Church drama update: Yesterday I came home to a letter from the diocesan Vicar for Priests, asking for my written permission to show my letter of protest to the current dillweed pastor and "request his response." Which I promptly granted. Today a parishioner pinged me to alert me that a local columnist wants to email me to talk about the drama and why Matilda and I left.

I told Hec, and he said, "Hah! It is on like Donkey Kong!"

Eeps.

I've decided I need to actually vary my swimming and it's making a giant difference. One of the biggest shocks is that the rests matter. Today I did 1 x 200 of free, counting strokes and trying to lengthen the stroke by the end, then 1 x 200 of pull only (lengthening by the end) then 1 x 200 of kicks (fewer by the end). Did that three times through. Then I did 8 x 50 with a 15 second rest between, focusing on form. Then 4 X 25 as fast and strong as possible with a 45 second rest between.

I ended with "ladders". 1 x 25 (slow) with a 30 second rest then 1 x125 (moderate) with a 20 second rest, 1 x 100 (fast) with a 40 second rest and ending with a 1 x 75 (as fast as bearable) with a 60 second rest before you repeat the whole thing 3 times total.

It ends up taking me close to 90 minutes to do, but it's about 3000 yards, I guess.

The varying makes a GIANT difference and the rests do too.

I stole the workout from the Masters swim team that is there in the morning.

Gah, Kat, my calves are cramping just reading that.

And have you settled on a Noah & Grace portrait? I suppose it's not really practical to go for three of each, please.

My hat's off to all the swimmers here. Mighty impressive.

I am so tired I can barely function, and DH still isn't home from work yet. I'm totes going the bad mom route and letting the kids play wii.

They are pretty exhausted too, we had a long day. Kinder culmination, then lunch at the park for the kinders to celebrate. I went along because they were worried there wouldn't be enough parents, and of course there were plenty (wah!). And then gymnastics after school. We are all beat.

Demoralizing? shrift, you were lookin' mighty fine at Goose Island, and I just know you're looking even better now!!!

Thanks, Kathy. I'll try not to let some pictures taken in an unflattering situation keep me from feeling like I haven't made any progress.

I know I should vary rather than powering thru 1.5 or 2 miles crawl, but the thing is, that's not my MO. I heard an interview with Diana Nyad that resonated. She's a distance swimmer who is going to attempt FL to Cuba again this summer at 60 something. (CRAXY) Asked if she was going to switch up her stroke, she said something to the effect "Crawl gets me there faster and I don't have to think. Why would I mess with other strokes or resting?"

Maybe doing sprints and rests would improve my speed, tech or metab. But the thing is, I don't care. I want to cover the distance, that is the accomplishment for me. I don't have the patience for rests. I barely tolerate them at my 'cooldown' 300 yds ( 100 breast, 2 50s trying to max swimming underwater, long strokes, one 50 back kick only, and then the last 50 crawl.) I need to be moving.

Soo..Kat, I guess this means I bring my swimsuit and plan on two milers at wee hours come this TG?

Sure! I'm slower than you are.

The different workouts totally work for me, though. I like novelty. It's why my preferred yoga style does not have a set series of poses like Ashtanga or Bikram. Novelty = tolerability.

The rests though totally matter.

K prefers just powering through.

I don't often vary strokes, though I'd love to do fly one day. But varying WHAT I do matters.

I started out doing 8 laps front stroke, 8 back, 8 1/2 front, 8 1/2 back, but now I'm doing 11 front, 16 1/2 back, and 5 1/2 front to finish. That's why my arms are getting tired by the time I'm finished with the back stroke. If I can, I try and fit in my back stroke while I'm in the lane by myself, because I do tend to weave in the lane if I'm not careful while backstroking.

Backstroke totally kills my arms. But I think it's just different muscles that I generally don't use enough...Breaststroke takes too long.