Training Log Archive: Kat

4x150 (swim, pull, kick, swim)
2x50 scull/swim

6x { 150 (100 free, 50 choice), 150 (100 IM, 50 free) }
200 easy
6x125 kick

6x50 easy

total: 3,750 (I did 3,450 - cut out a few 25s on the kicking and a few 50s in the main set)

I felt sore, but quite good today. Could even cruise on some of the 150s. But my feelings of "cruise" and "fast" seem so subjective at times that I'm not sure if I'm actually improving or just feel good on a particular day. If I were to do a practice session with my former high school team, then I would probably feel reasonably fast because I would be among the fastest people there. But at Oxford, no matter how hard I work, I am still going to be slower than pretty much everybody else because a lot of the swimmers on the team have strong backgrounds. We even have one girl who used to be a New Zealand national swimmer! So, even though I've certainly improved my swimming since start of the year (and start of term), it's hard to notice sometimes because I'm surrounded by speed. But I try to keep things in perspective.

Easy running before, during, and after intervals.

Intervals with XC team in University Parks.

2 minutes
(1 minute rest/jog)
4 minutes
(1 minute rest/jog)
4 minutes
(3 minutes rest/jog)
1 minute
(1 minute rest/jog)
1 minute
At this point, I just did a few minutes easy running. The rest of the XC folks did 3 more 1-minute runs with decreasing rest by 15 seconds each time.

I felt quite good doing intervals. Stayed behind Helen the entire time, except for on the last (second) 1-minute run, where I kicked pace up a notch and was actually in the lead of our little group. The funny thing was, after I went faster on that one (not sprinting, but faster), I actually felt quite good! I wanted to continue, but decided not to push it. Before we started, I had decided I would do 12 minutes of hard running and that's exactly what I did. If I continue to feel fine, then perhaps in two weeks or so I can do more.

I felt great during intervals, but when I was doing easy running before (and especially after) my calves and shins felt tight. My right calf has felt very tight ever since I woke up yesterday morning, actually, and even though the rest of my legs are fine now, it continues to bother me when I walk. It feels on the verge of a cramp and I'm not quite sure what to do about it now. Should I try massaging the knot? Keep it warm? Keep it cold?

C • Keep it warm 2