27 February 2022 I've been ramping both my volume and intensity up over the last few weeks as I get ready to race in 5 weeks. I wrapped up this week with two strong workouts on Saturday and Sunday, albeit with a bonk by the end of the second one. Saturday - Broken 400 IMs I did an abbreviated warmup of 1,100 yards at LA Fitness ... 1 x 400: IM kick-drill by 25 4 x 100: on 1:20, free descend with snorkel 1 x 50: easy scull / breast kick with snorkel 8 x 25: on 0:55 per pair,

25 February 2022 No ... not COVID testing: freestyle race testing! As I hadn't yet done my heart rate test set, and it's been almost 3 weeks since my last go at the 3 x 300 Base Pace test, I decided to double down. Long warmup (2,000 yards) 1 x 400: IM, kick-drill by 25s 4 x 100: on 1:20, freestyle swim, descend wearing a Finis snorkel 1:13+, 1:12+, 1:09+, 1:08 4 x 100: on 1:45, IM kick, descend on back no board 1:36+, 1:33, 1:28, 1:26+ 6 x 50: #1 and #6 are easy breastroke k

14 February 2022 With seven weeks to go until I try to do a quick taper and see if I can race again, I made a plan to do my 400 IM Test Set once per week, so figured I may as well kick the week off with it. Warmup (1,500 yards) 1 x 400: IM kick-drill by 25s 4 x 100: on 1:25, free descend w/snorkel, 1:11+, 1:08, 1:04, 1:01 4 x 100: on 1:45, IM kick on back descend, 1:30, 1:27, 1:25, 1:25 8 x 25: on 1:00 per pair, odds IM order fast, evens easy 1 x 50: easy 400 IM Test set (2,1

13 February 2022 I understand now why I didn't know about this fantastic pool just a few miles from the DCA airport ... ... as it, the Long Bridge Aquatics Center, just opened in August of 2021. The facility is stunning from the moment you arrive, an architectural beauty of glass, brick and steel with the hulking Pentagon to the west and the Potomac River to the east. They appear to have done everything right at this facility, which, in addition to the 50M competition pool a

12 February 2022 So, I'm planning a Lone Star State sized event line up ... ... to race the first weekend in April at this gorgeous facility: Today, minus shoveling the driveway, is a rest day, so I've used the time freed up from working out to plan my training and travel for this meet. Seven weeks to go: 5 weeks of progressive intensity and training duration, one week dropping volume with a focus on speed, one week of rest and then it's GO TIME!

11 February 2022 Noone will ever walk by a weight room and mistake me for Caleb Dressel, not with this massive weightlifting routine I did this morning in my home "gym" (e.g., spare room), going 3 rounds of: 30 crunches 15 x 15lb dumbbell curls 15 x 20lb weighted calf raises 15 x 30lb Tricep press 20 x 20lb weighted twists 15 x 25lb dumbbell bench press 20 alternating side toe taps 15 x 25 lb dumbbell rows But, since late December, I've slowly been working back in "drylands,"

10 February 2022 ... I can get back in shape. Back at LA Fitness this morning with a different test set, one I believe I haven't done in yards in 6 years, my "IM Base Pace" set. This is similar in concept to the 3 x 300 free set for establishing my aerobic training base pace, but I do 5 x 200 IM on 3:15 to establish the aerobic training base pace for IM sets. Standard, Long Warmup (1,750 yards) 1 x 400: IM, kick-drill by 25s 4 x 100: on 1:30, freestyle swim, descend wearing

9 February 2022 After I returned home to Ontario from Panama in early January, I came back to another COVID lockdown, with the three things that really bring me joy in life - movies, eating out at funky restaurants and swimming - closed down. Fortunately, this omicron closure was briefer than the previous shut-ins, and pools re-opened on January 31st. I swam 5 times last week and again this Monday morning, regaining some feel for the water and easing back into it. After a