Journey to Olympic Trials: Roll With It

Commentary by Jeff Commings, SwimmingWorld.TV associate producer

ORLANDO, Florida, March 21. TODAY was my first time in the pool since Saturday, and my first true long course workout in a couple of months. I had planned to take Sunday and Monday off, but circumstances beyond my control kept me out of the pool on Tuesday. In this stage of preparation, I'm not concerned about being out of the pool for three straight days. It did affect my feel for the water today, but sometimes you have to roll with the punches when it comes to having work — and life in general — upend your plans. Masters swimmers experience this all the time.

Here's a look at today's long course meters workout:

400 choice :30 rest

300 reverse IM: 50 kick/50 drill/50 swim :30 rest

2×100 back on 1:40 (avg. 1:25)

2×50 free on 1:00, four breaths per 50

1 minute break

400 free aerobic, breathing every 3 on 6:15 (5:45)

6×50 breast on 1:15 – 25 pull/25 kick

2×100 back on 1:40 (avg. 1:20)

2×50 free on 1:00, three breaths per 50

1 minute break

4×100 IM on 1:40

2×150 on 2:30 (50 back/50 breast/50 free) (avg. 2:00)

2×100 back on 1:40 (avg. 1:16)

2×50 free breathing every 4 on 1:00

200 easy (with stretching)

Total: 3,200 meters (65 minutes)

I should have written an easier workout today! I think my eyes were bigger than my stomach, as they say, not to mention that I did a pretty tough weights workout here at the YMCA Aquatic Center yesterday. That added to the difficulty of the workout. It's not easy to jump in and expect things to go easily at my age, but I was happy that I didn't feel too tired at the end. It was, in the long run, a good way to clear my head.

I planned to do 4,000 meters, but I did not have time. I wanted to do a long course workout, and had to wait for the pool staff to switch the pool over to long course, after the kids at the meet competed short course in prelims (finals are long course each day). They finished the changeover at 3:00, which I knew would cut my workout short. I wasn't sure when the kids would start warming up for finals and had hoped it wouldn't be until 4:30. But they started diving in at 4:00, which is when I finished 3,000 meters. I didn't want to be in anyone's way, so I stopped short of my planned 4,000. I'm not upset by it. I was overly ambitious to write a 4,000-meter workout anyway.

As you can see, the 100 back repeats were the highlights of the workout. I wanted to descend the effort down to 1:15 on the fourth round, and that is why I'm happy I didn't have time for another round. Holding 1:16 on the third round was very tough anyway. I've been on my legs a lot at this meet, and have been walking to and from my hotel a lot. It's only a 15-minute walk, but they add up! It's good exercise for my legs, and I'm glad to keep up the cardio training.

If the pool isn't converted to long course by 2:30 tomorrow, I will do my workout in the short course meters diving well instead. It's a crowded pool until about 10 minutes after time trials, so I can't get in until mid-afternoon anyway.

—————–

I want to take the opportunity to thank everyone who has wished me well in the past couple of weeks. I've been encountering a lot of people in my work travels, both here at the NCSA junior nationals and last week at the NCAA Division II meet. I certainly didn't qualify for Olympic Trials to get attention, but I'm glad it's inspiring my fellow Masters swimmers, motivating swimmers half my age and giving coaches some workouts to give their swimmers. Many of you have shared your personal swimming stories to me, and I've been inspired by many of them as well!

Portions of this commentary were reprinted from Jeff Commings' blog at commings.blogspot.com.

Jeff Commings, the author of “Odd Man Out: An Autobiography,” will compete in the 100-meter breaststroke at the U.S. Olympic Trials on June 25. This will be his third time at the Trials, having previously competed in 1992 and 1996.

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