Jump rope is the new start to our morning practices, and Paul Tenorio is ready to go full steam ahead leading into the November Open. (Photo by Jeff King/Curl-Burke)
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Amazingly, we’re just one more week away from the November Open and going into this morning’s practice I was faced with a question: did I want to do a kind of mini-taper and pare back my training in advance of the meet, or did I want to go right on ahead with my normal work?
I thought about it a lot last night, and I considered that my arm was being annoying and my legs were exhausted and sure, easing up a bit might seem like it makes sense. I do want to go best times next weekend. The bottom line, though, is that I’m in this thing to work, and so I just want to put my head down and work — and whatever happens in the November Open … happens.
Coach Jeff King still kept things relatively simple for my triceps this morning, easing me back into swimming and getting me comfortable with the arm.
The focus of the set was again on working the legs — 100 fly kick, 25 backstroke, 75 fly kick, 25 back, 50 fly kick, 25 back, 25 fly kick, 25 back, then five minutes of vertical kicking.
The backstroke was a good way to start swimming again because it really takes the emphasis off your triceps. And throughout the workout I felt comfortable and strong. I was a bit hesitant as I swam, worried that I might do something to tweak it again and extend this lingering problem, but that was the whole point of the set, to test the arm and get comfortable again.
Since I was swimming and kicking on my back the whole time, I did experience something for the first time: smacking my hand on the edge of the pool from turning over too late.
As I came in to the wall at the end of one of my kicks, I flipped over hard to stroke into the wall on my stomach. I thought I had timed it right, after all it was my fourth time through the set, but when I flipped and brought my arm down I smacked it on the wall. Ouch.
As Pat Sullivan said: “You only need to do it once.”
Yep. The next set and every other time through I was turning over and taking a good two strokes or so because I’d flip so early. You definitely learn your lesson from that first smack on the wall.
Vertical kicking is interesting. You’d never think five minutes would move so slowly until you sit upright in the pool kicking and try to keep your head above water — especially when you’re by yourself and everyone around you is swimming.
I passed the time by encouraging Conor Macnair, who swims for St. Stephen’s/St. Agnes, and was in the middle of a set of 10 400 IMs. After listening to Jeff’s speech last week, I think it’s critical for all of us to make sure we’re encouraging each other through the practices — especially when you’re going through a set like that on your own.
When I was done with my fifth set, I moved over and worked on breath control, doing 10 25s of zero breath along with Sullivan and Brian Heilbronner to wrap up the week.
Next week it’s going to be back to the pre-meet type workouts, which means getting some more start work done off the blocks and focusing on my streamline and power coming off the wall. I have goals for the 100 this weekend, certainly, but I’m also realistic as I know the meet is just three weeks after October’s performance. Also, I now have higher expectations and I will be swimming in front of my mom and sister for the first time, eek.
So I figure I’ll just tell Jeff to feel free to kick my butt next week and hopefully that’ll get me ready for the Open. Or it’ll just tire me out and get me stronger and faster overall.
That’s win-win, though, right?
Washington Post reporter Paul Tenorio will train with a swim club over the next few months and chronicle his journey as he attempts to transform from regular guy/sports reporter to competitive swimmer — everything from his waistline to his best times.
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Paul, that clock just doesn’t move during vertical kick sets. It’s diabolic.