Sunday in the Park With George

PHOENIX, Arizona, October 3. 267 days to Olympic Trials!

Journal by Jeff Commings, 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:

Today's workout:
Time: 9:15 a.m.
267 days to Olympic Trials

At the gym:
20 minutes elliptical machine

Five minutes shoulder exercises

Sitting bench press (15 @ 120, 12 @ 140, 10 @ 160)

Sitting leg press (15 @ 140, 12 @ 180, 10 @ 220)

Triceps (15 @ 80, 12 @ 100, 10 @ 120)

15 minutes abdominals and stretching

10:30 a.m. at the pool
800 warmup

4×200 free on 3:00, breathing every 5 holding easy pace
(Averaged 2:23)

4×200 free on 2:40, breathing every 3, aerobic pace
(Averaged 2:19)

4×200 free on 2:20, choice of breathing pattern
(2:07. 2:09, 2:18…rested for first 100 of #4, then did a 1:09 final 100)

400 recovery

4×100 free on 1:30, aerobic pace
(Averaged 1:12, slightly slower than aerobic)

4×75 back on 1:20, aerobic
(Averaged :52)

4×50 breast strong pace on 1:10
(30.4, 31.3, 31.0, 30.5)

8×25 no breath on :45 (done as three underwater breast pullouts)

Easy 100

Today fulfilled my once-monthly Sunday workout with Phoenix Swim Club. With today starting my eight-week sprint phase, I knew before I walked into the facility that the workout would not have any race-pace sets for me. Even if this were not the start of my sprint phase of training, the set of 200s would have been impossible for me. It's an easy excuse to say I'm not a distance swimmer, and that my body does not know how to hold a fast pace for four 200s with only about 10 seconds rest. I thought I could make it through 3.5 of the 200s, but I hit a wall big time at the 50-yard mark of number three. It was impossible to push through. The lactic acid was piling up in my body, my lungs couldn't bring in enough oxygen, and I was getting that nauseous feeling in my stomach that I get during long swims. I thought about pushing through number four, but it would have been a wasted 200 anyway.

I was happy about the 50s breast at the end, because I hadn't done much breaststroke to warm up. Given the interval, I didn't want to push the 50s too hard. I could have gone 29-plus on the first two, but I might have deteriorated on number three. You need at least 90 seconds to do all-out sprints correctly. I kept my form on all four, and was happy to hear the times called out to me.

Today in the gym was not indicative of the sprint phase. I didn't want to do anything too hard right before a Sunday workout, though I did increase the weights on some sets. I didn't feel any negative effects of doing that in the pool.

A lot of you have responded publicly or privately about my post from last Friday about my poor eating habits. The main consensus is that oatmeal is a very good breakfast choice, and I agree. I used to eat oatmeal almost every day, but I think I gave it up a few months ago because it seemed weird to eat hot cereal in the morning in Phoenix, when it was already 95 degrees! I went to the grocery store today and got a large container of Quaker instant oatmeal, a gallon of milk, raisins and a container of vanilla-flavored soy/whey protein powder. I'll mix that into my oatmeal. I won't eat oatmeal for every breakfast, but it will be the majority of them. Other times, it might be bagels and cream cheese, while others might be a bagel with ham and cheese.

Thanks to all who chimed in with their thoughts. One person suggested I should post everything I eat, along with caloric intake, protein consumption, etc. I don't think I can promise to do that consistently, especially since most of my day is spent grazing on stuff like handfuls of Cheerios or a bagel at 3:00 to keep my blood sugar up until dinner. Plus, I tried to do that when I was training in Colorado Springs, and it's a nightmare to keep in a journal. I also mentioned that I hope to lose five pounds in a matter of weeks, and since I don't have a scale at home, that goal is only an estimate and will be mostly determined by the size of my midsection. I don't check myself out in the mirror every day, but often I'll notice the tiny spare tire forming around my waist, and I can't show up at Olympic Trials with a muffin top! Once I lose that weight (or replace it with muscle), I will work to keep it off through June 25, 2012.

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

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