#Smashfest

Phewee, absolute smash fest of a swim session this morning. One last bit of swimming solid work before Ironman WA next week.

Friday morning Swim Smooth sessions are often pretty tough, that is the idea of them after all. The Friday morning sessions are intended to be threshold swims, that means you are working pretty close to your limit for a large chunk of the time. What is that limit, well that is what is defined as Critical Swim Speed (CSS) which is the theoretical pace you could hold for a flat out 1500m. We test that at Swim Smooth, but Paul also has a pretty good idea of what each of us can do. While the CSS is defined as your flat out 1500m pace, really a good way to think of it for shorter efforts is pretty darn fast without being flat out.

Anyway, so what made today so ouchy. Well in short it was 2000m worth of efforts done at threshold pace or quicker. The session looked a little something like this:

• 4 x 100m at or below CSS pace - holding CSS pace got you about 15 seconds rest/100m
• 400m at CSS
• 4 x 100m at or below CSS pace - less rest this time, holding CSS pace got you about 11 seconds rest/100m
• 400m at CSS
• 4 x 100m at or below CSS pace - holding CSS pace got you about 7 seconds rest/100m

To make it a little more interesting Paul also shared the job of leading the lane around. This meant that I found myself on the front of our group for both 400m efforts. Ouchy.

I couldn't quite hold the target pace for the two 400m efforts, but I have to say I am quite proud of how close I got. Some of the quicker 400s I have done in training for a while, very nice after being a little disappointed with my swim on Wednesday. Things coming together at the right time.

Pretty sure Paul is laughing manically in this photo as he watches the squad work

With this morning's bit of training done I guess I can probably say that taper is about to start. It may seem strange that I can't be more definite, but it is not as if my program has 'Taper Starts Here', written on it in big flashing letters. Rather starting this weekend the sessions have taken a definite step in the direction of less work, with a big drop in volume over what I have been doing over the last few months.

I am not sure how I feel about tapering. I know from experience that I race best off a short taper, so about a week or so is best for me. That is a total horses for courses type decision though, I know people who prefer more taper, some who prefer less. Tapering is always a bittersweet moment for me though. On one hand it means more rest and a break from being permanently fatigued. On the flip side though you are tapering because you are getting ready for a race. Tapering means that the race is getting close, bringing with it all the excitement and stress of racing. As I have said in previous posts, I am excited for this race, but I would be lying if there wasn't a sprinkle of apprehension too. It is an Ironman after all, you do not simply walk into an Ironman. Beginning taper means all that becomes a bit more real.

Really though I am looking forward to this particular taper. I am ready to be racing. the body is feeling good, I have done the work. I am keen to get some rest and see just how much better the body can feel.