guess I have been trying to lose weight since I hit 40 and realised it was hard work once you get 'older'
The recent past has seen me hitting 19st 10lbs in around 2000. I went on a golfing holiday for a week with a non playing Mrs Tewson. Nice 5* hotel with bloody scales in the bathroom. I really did not realise how heavy I had become! To Cap this we all had pics taken on the 1st Tee. To cut to the chase Mrs Tewson said 'Quick go and buy those pics before everyone sees them'. I guess for the next 7 years I yo yo'd up and down between 17 and 20 stone. At the time of my heart problems I weighed around 20 stone 6 lbs. The consultant said for me to concentrate on stopping smoking and hit the weight loss later.
Giving up smoking is easy compared to a successful diet. When someone says you will die within 2 years if you don't stop it gives you will power. Now diets ! Well you are not stopping something 100% are you , we still need to eat so its just a matter of cutting down or cutting out, simples. The problem is I like food especially the fatty stuff. I have grown used to eating large portions of the wrong foods.
So after my bi-pass I started a Diet. I lost 3 stone 6lbs over the next 15 months. 2 stone 6 lbs of this before I started swimming . I swam at my first competition a fighting 18 stone. I looked huge compared to all these Masters Swimmers who all look trim to me. For the next 2 years I have stayed at around 17 stone. I still look huge in comparison to my fellow competitors and I am sure that by losing another 2-3 stone will enable me to swim faster. This is the key for me. I want to swim faster and win more national events. I will not do it with technique and training alone I need to trim down again.
So as of this morning I had reduced to 17 st 2 lbs. I am in the middle of a diet started after Xmas. I had put weight on after a shoulder surgery enforced layoff.. So having reduced again to present weight from 18 stone 6lbs I am determined to continue at a steady pace until my times improve.
This is as open and honest as I have ever been so I hope no one is reading this.
The recent past has seen me hitting 19st 10lbs in around 2000. I went on a golfing holiday for a week with a non playing Mrs Tewson. Nice 5* hotel with bloody scales in the bathroom. I really did not realise how heavy I had become! To Cap this we all had pics taken on the 1st Tee. To cut to the chase Mrs Tewson said 'Quick go and buy those pics before everyone sees them'. I guess for the next 7 years I yo yo'd up and down between 17 and 20 stone. At the time of my heart problems I weighed around 20 stone 6 lbs. The consultant said for me to concentrate on stopping smoking and hit the weight loss later.
Giving up smoking is easy compared to a successful diet. When someone says you will die within 2 years if you don't stop it gives you will power. Now diets ! Well you are not stopping something 100% are you , we still need to eat so its just a matter of cutting down or cutting out, simples. The problem is I like food especially the fatty stuff. I have grown used to eating large portions of the wrong foods.
So after my bi-pass I started a Diet. I lost 3 stone 6lbs over the next 15 months. 2 stone 6 lbs of this before I started swimming . I swam at my first competition a fighting 18 stone. I looked huge compared to all these Masters Swimmers who all look trim to me. For the next 2 years I have stayed at around 17 stone. I still look huge in comparison to my fellow competitors and I am sure that by losing another 2-3 stone will enable me to swim faster. This is the key for me. I want to swim faster and win more national events. I will not do it with technique and training alone I need to trim down again.
So as of this morning I had reduced to 17 st 2 lbs. I am in the middle of a diet started after Xmas. I had put weight on after a shoulder surgery enforced layoff.. So having reduced again to present weight from 18 stone 6lbs I am determined to continue at a steady pace until my times improve.
This is as open and honest as I have ever been so I hope no one is reading this.
Nearly Three Years and still not happy
Basic information will be old hat to some and details I try not to ponder on too much. After mid life of deserting exercise and smoking levels up to 40/day I was told that I needed bi-pass surgery. Oh Shit! It would never happen to me of course. I had swam competitively as a youngster, then played Water polo and Rugby until late 30's and early 40's. My golf was the only activity left (But not enough). It was Golf or to be more accurate the slight slope on the 2nd hole which first gave me reason for concern. A slight pain in my left armpit and surrounding area. I always walked it off but did realise I was very unfit and breathless at times.
To cut to the chase I eventually went to the docs which led to the diagnosis that I had at least 3 arteries blocked by up to 95%. (Jan 2007). I gave up my 40/day habit the day I was told give up or die. I waited for the dates for surgery, was told 12-16 weeks. The date came at about a weeks notice and off I went to Birmingham for the op. 31st May 2007. I was in my 53rd year and judging by the age of my fellow customers at the Hospital pretty young to need the surgery. The one advantage my consultant tells me is that I am young enough to have the surgery repeated in 12-20 years if I need it. Leaving to one side all the boring bits the surgery was successful and 7 days later Mrs Tewson drove me home with a pillow between the seat belt and my chest.
After 12 weeks of recovering I was allowed to start a course of rehab. This led to joining the local gym and trying to get fit for the first time on 25 years. My problem with the gym was that I had a chronic back issue of protruding discs and two knacked knees from my Rugby days. I felt I was falling apart. My Sister suggested I go swimming with her 3 times a week.
Now I had fallen out with swimming at 17 due to spending my teenage years swimming 30-40 K a week training and had never considered ever training again. After my first visit to the pool I was close to not starting any sort of swimming training again. I swam the first length and needed to stop and rest! This was May 2008.
Ok, between then and now I progressed from my 3 times a week swimming with sis to Joining Gloucester masters swimming club and attempting to train 5 times a week approx 12-15K.. I have undergone two more bouts of surgery (No not the heart but knee and shoulder) to keep me active. I can still sprint pretty well but to explain the 'still not happy' bit, I still feel the need to get much fitter and swim longer events. I hope after the recent shoulder surgery I can have a couple of years of steady improvement and improve my current performances. The blog will be my record of working to improve while still living my life with Mrs Tewson
Hope you all (If any) don't get to too bored.
To cut to the chase I eventually went to the docs which led to the diagnosis that I had at least 3 arteries blocked by up to 95%. (Jan 2007). I gave up my 40/day habit the day I was told give up or die. I waited for the dates for surgery, was told 12-16 weeks. The date came at about a weeks notice and off I went to Birmingham for the op. 31st May 2007. I was in my 53rd year and judging by the age of my fellow customers at the Hospital pretty young to need the surgery. The one advantage my consultant tells me is that I am young enough to have the surgery repeated in 12-20 years if I need it. Leaving to one side all the boring bits the surgery was successful and 7 days later Mrs Tewson drove me home with a pillow between the seat belt and my chest.
After 12 weeks of recovering I was allowed to start a course of rehab. This led to joining the local gym and trying to get fit for the first time on 25 years. My problem with the gym was that I had a chronic back issue of protruding discs and two knacked knees from my Rugby days. I felt I was falling apart. My Sister suggested I go swimming with her 3 times a week.
Now I had fallen out with swimming at 17 due to spending my teenage years swimming 30-40 K a week training and had never considered ever training again. After my first visit to the pool I was close to not starting any sort of swimming training again. I swam the first length and needed to stop and rest! This was May 2008.
Ok, between then and now I progressed from my 3 times a week swimming with sis to Joining Gloucester masters swimming club and attempting to train 5 times a week approx 12-15K.. I have undergone two more bouts of surgery (No not the heart but knee and shoulder) to keep me active. I can still sprint pretty well but to explain the 'still not happy' bit, I still feel the need to get much fitter and swim longer events. I hope after the recent shoulder surgery I can have a couple of years of steady improvement and improve my current performances. The blog will be my record of working to improve while still living my life with Mrs Tewson
Hope you all (If any) don't get to too bored.
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