4:50 am Alarm, and its time for the Plunge.....

The alarm sounds off at 4:50am. I roll out of bed, stumble to the coffee maker and try to maneuver in the dark. I shuffle around the house grab my bag and drive over to Sunrise Middle School for swim practice.

At 5:25am the pool is pitch black, coach John Grzeszczak of Hammerhead Aquatics turns on the outside spot lights. A few more minutes of procrastination and I take the 5:30am plunge.

Coach John calls out our warm up for the 25 yard heated pool:

400 yard swim

200 yard Pull

200 yard kick

After about 20 minutes of warm up, the coffee has kicked in my system.  My eyes begin to  adjust, and I notice other swimmers in neighboring lanes.

There is a quiet rhythm with the morning swimmers. Its almost metronomic/zen like: the monotone rhythm of the water as swimmers go down the lane and push off the wall. The Splash of  water and breathing are the only sounds I hear.

After warm-up the coach gives us our work-out. With the warm-up, the main sets are usually a cross of breathing/speed/drill/kick and timed exercises ranging from 3000 to 3800 yards.

Friends say I am crazy. " You are off all winter and you choose to get up and swim at 4:50am". I quietly nod my head and agree, but think how lucky I am. How lucky that I am able to participate in a masters swim program in Fort Lauderdale with kindred spirits, and a spirited coach.

There is nothing like swimming 3000 + yards (80 to 90 minute workout) and watch the sun gently rise over the horizon. How lucky I am that my father took me to swim lessons as a child. How lucky that I have the motivation.

Swimming Pools, Fountain of Youth?

MaryJane is an 81 year old master's swimmer that I swim with. MJ, started swimming over 30 years ago when she turned 50. MJ is an amazing athlete. She has the speed and stamina of people half her age. Coach John will come up with an interval work-out plan and MJ meets the intervals.  Simply amazing.

I wonder about the aging process. Is it attitude, lifestyle, genetics, good weather? I don't know.  But what I do know, is that the abundant winter sunshine and warm weather keeps people some people young and active in South Florida.

Long ago, Ponce de Leon searched for the Fountain of Youth in south Florida.  The Fountain of Youth might be a swimming pool. It's amazing to see octogenarians swimming. But not only swimming, swimming really good. South Florida has a plethora of outdoor swimming pools that can be used 350 days-a-year. People of all ages utilize these pools daily.

Swimming has so many health benefits. It's good for the body, mind and spirit. It's a great form of exercise that is not too hard on the joints. It allows you to stretch  your body akin to yoga. Like yoga, you must balance your body and learn to control your breathing. Also, there is a sense of inner peace and strength after a vigorous workout set.

With people like MJ, I look forward to the future and to continue to swim!

(some pools, bathing suits may be optional...)

Resources:

International Swimming Hall of Fame, of Fort Lauderdale

Hammerhead Aquatics Masters Swimming Club

FINA

Hammerhead Swim Practice March 9th 2012

One of my favorite things to do in the winter in Fort Lauderdale is to swim with a masters swim club called the Hammerhead Aquatics.

The Hammerheads are a  premier masters swim club made up of athletes age 18 to 80-something. The club is very inclusive and features a wide array of athletes. Some are learning how to swim,  some are training for triathlons, and many are fitness swimmers like myself. One Hammerhead  is striving to qualify for the Olympics in London.

Coach John Grzeszczak

John Grzeszczak is one of the coaches for the team. Coach John qualified for the Olympic trials in 1980. His life's passion is swimming. During the week, practices are at 5.30am, noon, and early evening. Weekend practices are at 8am. There are 14 practices a week. I attend 4 to 5 workouts. The Hammerhead's use two pools in the Greater Fort Lauderdale area: Sunrise Middle School, and Pompano Aquatic Center. The workouts are great, but also, the camaraderie with other swimmers adds a big plus factor in going to practice!
This year the team goes to Iceland in May to compete in the IGLA.

Daily, Coach John designs  workouts depending on swimmers skill levels and abilities. Its almost like personal group training. All practices are coached in a masters' style environment which focuses on timed interval and stroke training. Workouts at Sunrise pool are generally a bit longer (75 minutes), which means more yards!

Here is Today's noon hour workout, for my skill level:
Pompano Aquatic Center. Pool set to 50 meter long course.

Warm-up 400 swim 300 pull-buoy
12  x 50 meters (Combo, Kick, swim/stroke)
50 meters x 4, rest 20 seconds
100 meters x 2, rest 20 seconds
200 meters x , rest 20 seconds
100 meter cool down.
100 meter, for good measure.
My Total 2100 meters.

Swimming has always been a part of my life. I can not remember a time when I have not been around the ocean, pool or water. Summers in Maine, and summer camp. Lessons at YMCA as a child, and inter-collegiate water polo club in college.

Los Baños, Laguna de Bay, Philippines 1979

The Long Course....

Hammerhead Aquatics Masters Swim Club uses two pools. A 25 yard pool in Fort Lauderdale at Sunrise Middle School and the pool at Pompano Beach  Aquatics Center. The Pompano Beach  Aquatics Center rotates the lane's through out the year. For the next month the course is set to Long Course. 
Long Course  is set to 50 meters or 54.680 yards.  With the long course, there is less "hanging-off the wall", and it is more of a workout, or so it seems. Up and back is 100 meters. Swimming experts believe that long course swimming requires 15-20% more energy compared to short course.

Initially, I bemoan and loathe the course, but after a few days it does grow on me. There is a zen like feel with 50 meters. Swimming is more streamlined with less turns, and there is less rest. Swimming becomes more rhythmic, like a metronome on a piano.

Essentials for the long course are: goggles, pull-buoy, kick-board, and my new Speedo training paddles that Coach John Grzeszczak insist I use to break my bad stroke habits. The paddles look like the would be fun to use, but in fact they are harder. The paddles break bad habits by making you push your stroke deeper into the water.....

The best part of the long course is how I feel after the workout!

Swimmers, Monty & Kerry after swim practice. Coach John gave Monty a challenge of finishing his last 100 meters in 1:35 seconds, and Monty achieved the challenge!

Hammerheads, Kerry & Monty

Happy New Year 2012

Good Health has no holidays

-unknown

I do not know where I heard this quote, but it is so true. It may be a holiday, and many revelers  may be sleeping-in or convalescing,  but I will continue my exercise regiment this New Years Day morning.
Coach John Grzeszczak of Hammerhead Aquatics outlined the swim practice for us today.....

Warm-up: 400 yards swim, 200 kick

50 yards x 16 times.

Main Set:

25 yard drill

125 yards fast

25  yard drill

75 yards fast

25 yard drill

25 Fast with and overkick

This last set, is in 7 minutes and repeated 4 times.
50 cool down...

Michael and I spent New Years Eve at a wonderful house party with friends from Maine and New England. Perfect weather, great food and an entertaining fireworks completed the calendar year for 2011.

Instead of making "resolutions" and broken promises to myself, I decided I will continue to treat my body well. Continue to exercise and exercise my mind. Take time for rest and relaxation. Take time to "smell the roses" and enjoy the little gifts that life gives us on a daily basis. Because good health, is good wealth.

There is so much beauty everyday to explore and enjoy; so get out and SMELL some roses!

.

Surf & Turf

While I am swimming I sing songs in mind.
 -Alexander Popov

Running has been my primary sport for almost a decade.  However, I do enjoy masters swimming with Hammerhead Aquatics while staying in Fort Lauderdale for the winter. Today I decided to run an easy 5.5 miles on  Route A1A sidewalk next to Lauderdale beach. Followed by noon swim practice at Pompano Aquatic Center with the Hammerhead's. Today's pool was set for the 50 meter long course!

Run: 5.56 miles 51 minutes,

Equipment: New Balance 920 running shoes, shorts, no shirt, IPOD, Garmin watch.

Morning Temperature 75 degrees, wind from the north east, sunny. Nice easy run.

Swim workout:

Pool temperature: 80 degrees

Air temperature: 79 degrees

400 meter, 200 meter kick- Warm-up

8 x 50 m kick/build @ 1.10 minute

6 x 50 m freestyle @ 1.10 minute
3 100 m easy @ 3 minutes, easy recovery
6 x 50 m freestyle @ 1.10 minute
3 x 100 m @ 3 minutes, easy recovery

Total: 2200 meters
Equipment: Speedo suit, fins, goggles and a great attitude!
Coach John Grzeszczak

Swim Practice.....

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air… 
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

50 Yard Short course, Pompano Aquatics Center

Swim practice with the Hammerheads reminds me of summer camp in Maine when I was a kid: A bunch of guys in the pool with a coach giving us an exhausting workout. I ran just five miles today on the beach at a slow pace. I didn't want to wear myself out for the noon workout.

Coach John Grzeszczak started the workout with a warm-up of  75 yards x 9 at 1.30 minute intervals.

We then went to  50 yards x 12 at 1.20 minute with  pull buoy ( which gave us some needed rest).

The next set was 100 yards x 3 plus a 50 yard at 2.15 minute interval three times, all out!

We ended with a 100 yard cool down.

Just like summer camp, its time to have chow in the mess hall! ( Basically cookout at Jay's house!)

(Photos courtesy of Tim Luznar)

For more information about Hammerhead Aquatics visit: http://www.hammerheadaquatics.com/