Monday, October 10, 2016

Taiko-kun Virtual Ten/Ten Run... er.. SWIM!














Taiko-kun Virtual Ten/Ten SWIM workout

Today is October 10th, so it's 10-10 and has been dubbed "Taiko Day."   To celebrate, taiko players world-wide have entered a virtual distance event for fun, with a portion of the proceeds going to the National Endowment for the Arts in support of arts and art education in America. 

Official Web Site for Taiko Day:   http://www.taikoday.com

More about Taiko Day:
https://www.facebook.com/taikokun
https://www.facebook.com/events/245077885873249/

While most people run a 10k or 5k, I am a taiko player that is also a swimmer, so today's swim training workout was rounded up to total 10,000 yards.  For my effort, I received an event T-shirt, pin, bib, and a medal. 

8 x 125 warm up on 1:50
12 x 100 kick on 1:35
8 x 75 drill/swim/drill on 1:10
12 x 200 free on 3:00
200 easy
600 free  (rest :15 before 50's)
12 x 50 on :45
500 free
10 x 50 on :45
400 free
8 x 50 on :45
300 free
6 x 50 on :45
200 free
4 x 50 on :45
100 free
2 x 50 free on :45
8 x 25 fly on :30
200 swim down

Total 10,000 scy

www.TampaTaiko.com
www.Facebook.com/TampaTaiko
www.Facebook.com/RonCollins

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

Recovery from Shoulder Surgery (Jan 29, 2016)

The swim meet that I was preparing for last December was the last swimming competition that I have entered.  The "Florida Senior Games" was one of the worst performances of my mediocre swimming career.  At age 53, muscles weakening as I got older, I was dangling a right arm that needed surgery.  Training was difficult, and I was not enjoying it much at all...

The beginning of 2016 turned a page for me, as I visited the surgeon and scheduled shoulder surgery for the end of January.  Since I had already recovered once from my left shoulder surgery in 2011, I felt confident that I could go through the recovery/rehab period successfully.  But there were complications when they discovered the severity of the procedure, and when they wounded me and my soul at the urologist's office. (sorry, no pictures)  February and March were mostly dry months while I visited the therapists almost daily for massages, stretching, and eventually strength rehabilitation.

Back in the water 6 times weekly starting in April, my fitness and strength has slowly returned.   Today, at 8 months after surgery day, I am about 80% of my former self... But is that 80% of myself as a 40 year old that was close to a 2 minute 200 scy butterfly, or am I 80% back to being a weakening 54 year old that seems to pull a muscle within 30 seconds every single time I dive off the blocks?

Today's workout is typical for me lately, except that I have slowly added fly back into the mix. It's been much more fun, a lot less painful, and I occasionally feel frisky on sprints and middle-distance sets.
 
8 x 150 warm up on 2:15
6 x 100 kick on 1:50
12 x 75 drill swim drill
3 x ( 4 x 25 fly on :30, 200 easy on 3:00 )

8 x 200 pull on 2:55
100 easy
6 x 25 fly on :30
100 cool down

TOTAL 5500 scy
We recently shot a promo segment for NBC's Daytime tv show and it will air in 100+ markets in the US on Wednesday.  Check your local listings for to see when it airs in your area.  Come experience our big, loud drums at Sushi Battle on Thursday, September 29th in St. Petersburg's iconic Coliseum.     Tickets are $45 and $75.  More information available at www.SushiBattleTampa.com