I tried writing this bloomin' post on Sunday. But something went pear-shaped (probably user error) and it just dissappeared. However I still feel the need to post it, because I thought I'd had a good week. So here it is a few days late.
Basically last week was a (really) "fast" week. I managed three personal bests and felt I'd just got started. Sadly the week ended and this week will probably be much harder and back to normal, however last week I almost grasped that illusive idea of being "fast".
Now "fast" is relative so I mean "fast" for me. One of my problems is that I am so "fast" that I have no one in my limited peer group to work with. The speedie kids are (well) too speedie - even though I enjoy the challenge. The rest of the triathletes are too slow (sorry guys) but their goals (and amount of swimming time) are different. And Craig's group falls into the same category. So improving is "difficult" because there's no peer pressure.
My current pressure is my (presumed) participation in the Open Gloucester Masters just after Easter. And Craig's been giving me lactic (spelt it lactate first time!) sets, which are bringing some dividends. Again these are hard because there's just me.
So anyway this week just gone, Thursday I did a 'fly session and after drilling, and 2 x 100M we did 4 x 50 to finish with. The last three were... well not good, but the first was 30:50! Hello strike that down as PB #1, not too bad considering since joining Craig's group I've done very little (aka no) 'fly at all.
Every second Friday with Craig is test-set day, where we kidn-of do the same set each time. And again this was a good one. My 25M repeats were "respectable", we only do two of these and I think I need a couple more. But my 100M: a spritely 65.1 (PB #2) and I really buggered the last turn up. Then after a timed 10 minute swim, which I swum more as a recovery it was a 200M and hey PB #3 in 2:24! Actually I did 2:24 last year but this is definetly the best for some time.
And the most important bit of all of this was the feeling of controlled speed in the 100M and 200M - they felt fast, and they felt like my body knew what it was doing. Okay it's a transient feeling but it was there.
And just to prove it, I gave the young 'uns a right workout Friday night. After two lots of 500M we did 8 x 100M the speedie girls got to do this just as kicking (yuk!) so went last, which put me at the front of the group. And the "fast" lane was headed by Paul (a sub 60 100M lad). I swam the IMs as brisk 'fly, "normal" back and breast, and "aggressively fast" free. The first couple of repeats caught Paul unawares and I shot passed him. But from then on, whilst he wasn't racing he was putting the effort in. By the end of the eight my body was buzzing and that doesn't happen that often.
So it was a good week, what'll happen this week (did I peak to soon??)
