Cycle Improving?

Mostly free: focus on technique and glide. Felt like I did 6.5 cycles in some laps. Saw Prince today, no fins this time. His cycle count is also around 7. Elem - really glide as in streamline the body in a tight closed position. Use a swimcap tomorrow to keep out cold. Use the new rubber/ plastic sandals as a change after the swim to keep the feet dry while driving.

7 to 8 Cycles !

Easy: Prolonged absence due to morning rains. Counted my CPL to be 7 to 8 cycles! How about a new workout called simply free?

Flu

Easy: After a long bout with flu last weekend. Even the kids had it.

Here's the Code

BBS is hard day. Devised a hard-easy day workout coded as BBSTEP or baby step for short. BBS is "Hard", composed of Breast, Back and Sidestrokes. BBS is gruelling! TEP is "Easy", composed of Treading, Elem and Paddling. There's a free at the start, in between and at the end so 4 free lengths total in any workout. This morning's session were tiring! Was it the traffic? There was only 1 guy directing traffic at Carmona and he wasn't even a cop! Reached RnR at 7:30am. Brst - 40 secs, Side - 50 secs, Back - over a minute, but what a workout for the quads.

Acronyms

Combo3: It's acronyms/ mnemonics time! I need mnemonics for my workouts:

• S - Sidestroke
• T - Treading
• E - Elementary Backstroke
• P - Dog Paddle
• B - Breaststroke
• B - Backdrills

STEPBB or BBSTEP (baby steps?). How about other drills like float? Tabletop aka Maternity float, sculls, etc. Need to fix the family Algar bottle. I've read that Vit C, K and Z (Potassium and Zinc) are great top prevent sore muscles. Timed myself today. One length free was 31 secs from 34 or 35 secs last year. One length elem is 51 secs. There was whitish powder (chlorine?) clumps everywhere. My sinus was a little affected. It still feels weird coz of the fractured molar but I had this filled today by Doc Angie. She said it was a "temporary" permanent filling and may fall/ break off if strong uneven pressur is applied. Nopes, the broken molar had nothing to do with age.

Hi Prince!

Combo3: Spent 15 mins in traffic at Market road. Saw Prince at the pool today for the first time maybe 5 mins after I began. Tread - felt weak and didn't finish second length. I felt super tired/ wasted in the morning. Also felt soreness in the legs, hips and lower back. Was tempted and ate 2 viands - pochero and ampalaya. Felt too full.

Mornings Again?

Combo3: Swimming now is seldom. This is mainly due to bad weather. It's either raining, overcast or windy during lunch. This morning, it was all bright and sunny and so went at 7am instead. There was NO TRAFFIC at Carmona Market Road! Last time I swam in the morning was Oct14 last year. Combo4 is Combo3 + 1 length breast + 1 length back so as not to lose feel for these strokes. These combos are getting to be confusing!

Today, I found and picked a Php10 coin from the bottom. Must've been from the crowd who played "sisid". Next time do the laps in different lanes of the pool. Who knows what else I'll find and take home! Next time, string together the workouts/ strokes for enhanced aerobics.

No Doc? Swim!

Family swim with Gay at RnR. Planned swim at Eucalyptus Bay Resort at Muntinlupa didn't push through. From Metropolis (for checkup but with no doc), we went straight to RnR at 1pm. Did all sorts of strokes and was pretty tired afterwards. Received some funny and nice comments from others (at the kiddie pool) via Karen. Side - Again, check for cocking of legs and lengthening glide. Make it as efficient as the glide in Elem. Enjoy the stroke and refrain from looking front.

LBM

Combo3: It's refreshing to feel water again after 3 days of LBM which started Tuesday. It was very bad and painful. I took Hydrite, Polymagma, Diclocyverine. Today, I had close bouts with foot/ calf cramping and was probly due to the dehydration from LBM. Sidestroke deteriorated a bit. I was slow but had quick turnover of strokes. My legs weren't cocking enough so propulsion was weak too.

Need to practice leg-kicking at the pool corner first. Also, don't move the head too much to navigate as this breaks streamline. It may be better to assume the backstroke head position instead and then sight when you're closer to the wall.

My Top Ten Reasons for Taking Up Swimming

Just last month I posted my top ten reasons for taking up swimming in the tsinoy.com forum. Here they are!

1. It could prevent drowning and save your life. Here's a very interesting article about swimming (and drowning) in the Philippines.
   
2. Boosts your confidence to take up other watersports like surfing, windsurfing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, scuba, etc.
   
3. Swimming is easy on the joints and can become a lifetime activity. Can you say the same for basketball, tennis or badminton?
   
4. Great rehab for those who've had back injury. Talk to doctors for back rehab and they will recommend it. Your body is not restricted to a single plane and can move virtually 3d. You can move up, down, left, right, forward, back and be virtually supported by the water everytime.
   
5. No sweaty and stinky clothes, socks and shoes to deal with after your workout.
   
6. Great opportunity to show off that bod that you'ved worked hard for at the gym. "Hey I may not have a six-pack, but I do have a barrel"
   
7. No expensive equipment required. All you need is a pair of goggles and a swimsuit. Well ok, you need pool fees, if you insist on the pool as 'equipment'. Heck you also pay for badminton court fees, green fees (golf) and whatever.
   
8. You feel like flying. The Water is the Sky. Where else can you feel like you're actively "flying" (not falling) esp. with the Butterfly stroke.
   
9. You feel refreshed and clean afterwards!
   
   and the Top reason for taking up swimming is:
   
   
10. Kapag magsu-swimming ang barkada, makakapag-swimming ka talaga, at hindi ikaw na lang parati yung nagtatampisaw sa tabi, nakababad sa kiddie-pool, taga-ihaw ng tilapia at taga-bantay ng mga gamit! Oks ba?