Not Taking The Easy Way

Journal by Jeff Commings, Swimming World associate producer

PHOENIX, Arizona, August 30. SWIMMING World associate producer Jeff Commings, who will be the second oldest man to compete at the U.S. Olympic Trials next summer, is journaling his daily training regimen on his personal blog. We are reprinting those articles here:

Date: Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Time: 5:45 a.m.
Short Course Meters
300 days to Trials!

300 warmup

400 IM on 8:00 — 25 kick/25 drill

20×25 swim on :30, starting from the middle of the pool (no freestyle)

20×25 kick on :30 (no freestyle)

8×50 on 1:30 best average (breaststroke — 37.1, 35.6, 35.9, 35.4, 35.6, 35.7, 36.1, 35.4)

200 easy

8×25 on :45 best average (backstroke — held between 14 and 15 seconds each 25)

500 easy working on technique

Total: 3000 meters

Tuesdays are usually not very high on the amount swum, mostly because intervals are slower, but I was surprised there were two best average sets today. Usually, those are reserved for Wednesdays and Fridays. I wasn't prepared for the set of 50s, and as such the first one wasn't very good. I was trying to hold what I think would be a good pace for a 200 breast. Since I haven't done a 200 breast since 1998, and don't know when I last did a short course meters 200 breast, I figured I should hold three seconds off my last 50 in a 100 breast. If I had tried to go all out on the 50s, I would have done maybe a couple of them in the 32-high to 33-mid range, then fallen off considerably.

Before the set of 50s started, I thought about doing backstroke. I could have held a stronger pace, but it would not have done much for me in terms of trying to get into good breaststroke swimming shape. I am obviously focused on Olympic Trials, but along the way I'm trying to not lose what I have in my backstroke. I do have goals for my 100 back in the next few months, and I still need to work on that, but breaststroke will always take priority, no matter how much I don't feel like doing it.

Reprinted from Jeff's personal blog at commings.blogspot.com

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