The Slurpee turned on me...

I left work on Friday with a sinking feeling in my stomach, thinking that I was about to walk into the jaws of doom. Voluntarily. Karen and I were about to attempt a 16,000 yd workout, the longest training swim I have ever done (so far, of course. They will only get longer in the next 15 months).

I left work on time, but got a phone call from my boss that left me running a few minutes late. I was left with a choice - should I forgo my usual slurpee run so that I could be on time to meet Karen? Forgo the frozen, sugary goodness that has fueled all my long swims up to this point? Which should I choose - friend or frozen beverage?

Well, my apologizes to Karen but the slurpee won. Karen, I knew, was dreading this swim as much as I was and she wasn't going to start without me. But in my haste to be no later than necessary, I forgot to stash my slurpees away in the side pockets of my swim bag the way I usually do. Instead, I boldly walked into the Homestead Aquatic Center with twin slurpees in hand, plopped them on the counter, and swiped my frequent swimmer's card. "Ma'am," the desk attendant chided, "you can't bring those onto the pool deck."




This was a moment I knew would happen, a moment I had been preparing for ever since I had discovered the wonders of the slupree. My response was prepared - "I'm about to do a very long swim and THIS is my energy drink. It's just a concentrated form of Gatorade and I need it to sustain my glyoogen levels." With a skeptical look I was waved in.

Our workout was written by fellow DAMA swimmer and distance swimmer extraordinaire, Heidi Williams. This was the gist:

Warm-up (1000), 15:00
5 x 200 3:00

Set 1 (3200), 44:45
1 x 800 swim - moderate neg split 10:45
2 x 400 swim - 2nd one faster 5:30
4 x 200 - descend 2:45
8 x 100 - descend 1-4, 5-8 1:30

Set 2 (5000), 67:10
1 x 600 50 drill/50 swim easy 9:00
2 x 500 swim easy/moderate 7:00
3 x 400 swim moderate 5:20
4 x 300 swim moderate/fast 3:55
5 x 200 swim fast pace 2:30

Set 3 (3600), 49:15
4 x 100 build each 100 1:30
3 x 200 neg. split 2:50
2 x 300 maintain mod/fast pace 4:00
1 x 400 fast pace 5:00
2 x 300 one recovery; one moderate 4:30/4:15
3 x 200 moderate/fast pace 2:40
4 x 100 fast 1:15

Set 4 (2800) - aerobic pacing, 37.20
2 x 500 6:40
2 x 400 5:20
2 x 300 4:00
2 x 200 2:40

Cool Down 400

Total Yards 16,000; Total Time 3:33:30 + breaks & cool down

I made it through the beginning without much of a problem, but toward the end of set 2 it hit me. A sick churning in my stomach. A wave of nausea in my chest. A cramp that ripped through the arch of my foot like Jason's teeth through a bacon cheeseburger. The slurpee was turning on me! I couldn't believe it but it was true. It dawned on me then that I might need an energy drink with less high fructose corn syrup and more electrolytes.

Maybe the man at the front desk knew something that I didn't. Next time, I will take a more conventional approach to fluid replacement and drink Gatorade for at least the first half of the swim. I will switch to my beloved slurpee if and only if my energy levels fall and I begin to crash.

In non-swimming news, Jason and I went to Brian Wear and Heather Hilton's beautiful wedding on Saturday. Here are a few pictures:

Week 17:
Mon: swim 4300 yds
Tues: swim 4700
Wed: rest
Thurs: swim 3900
Fri: swim 16,000
Sat: rest
Sun: swim 3200, 40 min abs
Total: 32,100 40 min abs