The Faulty Flipper is the informal home of the BOK Masters Squad. Masters swimming is for adult swimmers who do not mind getting their hair wet, who want to swim as hard as they can several times a week in the hope of improving their technique, getting a bit faster, and to have a sociable laugh between gasps for air.

Weather

Weather observation for Huddersfield at 03:00 GMT.

Temperature: -2°C
Wind Direction: W
Wind Speed: 7mph
Relative Humidity: 95%
Pressure: 1028mb falling
Visibility: Good

Weather information derived from data from bbc.co.uk.

Butterfly roundhouses kick

Butterfly kick – new?.
A fascinating variant on standard butterfly kick.

Run 8 March 2010

From Heath Rugby Club (233ft), turn left and at second set of lights, right up Saddleworth Road, stopping at the Branch (1.6 miles, 478 ft). Continue on and up to the foot of Barsey Green Lane (2.3 mile, 582ft possible pause), then right up the Lane, stopping at the top to gather breath (2.74 miles, 775ft).

Turn right along Rochdale Road, then left at junction with Norland Road, continue on and down to junction with Turbury Lane, turn right and back to Rochdale Road (4.05 miles, 631ft). Left down Rochdale Road to lights, left and home (5.5 miles and 542ft of climb).

All on road, with one section, Barsey Green Lane, unlit and steep.

Short cuts: Going straight back down Rochdale Road, not turning off across Norland Road, cuts off .61 mile.

Extensions: Part way up Barsey Green lane turn left up dirt track continue up to Greetland Road Road, then sharp right to top of BGL adds .39 of a mile.

Or

At foot of Barsey Green lane, continue to Barkisland post office, turn right up Stainland Road, then right along Scammonden Road, and right again down Greetland Road to top of BGL adds 1.67 miles.

I ran with Zoe and Tracey – both better-than-me runners recovering from time off for the bad winter.

Where have they gone?

BOK Masters has been around now for over 20 years. In that time,many swimmers have come through the squad. Many have come, and frankly, a similar number have passed on – but where to?

Information wanted.

Lisa Dobson (former world champion breast stroke masters swimmer) Lives still in Brighouse with her two children. I bump into her occasionally. She seems cheerful, and having her as a  mum is clearly a good start for the little ‘uns.

Victoria Watson. Vickie was (one of) our other world champions. she emigrated to Australia, and recently assisted our very own (and still) WeOf to yet another world title at the 2009 World Masters games in Australia, in a relay race. She liked swimming fly. She didn’t suffer fools gladly (speaking as one who knows – ahem).

Is this Vickie? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SZX6dSmSEg

Masters Swim Session March 7 2010

Sunday. The sets are getting harder, or the swimmers are getting faster, or I am trying a bit more.

Warm up: 3 x [1oo free + 100 choice]

Main Set: 3 x [100 free + 4 x 50 + 200] All on 15 seconds rest interval.

IM: 100 + 75 + 50 + 25 + 25 + 50 + 75 + 100 – all on 15 seconds RI, dropping last length down, adding it back on the way up.

That was enough. A one hour session in a 25 metre pool, in lane 4 of 5,set by Nick Overton.

We had a few ‘descendants’ again – swimmers who are being pushed down the lanes by the fact of new faster and younger swimmers coming in at the top end. BrGo set off manfully to leave us ‘chasing his bubbles’. We were then joined by JiWh and MiGi. MiGi for some reason held back toward the rear of the lane. JiWh never quite knows which lane he is in. When up to and for it, he will very happily swim two lanes above us. When feeling his injury, he drops down. It was one of those evenings where he should have been two lanes up.

The result in any event was that a few hours later, I could still feel the burning in my arms. Grand.

Best of all we were visited by a young lad called Alfie – the new son of Rachel and Jim. At a couple of weeks old, it is not yet possible to measure his future as a swimmer, but he should be grateful that he will have a few years of innocence before having to face the possibility of  joining the squads. Heaven help him.

Masters Swim Session March 6 2010

BOK masters swim squad, training session for 6 March 2010. This is a one hour set in a 25 metre pool, in lane 4 of 6.

Warm up: 5 x (100 free + 50 choice)
Main set: 4 x ( 200 free + 100 m + 3 x 50 easy/medium/max )
In the first and third set, the 100m was IM, and the fifties, choice.

4 x 25 IM order long/strong.

Warm down: 50m (not much time)

Ladies Backstroke - Squad records

Records are short course records within the BOK Masters swimming squad.

25M BACK WOMEN TIME YEAR
19-24
25-29 JANE HAWKINS 19.91 1991
30-34
35-39 WENDY OFFORD 17.92 1991
40-44 TRISH MELLOR 18.60 1991
45-49

50 M BACK WOMEN
19-24 JULIA YEOMAN 33.19 2002
25-29 RACHEL WHITWELL 33.89 2009
30-34 GEMMA HEY 34.24 2009
35-39 WENDY OFFORD 37.88 1991
40-44 CAROLYN IRVINE 36.29 2004
45-49 CAROLYN IRVINE 37.44 2009
50-54 WENDY OFFORD 40.4 2004
55-59 WENDY OFFORD 40.2 2009

100 M BACK WOMEN
19-24 JULIA YEOMAN 1.10.40 2002
25-29 RACHEL WHITWELL 1.14.16 2007
30-34 VICKY WATSON 1.12.96 1996
35-39 GILL FLOYD 1.22.79 1999
40-44 CAROLYN IRVINE 1.19.54 2003
45-49 PAM SAVILLE 1.21.45 1999
50-54 WENDY OFFORD 1.31.84 2008
55-59 WENDY OFFORD 1.35.20 2009

200 M BACK WOMEN
19-24 JULIA YEOMAN 2.28.31 2003
25-29 RACHEL WHITWELL 2.46.22 2007
30-34
35-39 GILL FLOYD 3.00.77 2000
40-44 CAROLYN IRVINE 2.59.02 2005
45-49 CAROLYN IRVINE 2.58.41 2008
55-59 NOREEN EDERY 3.29.25 2007

WO kindly maintains these records as she softly sips sangria by the pool near Fuertaventura.

Returners run

Our running club has about three hundred runners. At any one time, there will a number – unspecified at the moment – of injured runners. Avoiding injuries is a big thing, but I thought there was something we should do to assist those returning from injury.
I have suggested that we should provide opportunities for those ready to return from injury.
We have access to a track on Wednesdays. People can run as far as they like at whatever speed they like without being bound to anyone else’s speed or distance. They can test the injured limb, or begin to rebuild confidence and strength before trying a full club run.
Many injuries will be over and done with within a week or so. They are more hiccups than anything more severe. Some will take longer. In just about every case there are some common factors. There is
a reduction in fitness, real or otherwise, and
a possible lack of confidence in the recovery (what will my ‘twinge’ feel like when I start running again)
If something goes wrong at the track, the runner can simply stop with no more than a few hundred yards to get back. On a club run, this might easily be four miles.
There are other advantages. The social side of the club is important. An injured runner is often isolated from the rest of the club. The sooner they can get back, the better the chances of

Swim Session 3 March 2010

This is the session for BOK Masters swimming squad for 3 March 2010. Times are for Lane 4 of 5. The session is one hour in a 25 metre pool.
Warm up: 400m – alternate 100s full/pull – 200m choice not free – 200m IM reverse order.
Main set: 4 x [50m (20 max + 30 easy; 30 Max + 20 easy + 50 max) +100 easy]
4 x x [50m (30 easy + 20 max; 20 easy + 30 Max; + 50 max) +100 easy]
Swim down: easy

At last . . outdoors

I had given a suggestion that I might be back running again in March. I was sorely tempted not to go – a full three months not running outdoors – but I tried a couple of miles first, and everything seemed ok, so I took the plunge and decided to run with the club. On Tuesdays we run from a place called Saville Moor. It is called a moor because although it is parkland, it is relatively high, and exposed. It is on many occasions quite parky – in the cold sense, not the cut grass sense.
I went with one of the slower groups. We only did about five miles, but it was very friendly, and though my knee was uncomfortable, it was not either during or this morning, any worse. No sharp pains.
I cannot exaggerate the pleasure of actually getting out again – the cold, the dark, the hills. Did I mention the hills? I ran up all of them. There were none of the bigger hills we have around here, but even moderate ones here would look relatively substantial in many corners.
I will no doubt have to work on my stamina and leg strength, and above all to watch out for the knee, but I am, this morning, very much happier.

Interrupted

In any campaign, there must be setbacks. I am trying to regain my fitness. The trouble is that I still have an image of myself as I was when aged 39 – twenty years ago. This leads to a fairly regular puncturing of the vanity.
Which is where I am now. Last Wednesday, I was running and jinked to avoid an obstacle (the wife) in a sprightly fashion – akin perhaps to a light on the feet 39 year old. I must have led a blameless life elsewhere, because in true child of the sixties fashion, I received instant karma – my achilles was tweaked. It didn’t quite twang, but the warning and effect were immediate and clear. Only now, six days later, are its complaints dying away. Today I must try running again.
And on Sunday, when I was feeling really in need of an adrenalin injection, I got to the pool to find that the power was off, and that the masters training session was equally and determinedly cancelled.
We are supposed to rest, I know. I just get fidgety.
Whilst wittering generally in public about things which might better be kept private, I will mention my knee again. It has definitely improved, and is improving, but it is still a long way from right. I just have to find out whether I can both have the knee and run.
Who knows, a double marathon one week might enable a single length of breast-stroke the next!

Swim Session - 27 Feb 2010

Another session this morning. BOK Masters, in a 25 metre pool and in one hour. The times are for lane 4 of 6.

Warm up: 300 free + 200 choice + 100 free
Main:
400m (100 free + 100 free pull + 100 free + 100 free pull )
300m (100 free + 100 choice not-free + 100 free )
200m (100 free 100 free pull )
100m choice
Second set
8 x [75 m easy + 20s RI + 50m blast + 25s ] alternating free and choice.

The main item of interest was a new array of small locking boxes attached to the wall. The purpose was puzzling until it was suggested (me, again, sorry) that they were either gerbil or hamster boxes – somewhere to place your favourite pet while having a swim. It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the surreal can become the norm.

One point of difficulty pointed out was that though the boxes were nicely locked, each with a key, there was nowhere to store the key. This was taken by acclamation as a further demonstration of the famous locksmith’s conundrum – if you ask a locksmith where to keep a key safe, he can only supply you with another lock together with an accompanying key. In our case that would imply that we could have swimming suits with lockable sections to keep keys in, and such section with its own key which could be kept, no doubt, in a locked box on the wall.
All this and a fly swim as well.

Head Down Free drill

This drill looks to be a good way of re-learning or re-enforcing the need for and feeling of maintaining a neutral body. From USA swimming:

It is also known as the ostrich drill. Somehow I think that our squad members would be good at this.

Session – Feb 25 2010

A masters swimming session for one hour in a 25 metre pool.

Warm up: 10 minutes choice

Main Set: 200m free to set a time standard

200m Free

2 x 100m free

4 x 50m  free

2 x 100m free

2oom free

4 x 100 (75m pull 25m kick choice – not free, easy)

4 x (50m easy IM choice  + 10s  + 25m max)

The session was (for me) exceptionally hard. We have had an influx of new swimmers. They have tended to be young and fit and have filled to overflowing the top lane, from which tonight swimmers cascaded down a lane, so that we ended up with three guests from the next faster lane. Suddenly freed from the rear of that lane and not having to slow down for the ones in front and no doubt feeling a little miffed at the move down, DaMa, CaIr and SuPa, all went suddenly to it like little possessed ones.  It was all harder and faster swimming. As I type, my arms are burning.

Still all good fun.

4 x

BOK Squad Members

The Flipper is a little unpredictable in its content. Ahem. Many squad members will have no objection to appearing in their full glorious colour and open ID on the web. Others may feel more uneasy about this.  I suggest, and will generally follow, a compromise. Squad members will be referred to by a sort of tended initial code. I for example would  become DaSw. Other examples would WeOf, or JiWh.

That will allow me to mention people without feeling particularly guilty, others outside the squad would not be able to establish easily who was being mentioned, and squad members will either be clear, or can just ask me, or WeOf or SuPa if really bothered.

If anyone still feels uncomfortable with this, we can still use locally recognised nicknames – HMS (AnRu), or Bald Eagle (BrGo), or Froggy (ToFa). Anyone seeking complete anonymity – for example if they really want to swim for some other club, need only ask.

Swim Set 24 Feb 2010

Masters swimming, training session

Warm up: 4 x (100 free + 50 choice)
Starter: 6 x 25 m on 30 seconds, building
Main: 10 x 100 on 1 min 50 sec. push
4 x 25m from dive blast in relay. Plenty of rest. Hard.
3 x 100m on 2 minutes aerobic.
Again this was a 25 metre pool, a one hour session and lane 4 of 5, set by Nick Overton.
The most glorious element was seeing the splendour that is AR once more diving. It is difficult to overestimate the effect of an HMS R dive, even reduced by a factor of ten as it is by swimming in a deck level pool. As he entered the water, we all thought back to biblical stories of the parting of the seas. It would be an exaggeration to say that the bottom of the pool was revealed, but not much of one. A certain young lady waited for the back wash to help her climb from the pool, and a certain coach held on tight to the back stroke flag pole. From a dim, distant and almost racial memory came back the nickname HMS. Glorious HMS R. Nobody was singing hymns, but a few were humming.

BOK Masters Squad Records

100 M I.M. MEN
19-24 ANDREW PILLING 1.03.08 1992
25-29 JASON BURKE 1.04.82 1991
30-34 SIMON GARSIDE 1.04.86 1991
35-39 JASON BURKE 1.04.31 2000
40-44 SIMON GARSIDE 1.04.94 2000
45-49 SIMON GARSIDE 1.07.33 2009
50-54 DAVID MANNING 1.15.64 2003

WO keeps our squad records. Thank you. I am not sure how complete are the records. They were complete when I did them to begin with, but after I fell by the wayside, it may have been a time before others took over, and they have changed hands a couple of times since, and who knows what may have fallen through the cracks. I will be reposting elements of the records fairly regularly, and welcome any ‘who knows what became of’ responses.

For example, one Jason Burke. Always a little, just a little, . . unkempt. There is now a Jason Burke with a heavy metal CD called ‘Swimming’. Is this a spooky coincidence?

'ere we go . .

Filled in the form for Darlignton, and signed the cheque and sent it all off. Committed. Done. ‘elp.

Will have to try to remember how to swim fast.
W with her typical and wonderful organisational determination has sorted out the teams. From memory the way it works is that someone inveigles me into going to a meet with a promise of a relay swim, then when I turn up, I get bumped. My age is beginning to count, I hope! perhaps not this time.

Faulty Medley Squad

A current issue among the ‘less young’ end of the squad is putting together a group of swimmers with enough age to make up a 200+ medley team, enough enthusiasm to get to a meet, and enough working arms and legs to do all that is required. I personally think we should apply for a disability discrimination allowance so as to forgive us kicking on the breaststroke leg – and possibly one or two more.
Things have not been made easier by the recent disappearance of NE. I am quite sure she has other significant virtues, but at least we can be sure that all her limbs are in full working order.
In any event the call goes out – ’swimmers wanted for Darlington’.

Swim Session 21 Feb 2010

Warm up: 300 free + 200 Choice + 100 kick/pull

8 x 25m Fly down free back on 35 sec
Main set
[25m + 10 sec + 50m + 15 sec + 75m + 20 sec + 100m + 25 sec ] Fly
[25m + 10 sec + 50m + 15 sec + 75m + 20 sec + 100m + 25 sec ] Back
[25m + 10 sec + 50m + 15 sec + 75m + 20 sec + 100m + 25 sec ] Breast
[25m + 10 sec + 50m + 15 sec + 75m + 20 sec + 100m + 25 sec ] Free
[25m + 10 sec + 50m + 15 sec + 75m + 20 sec + 100m + 25 sec ] IM (building on Fly)

2 x 100 free – long and string

Warm down: 150m

Due to a shortage of volunteers, W and I moved down to occupy the last lane – just to make it look as if we were busy. Well, W moved over, and I went to keep her honest. She didn’t need it.

Again a one hour session, in a 25 metre pool, for BOK Masters, set by Nick Overton. Good lad.

Swim Set 20 Feb 2010

Warm up: 600 choice mixed

Main set: [5 x 100 hard] off 1 min 50s + 100 Choice easy
[4 x 100 hard] off 1 min 50s + 100 Choice easy
[3 x 100 hard] off 1 min 50s + 100 Choice easy
[2 x 100 hard] off 1 min 50s + 100 Choice easy
[1 x 100 hard] off 1 min 50s + 100 Choice easy

IM Set – 100 + 75 + 50 25 – dropping one stroke by choice.

The session is in a 25 metre pool, lasts one hour, and is for lane 4 of 5. The session is set by Nick Overton.

I felt that we worked pretty hard.

Darlington - Just Do It

Darlington Masters Meet is on Sunday 28 March. It is a condition (usually unenforced) of squad membership, that you compete as a swimmer. You very probably haven’t done for a while – though very probably also not as long ago as me.
You need to apply before 28 February. The entry form is available at:

http://asa.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=7035

Please let Wendy know if you will be going, so that she can sort the teams out (team entries are paid by the club).

Swim Set 18 Feb 2010

Masters swim training session for 18 february 2010, BOK masters squad. Pain inflicted with a smile by Nick Overton.

Warm up: 200m free + 200 pull/kick + 200 Choice
Main Set:
[ 50 + 100 + 150 + 200] Pull except last fifty and 100 of the 150 and 200. Rest intervals 15 seconds, 20s, 25s.
[50 + 100 + 150 + 200] Kick with fins. Same rest intervals.
[50 + 100 + 150 + 200] Full free with fins. Same rest intervals
all fin swims concentrating on kick out from wall on turns.
4 x 25m underwater (as far as possible) dolphin kick with fins
Fins off
2 x 25m underwater as far as possible, on dolphin kick.

2 x 100 free long and strong on 2 mins

Warm down: 100m

A 25 metre pool, one hour session, in lane 4 of six.

Nick must have heard complaints that we were not using fins that much. He must have wanted complaints that we were using fins too much instead.

It is strange how people are good at different things. When K puts on her fins, her legs seem to go to jelly. She even missed a couple of lengths which is most unusual. Still she kept W company – not quite so unusual.

Given that my knee is still recovering, I was a little concerned at such an intense kicking session, but in practice it worked. I could feel pain in the knee, but not to the point where it felt at all that it was a threat to being able to continue. I am not daft enough to take it too far – I hope, though I may be daft enough to think that I can know when I get to that point.

Z has been swimming a little more frequently and it shows. She is clearly swimming more strongly.

Barefoot running, front foot running

Well, I am making progress slowly. in part this is driven by desperation arising from injury (knee), and in part by a spirit of enquiry. I have to re-start running, and at the same time, allow my knee to recover from its injured state. If I cannot run without learning how to avoid damaging my knee, I cannot see it sensible to run. If I can learn how to do this, then I should not need knee surgery (the scrape), and if I cannot, then having a scrape out will only promise temporary relief before it becomes necessary again.
So far I have run nearly entirely indoors. We have a hall and kitchen which together allow me about 30 paces before I turn around. It isn’t brilliant, but it may be sufficient. I am bothered for the moment only that I run landing on the balls of my feet, not on the heel. I am persuaded that running in standard running shoes or trainers makes this much more difficult, so I am running either barefooted, or in old style gym pumps. So far, and under these conditions it has worked.
I have worked on the basis that the pace is about ten minute mileing. It is gentle but purposive. That pace is one I happily managed before injury and taking re-grouping rests, so without any break, that seems a fair estimate. On that basis I have over the last three weeks covered about 50 miles. I started with just a few minutes, and have ran further or less as I felt comfortable. The farthest yet was 7 miles yesterday, with a couple of 60 minute runs before.
At least my stamina has not been lost. On none of the runs have I felt tired as such.
At first I was really nervous about causing damage to my right knee, re-awakening the pain and inflammation. There is a balancing trade off between the constant loss of strength through not exercising and the need to allow the inflammation to settle. How you decide, I do not know. I think you just have to pay attention to the discomfort and to changes and work forward. What was quite clear to me was that a significant improvement started immediately I started with a couple of purposive walks, keeping quite fast without breaking into a run.
Having listened, and having allowed rests until the discomfort was generally eased, I have I think finally begun to make proper progress. The seventy minute/seven mile run went well without any apparent adverse consequences.
At first, the real problem was in my calves. The real strain is taken more by the musculature, and in particular the calves. If such a run is to work at all, the calf is under tension whilst ever the foot is on the ground. The first few runs were associated with some griping of the calves, and I have stopped twice because of this, but it seems to be passing.
The real test is yet to come. There is all the difference between running in what is effectively a series of short bursts, and a more consistent pace over varying ground and inclines. I am not properly sure of the comparative pace between indoors and out. I anticipate that running on the front foot is fine if you naturally run faster, but that it becomes less practicable as you slow down. We shall see.

Links:
CNN – 12 Feb 2010 – http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/12/barefoot.running/?hpt=Sbin
Running debate – Barefoot or in shoes – http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/12/barefoot.running/index.html

University of Utah – The cost of being on your toes:

http://www.unews.utah.edu/p/?r=012710-3

and (full text)

http://jeb.biologists.org/cgi/content/full/213/5/i-a

Swim Training Session 17 Feb 2010

Training session for BOK Masters swimming squad on February 17 2010.

Warm Up: 2x[100 free + 100 pull + 100 IM]
Main Set: 4 x [200 free including 50 choice moving through]
5 x 100 free on 1 min 50 secs
5 x100 IM on 2 mins
3 x [50 pull/kick + 2 x 50 free]
50m swim down.

One hour, 25m pool, lane 4/5. Session set by Nick Overton.

Definitely nearly found that damn mojo. It must be close by. K happily taking out the IMs. I think she was smiling, but never had long enough between swims to check. D and I had a conversation in which we decided that a longer session might suit us – we have to get faster at some point.

Freediving world record broken

A thirty eight year old Swiss diver has broken the world endurance record for free diving. Free divers go down, and stay down, and keep down, for rather longer than you might at first think either wise, and as you think about it more, more than you think is possible.
Mr Colat entered a water tank in Switzerland, and sat and waited. I do not suppose he did very much apart from watching the clock. He was down there for a long time – indeed a whole 12 seconds longer than had been achieved before.
Such a long time underwater should be a lesson to all those (us) weak kneed and glassy eyed masters swimmers who baulk at being asked to hold on underwater for a couple of seconds after a tumble turn.
The truth is that before his dip, Mr Colat was allowed to breathe pure oxygen for ten minutes to make sure that his system was suitably primed.
How long, I hear you ask. Nineteen minutes and twenty one seconds.

BOK - Initials Only

Just a note that in the large majority of cases, the Flipper will refer to swimmers by initials (or pseudonym) only. Comments from within the squad should usually respect this. Time was when we didn’t, but time was when the Flipper wasn’t as wide spread as it is.
Comments and contributions may be edited as required.
Suggestions for nicknames and pseudonyms are welcome.

A Question posed by A for other squad members

If your husband, the man to whom on this Valentine’s day, you have just declared unfailing adoration, well, if he was drunk and quite insensate, and you just happened to have a tattoo gun, some ink, some time, and the need for a new hobby.
What would you tattoo on the back of his head. his head will hurt anyway when wakes up, so he will not notice.
C’mon . . what would it be?

Swim Session 14 Feb 2010

BOK Masters, Huddersfield

Warm Up: 200 free + 200 Not free + 100 pull + 100 Kick + 2 x 100 IM drill/full

8 x 25 Fly up on 40s, free easy on 30s

8 x 125 on 2m 45s. First 5 – 25 Fly + 75 free + 25 Fly; last three 25 Fly + 75 free + 25 choice

Choice: 2 x (100 medium + 50 drill/stroke, + 50 medium, + 50 max)

BOK Masters squad, 25 metre pool, 1 hour session, lane 4/5.

It is suggested that N may have left the squad. I never know these things. We swim close by others, and outside the pool we know little of each others lives. It is easy to lose proportion. I hope she returns.

Swim Session 12 Feb 2010

Warm up: 10 mins various

8×25m free drill

3×100 free long and strong

9 x 150m (3x[100 hard + 50 easy (20 seconds rest interval)] + 3 x [25 easy + 100 hard + 25 easy /20secs RI] + 3 x [50 easy + 100 hard / 25 secs RI]

4 x 75m [hard easy hard + easy max easy]

Swim down: 150m

Again. Masters swimming squad, 25 metre pool, one hour session, lane 4 of 6.

D enjoyed himself too much on the wine last night so complained that he has no flight left and was off his normal pace. W and Z seemed not to wish to complain, following him.

At the end we were banmaxed – very like banjaxed, but more specific for the coach.

Swim session 11 Feb 2010

This was the swimming session for BOK Masters squad for 1 February 2010.

Warm up: 4x[100fr + 50 choice]
Main Set: 5x(100 Free/2mins + 50 free on 70secs hard)
+ 5x(100IM on 2 mins + 50IM order hard on 70 sec)
Additional: 4×50 choice hard into wall – fats turn, good
kick and extended underwater glide out of turn.
Swim down: 150 free easy.

Again, the session was 1 hour, in a 25m pool, for swimmers in lane 4 of 5 lanes for the squad – that is there are three lanes faster than ours.

We are lucky in our lane to now have four people turning up and wanting to lead. Myself, K, J and D. It was K’s turn tonight to get keen, and push to lead. She does it so gently, and innocently – ‘Shall I go first – no, shall I, no really,SHALL I?’ and the smile does not fade.
I am still recovering from injury and so have been happy to play second fiddle, but perhaps I have had no choice. We are all good at different things. K whups ass at everything not front crawl. DE has the strength to power out the the sprints. J is a proper endurance athlete and when he wants to can take any longer swim to another level. I just sort’a fit in when everyone else is knackered, I am still pushing. It is good.
Last night I swam almost forgetting my bad knee, but hurt it swimming backstroke. I could feel it through the day today, and didn’t run.
Tonight, the free style was quite free, and my only niggles (after avoiding entirely breast stroke kick) was when trying a full-on fly kick. Nothing hurt, I hope.
The squad is getting a little difficult through its popularity just now. More and more faster(younger) swimmers are coming back, and the older swimmers seem to be sticking. The result is more and more regular near overcrowding.
SP gave a simple and sensible calculation, that if a land swims 50m in 45 seconds, and each swimmer leaves 5 seconds after the one before, then you have an effective maximum. By the time the last swimmer leaves, the first has almost returned to base and completed his or her first 50 metre swim. In reality there is not that extent of leeway since the last swimmer is there because he is slower than the first – and a five second start on the fastest swimmer in the lane is not a satisfactory margin.
The immediate result is that any swim much beyond 100 metres becomes unworkable.
Ho hum – where from here?