Monday, July 16, 2012

The Human Metronome

Last Friday morning, the Masters swimming class was packed.

Relatively speaking.

So far, the most I've seen is two swimmers other than me. This time there were six swimmers plus me.

After our individual warm-ups, Christine broke us up into three groups and explained that morning's plan.

Interval training.

We were going to swim 20x50m. The first five of these would each be done in two minutes. In other words, the clock starts as soon as we take off and, no matter how long it takes us to swim the 50m, we don't start the next one until two minutes after the clock started.

The faster you are, the more time you get to rest.

The next five would be done in 1:55s, the next five in 1:50s and the final five in 1:45s. So less time between swims.

"Go!" she yelled. I took off like a shot (I like to think anyway) and made it back first in 51 seconds.

"Awesome! Now go a little faster next time" she said.

The second one took 51 seconds - despite my best effort to speed up.

"You have to kick harder. I want to see white water churning behind you".

Ok. I kicked hard. I pulled hard. I was flying!

"Fifty-one seconds" announced Christine when I finished that one.

Seriously??

"I want a faster turnover rate on your arms"

Ok. I gave her a faster turnover rate AND remembered to kickkickkickkick hard.

Guess how long that one took?

51 seconds of course.

I did all twenty of them. Everyone else in my group started getting tired and slowing down. They added a few seconds to each 50m until some were taking a minute and a half for each one. I was still doing 51 seconds every time.

"I will break you of this. We're going to make you FAST!" promised Christine after my last one which was, you guessed it, 51 seconds.

I took great comfort in the fact that I had the energy and strength to finish the workout as strong as I started it. If fact I was exactly as strong at the finish as I was at the start.

I am a little curious as to how she's going to break my one-pace-wonder swim technique.

Guess we'll find out.

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