Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Swim In The New Year: 10,060 Meters for No Good Reason

The Terrapin Masters swim team holds a really cool even every New Year's Eve - Swim in the New Year! Since we were welcoming in 2012, this year's event was advertised as offering five options: swimming 1x2012 yards, 2x2012 yards, 3x2012 yards, 4x2012 yards, or 5x2012 yards.

I was so in for 5x2012 yards. And then the pool was set up like this.
LONG COURSE METERS. Just so you know, a meter is 10% longer than a yard. This isn't a big deal for, say, 1000 yards/meters. But for 10,060? Yeah. That's an extra 2/3 of a mile.

Now, in addition to the pool configuration, you'll notice that this pool at the University of Maryland is quite nice. And even with this very nice facility, the university is planning on cutting men's and women's swimming and diving after this season.

Stupid. Isn't it? Especially when you see their record of ACC conference titles.
Yeah. Not awesome. Go read more about this idiotic move. And THEN read about how I did 5x2012 meters:

Round 1: 2000 swim, every 8th 50 drill
Round 2: 4x500 @8:45, #1&3 w/paddles
Round 3: 5x(4x100: 75 moderate/25 fast-50 moderate/25 fast/25 moderate-25 moderate/25 fast/50 moderate-25 fast/75 moderate @1:45) <---this one hurt
Round 4: 4x(200 kick-300 swim) <---Angry shoulders demanded kicking
Round 5: 2000 swim <---Just finish already
[Edit: Plus a 6 meter swim out and back at the end of each round to make it 2012 meters. I managed to neglect copying this from my training log when I transferred the notes over here. Obviously I suck. Thanks for pointing that out.]

It's worth noting that I'd have dumped that last one if I hadn't publicly declared on the DC Tri Forum that I'd be doing all 5. Especially since many of the folks who read that declaration were there to see it.

Thanks for the support/enabling, folks. And I'll see everybody at the pool for a shorter swim soon.

6 comments:

  1. I count only 5x2000 meters. Where's the missing 5x12, hmmmmmmm?!?

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  2. Thats a crazy amount of swimming. Wish I could have joined in for some of it

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  3. I briefly thought about joining you, but then realized I have been swimming 3 times in the last 4 months. Maybe next year.

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  4. So serious comment/question: how do you motivate yourself to swim when it's freezing out? I'm having issues.

    now back to snark- where's the self portrait of you in the mirror with your swimsuit? otherwise it doesn't count...

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  5. I loooooved UMD's pool when I was a student there and it breaks my heart to see them cutting the team. Stupid stupid money management by the university.

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  6. The idea of actually doing this makes me want to vomit—especially since I've been out of the pool for ((clears throat to avoid actually owning up to the amount of time)). But the IDEA of doing it is awesome. Good for you, dude!

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