Beulah is 66 also

Happy 66 (what's with this number lately) Bertha.
Super Friday swim, all by myself at Mansfield, where is everyone, OH, they must be resting up for the January Jam, here it comes.

Short in distance but fun in some butterfly, only enough to... tress the deltoids a bit.

Have fun, next week is going to boring and back to the long stuff, yippee!

100 (Drill/Back/Drill/Back)
11 x 50 free (:45)
100 (D/B/D <11 full="full" pull-ups="pull-ups">/B)
11 x 50 (:50) 1-10: 2 strokes fly at each end: #11: push free
100 (D/B/D<11p .ups=".ups">/B)
11 x 50 (:50) 1-10: 3 str. fly at each wall: #11: push free
100 (D/B/D<11p .ups=".ups">/B)
11 x 50 1-10: 4 str. fly: #11: push free (getting the pattern?)
100 (D/B/D<11pups>/B)
11 x 50 1-10 5 str. fly: #11 push free ...tired by now...
100 (D/B/D<11pups>/B)
11 x 50 FREE (:45)
100 (D/B/D/B)
= 4,000 Bertha the Beautiful yards

Happy Birthday Beulah

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

66 for Coach Ed

Happy Birthday Ed Steinnagel

I've been coaching with Ed for almost 20 years on the Laurel East Hartford YMCA swim team... Ed has learned my coaching style and I have learned his :). Ed has raised probably over $10,000 for the team through ...his dumpster diving efforts to collect bottles and cans for the National Team. He has his OCD style with the backstroke flags and the Lane lines, but we all make it work and are team is strong because of him. Ed Steinnagel truly is the backbone of LEHY... Thank you so much for your efforts Ed and enjoy your special day.
Today is for you ED, 66, with some IM work because we at LEHY like to develop the all round Individual Medley swimmer.
Oh, and because it is Christmas Eve, the #'s are for the 12 days of Christmas. Have a merry practice.

w/u 500

On the 1st day of Christmas....
1 x 300 (4:30)
2nd day: 2 x 25 (fly/back with :05 rest)
3rd day: 3 x 250 (3:45)
4th day: 4 x 25 (fly/back/breast/fly)
5th day: 5 x 200 (3:00)
6th day: 6 x 25 (2x fly/ba/br)
7th day: 7 x 150 (2:15)
8th day: 8 x 25 (2 x fly/1 ba/2 br/1 ba/2 fly)
9th day: 9 x 100 (1:30)
10th day: 10 x 25 (2 fl/2 ba/2 br/ 2 ba/2 fl)
11th day: 11 x 50 (:45)
12th day: 12 x 25 (4 x <25fly ba="ba" br="br">

c/d 500
6,600 yards

 

Last week was my Memorial Week for the Angels of Sandy Hook, CT. Every day's workout was geared around the #'s 6 and 7, for the ages of the 1st graders and 6 IM's done each day for the 6 heroes who dedicated their lives to their kids.

It was a sad week, and we all feel for the families and friends whose lives changed in an instant on December 14, 2012. I hope someday you will have peace in your heart, we will not forget.

Charlotte Bacon, 6
Daniel Barden, 7
Rachel D'Avino, 29
Olivia Engel, 6
Avielle Richman, 6
Josephine Gay, 7
Dawn Hochsprung, 47
Dylan Hockley, 6
Madeleine Hsu, 6
Catherine Hubbard, 6
Chase Kowalski, 7
Nancy Lanza, 52
Jesse Lewis, 6
Ana Marquez-Greene, 6
James Mattioli, 6
Grace McDonnell, 7
Anne Marie Murphy, 52
Emilie Parker, 6
Jack Pinto, 6
Noah Pozner, 6
Caroline Previdi, 6
Jessica Rekos, 6
Lauren Rousseau, 30
Mary Sherlach, 56
Vicki Soto, 27
Benjamin Wheeler, 6
Allison Wyatt, 6

12/17/12

w/u 700
Buoy: 4 x 200 (3:05)
S: 3 x 100 IM (1:45)
Big Paddle: 600 (Drill every 6th length)
S: 300 (4:30)/ 6 x 50 (:45)/ 300/ 6 x 50
BP: 600
S: 3 x 100 IM
... Buoy: 4 x 200
c/d 700
= 6,000 yards

12/18/12

w/u 700 (drill/back/easy swim,)
swim 6 x 50 (:45)
Red Paddles: 500 (drill every 5th length)
Swim 3 x 150 (2:15)
Red 700 (drill every 7th length)
Swim 7 x 100 IM (1:45)
Red: 700
Swim 3 x 150
Red: 500
Swim 6 x 50
C/D 700
= 6000/1200

12/19/12

 6 x 1000
1. Rev. Hans Paddle (drill every 6th length)
2. Tube ***(200/100 IM/200/100 IM/200/100 IM/100)
3. Big Paddle
4. Red Paddle
5. Buoy ***
6. Reg. Hans Paddle
50 Kick with 49 pull ups in deep end
=6,000/18,050
12/20/12

w/u 1000 (Drill/Back/easy swim)
S: 3 x { 50 (:45)/ 100 IM (1:45)/ 150 (2:15)/ 200 (3:00)
Red Paddles: 1000 Drill every 7th length
S: 3 x { 200/ 150/ 100 IM/ 50
c/d 1000
2 x 25 Back Kick (49 pull ups in deep end)
= 6050/ 24,100

12/21/12
Morning off from MCC Getting ready for holiday practice with LEHY tonight

Swim with LEHY kids
probably swam at least 1000 good, fun yards (relays, starts, underwater) with the kids,
tonight was the 1st time my new 8 & unders saw Coach Marcy swim, we had a BLAST.
= 1000/ 25,100

12/ 22/12
Saturday morning at Mansfield, light and lots of drill work to get the Lactic acid out of the muscles after the night before, it was fun but certainly worked other muscles (fast twitch) which don't get used too much any more.

250 (D/B/ES) 7 pull ups
25 1 stroke fly...scull 7 pull ups
do this 6 times
= 1650/ 26,750 yards

Peace to all.

 Peace.

Dec 14... Pinky 96

Dec. 14
Final Birthday swim for the week.
In honor of one of my patients, feisty, Pinky Mobus, 96.

I don't have a picture of her and no Facebook for her, but she did give a poem she wrote, substitute any # in there and you have yours.
"To be 96 is to have many memories of past years,
some funny, most good, a few tears!
To be 96 is to thrive on the Love of your family and friends, but does 96 me...an life ends, nothing more?; NO way, cause I believe there's much, much more!!!" ... life advise from Pinky.

Another short day, work is getting in the way, not just an early start. Fun, relatively sprinty work out.

100 Drill (Modified Catch up for me)

20 x 25 ***<:05 1-4="1-4" 1="1" :=":" back="back" breast="breast" breaststroke="breaststroke" breathing="breathing" choice="choice" fly="fly" free="free" hate="hate" have="have" i="i" mentioned="mentioned" no="no" rest="rest" rotated="rotated" through="through" way="way" your="your">
...and after #19, I was in the deep end, I did 7 Full pull ups.
100 Drill
20 x 25 *** don't forget the Pull Ups :)
100 Drill
16 x 26 All free (work breath control and KICK)
100 Drill
20 x 25 ***
100 Drill
20 x 25 ***
= 3,000 interesting yards

 My number's OCD really helped today.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed.

Happy Birthday Scott 12/13 60

Dec. 13
I was looking forward and dreading these workout as it approached, Scott Lautman is a very good friend, but I knew I was going to have swim a lot of Butterfly in his honor, good thing I was playing with it for the past year. Scott swam the Channel, English of course, in 2000 I think, we have done relays together, fun swims and hopefully in 2013, enjoy the dark night swim at Catalina, but that's another story.
Scott also is a terrific butterflier, still around or under 2:10 for the 200 Fly, not bad for a 60 year old, he's happy to be moving into the new age group.
Here's the workout,
remember to adjust your intervals accordingly, these are mine, but if I'm feeling tired, I add 5 seconds here and there.

W/U Easy 50 Back

Swim 60 x 100

<1-5 1:30="1:30" br="br" free="free" on="on"> #6 (had some fly. The 1st one I only did 1 stroke of Fly per 25. At #12, I did 2 strokes of Fly per 25, see the pattern; at #49 I did 7 strokes of Fly per 25)
#60 (Final 100: ALL Fly)> Thank goodness.

C/D Easy 50 Back
= 6,100 yards

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

Dec. 9
Swim meet with the LEHY crew, exhausted afterward, so Monday had to honor my friend and 4th sister Kaeley Steinnagel (37) I coach with Kael, she's has more passion for the kids than I could ever have, LEHY and all who encounter Kaeley are Blessed. Love you kid.
In honor of our LEHY Senior coach and we focus on developing IM swimmers, I did some IM Rollover. For those who are new to this, the pattern goes as follows: if you're doing 50's, like I did, you would swim 25 Fly/25 Back, 25 Back/25 Breast (hate breaststroke), 25 breast/25 Free...repeat pattern.

W/U 500 (Drill/Back/Easy Swim)

10 x 50 IM Rollover (:50/:55)
Tube 6 x 100 (1:35) alternate breathing pattern per 50
17 x 50 IM Rollover
Tube: 6 x 100
10 x 50 IM Rollover

C/D 500 (D/B/E)
Kick 2 x 25 Pull ups in deep end
= 4000 yards
 

Not as much as usual but tough and fun playing with other strokes.
 

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

Happy Bday Deb and Mark Dec 8

Dec. 8
Happy Birthday friends, Deb Tranberg (57) and Mark Green (51).

Only had a short time to be in the pool, so added their 2nd digits (8) to create the number theme for the day, a good day.

W/U 200 (Drill/Back/Easy free)
Swim 29 x 50 (2 o...n:45/free - 3 on :50 throw some other strokes in)
Red Paddles 7 x 100 (25 drill/75 free)
Swim 29 x 50 (same as above)
C/D 200 (D/B/E)
Kick 2 x 25 with Pull ups at deep end
 = 4,050 yards

 

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

Happy Birthday Jimbo

Dec. 5th

 

There's so many options today, Audrey Hamblin (76, my hostess at Victoria Guest, mum when I'm in the UK), Thomas Collins, my young nephrew (21... be careful tonight), but I always swim for my waterbaby friend, James Bayles, 61 ( a very nice... number and fun day.)
Easy 50 Drill (not a very long warm-up)

61 x 100
#1-5 free on 1:30
#6 back (Jim swam back at Dartmouth) (1:45)

rotate through 10 times

last 100 was a 100 IM for fun.

Easy 50 Drill ( 61 pull ups at the deep end) = 6,200 Fun yards

Looking at the birthday list for the next inspiration :)

Happy Birthday Aunt Rita and Fran

I'm going to focus on some birthdays this year, with some other workouts spliced in between.

Here's another, interesting if you can count these high,
my Aunt Rita turned 79 and a friend Fran from Mansfield Community Center turned 49 on Nov. 28, so I did a long set of 50's but in a fun way, not as bad as it 1st sounds.

100 (drill warm-up)

128 x 50
5 on :45, 3 on :50 (do some drill or stroke ...

on these)
4 on :45, 3 on :50 ( same as above)
3 on :45, 3 on :50
2 on :45, 3 on :50
1 on :45, 3 on :50
DO 2 sets...
then
8 x 50 (:45)
then the last 2 sets are reversed
3 on :50, 1 on :45
3 on :50, 2 on :45
3 on :50, 3 on :45
3 on :50, 4 on :45
3 on :50, 5 on :45
THAT's 128

100 cool down = 6,600 yards

I know a bit confusing, but it does keep your mind moving.

Have a sparkling day.
Dream, Prepare, Succeed.
m2all:)

Final workout for a pretty fit year in the water.

The week total of 49,000 was challenging yet, comfortable. I’m going to try to add a more steady kick into my stroke, and if you know my swimming, that will be a new challenge.

Enjoy the week, if you choose any of these workout, have a sparkling day.

Nov.24, 2012 the birthday
warm/up (w/u) 100 drill

Swim 49 x 200
I didn‘t have a clock today and yesterday,...

so I counted to 7 for rest, every 7th 200,
I broke it up with some fly/ drill and backstroke.

c/d 100 drill
10,000yds/ 49,000 total
Nov. 23, 2012
w/u 600 (drill/ back/ easy swim)

700 Buoy
7 x 100 (7 sec. rest)
700 Big Paddle (**every 7th length:drill)
7 x 100
700 Rev. Hans Paddle **
7 x 100
700 Fulcrum **
7 x 100
700 Reg. Hans Paddle**
7 x 100
700 Red large paddle**
7 x 100
700 Pull Tube
7 x 100

c/d 600 (d/b/e.s.)
11,000yds/ 39,000 total
Nov. 20, 2012
w/u 800 (drill/back/easy swim)

20 x 50 (:45)
10 x 150 (2:20) Red large paddle (**50 drill somewhere in the 150)
9 x 50
10 x 150 Red
20 x 50

c/d 750 (d/b/e.s.)
7,000 yds/ 28,000 total

Nov. 19, 2012
w/u 500 (drill/back/easy swim)

20 x 100 (1:30)
11 x 50 (:50) Red paddles
9 x 100
11 x 50 Red
20 x 100

c/d 500 (d/b/e.s.)
7,000 yds/ 21,000 total
Nov. 18, 2012
w/u 500 (drill/back/easy swim)

10 x 100 (1:30)
2 x 25 **Kick Back (13 pull ups at deep end)
200 Red paddle (drill every 4th length)
10 x 100
2 x 25 ** 12 pull ups
250 Red
9 x 100
2 x 25 ** 12 pull ups
250 Red
10 x 100
2 x 25 ** 12 pull ups
Red 200
10 x 100

c/d 500 (d/b/e.s.)
7,000 yds/ 14,000 total
Nov. 17, 2012

w/u 600 (drill/back/easy swim)

4 x 250 (3:45)
3 x 500 (8:00) Pull Tube
4 x 200 (3:00)
2 x 500 Tube
4 x 150 (2:15)
1 x 500 Tube
4 x 100 (1:30)

c/d 600 (d/b/e.s.)
7,000 yds

 

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

10K in honor of Davey

Heading out soon for a nice 10K with friends, Scott Lautman, Liz Fry and Elaine Howley, celebrating and honoring our friend Dave Parcells.
 
Marine Stadium was built for the 1932 Lost Angeles Olympic Games rowing competitions. It is easy to walk up and down the entire course and cheer for your friends.
The swim will be live webcast at www.openwaterswimming.com
and linked up at www.swimacrossamerica.org/longbeach2012.

Space Shuttle viewing

Janet and I was fortunate enough to be present in Long Beach at the same time the Space Shuttle 'Endeavor' made its final fly over and presence in the air over California before it will take its final resting site at the California Science Center.

We went up to Edwards Air Force Base yesterday (9/20/12) to watch from a FAR its landing, very exciting and HOT in the Mojave Desert, a very interesting ride on the crazy Freeways and then mostly on the secondary highways, less traffic and more sights to see. LOTS of FUN!!!!

Today, we are expecting to catch a sight of the Shuttle over our vacation spot by the Queen Mary in Long Beach.

Other excitement, waiting for our friend, Liz Fry to arrive shortly and join the Open Water Symposium/Induction weekend....

Dream, Prepare, Succeed

New English Channel Record

Trent Grimsey broke the English Channel record by 2minutes today.
The young 24 year old from Australia crossed in almost a straight line, 6 hours 55 minutes.

Congratulations young man and many more feats for you in the future, cherish them all, especially this one.

Here is his chart super-imposed over Petar Strocof old record.

Amazing,
Dream, Prepare, Succeed.

SAS... yesterday

Thanks for the support yesterday,

Unfortunately the weather and wind direction made the sea unsettled and the course was unsafe for the Armada of over 75 swimmers and Boats.
Safety First, especially in the water.

We swam for a couple of hours in the harbor, working on building that immunity :)
... but the BEST thing was we raised 100's of Thousands of dollars for people battling cancer.

I'll be posting some pics on my blog and here shortly,

Thanks again,
Enjoy the Olympics
Dream, Prepare, Succeed

2012 SAS cancelled. Poor weather conditions.

Swim Across the Sound is tomorrow

I am looking forward to tomorrow’s Swim Across the Sound.

It’s been a week since I arrived home, and it seems I have not stopped. Between getting back to the work at the office, some light swim practices, a golf night, catching up with friends, a massage to work on my sore wrists, and a final trip to my Chiropractor this morning, I think I’m ready for the 17 miles across the Long Island Sound.

You can track the progress of tomorrow’s race, through logging into the following link.

Web Address:   www.myathletelive.com/events/

Select “SWIM Across the Sound” from the event list
Click on the solo swimmer’s name or the relay team name you are looking for.
If you’re looking for me, click on Marcy MacDonald

Solo swimmers start from Port Jefferson, LI at 8:10 am.

We conclude at Captain’s Cove in Bridgeport CT, you are welcome to see the finish and enjoy the festivities. Swimmers should be arriving at approximately 2:45pm.

A GREAT swim for a GREAT cause.

Talk to you after the swim.
Dream, Prepare, Succeed

SAS Video... 5 days until swim

5 days until the Swim Across the Sound.

Click on the below link to watch a short video showing some the GREAT work St. Vincent's Medical Center Foundation, a special place that helps people battling cancer.

http://www.youtube.com/embed/aG2k6RTOEKo

This will be 10 years since my 1st solo crossing for SAS.

Thank you to our race director, Liz Fry, and administrators of the race, the pilots and crew, the sponsors and all the volunteers who make this swim a fun and SAFE event.

Good Luck to all the swimmers, solo and relays, have a BLAST.

Visit my page on the SAS website, if you'd like to contribute.
http://give.stvincents.org/netcommunity/marcy

I will have further updates to follow us on Saturday.

Dream, Prepare, Succeed.

Early Morning at the Serp

It was an early morning, very rough getting out of my comfy bed, but so worth it.

The community spirit at the Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park, downtown London was infectious. I met so many nice people who love the water, all levels of experience and I can't believe they go in the water for a 5 minute dip, then off to work.

I thought I would never enter this water on my own will, but peer pressure can do things the ego, so I made the plunge, reminded me of swimming in the weedy area at Coventry Lake.
  
Fun ride to get to the Serp and home.

New Friends connected through water.
Thank you Nick.

Serpentine

Adventuring through London with my swimming friend, Nick Adams.

Swim: Blown out for now

I'll make this short, I will not be attempting a crossing at this time, due to the weather.

The JetStream just can not push the cool, unsettled northern pattern up and out of here,

So I will be coming home on Thursday and getting back to work. First off, coaching at Regional Championships, maybe some golf and the SwimAcrossTheSound in 10 days.

I had a talk with my pilot, Mike Oram, and he will keep me posted on any possible better weather that MAY creep over here, but that of course remains to be seen, with my office schedule.

The Channel is not going away any time soon.

Could I have swam yesterdy, maybe.
If I did, would I have made it to France, highly probable.
Could I have been injured: Extreme YES

I do believe if I had swam yesterday, I would have made it, but I think I would have left the day hating, not admiring the English Channel as I do.

Thank you Mike, for keeping me on land and saving my heart for the channel.