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

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/