Week 2, Swim 1

After a quick warm-up (300 swim, 200 pull, 200 kick), I started my main set of 8x200.  This was supposed to be an endurance workout with a controlled intensity, keeping my RPE (rate of perceived exertion) in Zones 1 to 2 (E2 is the code they use for this type of workout).  The example they gave was to follow a 3:20 interval, holding a 1:30-1:35 pace per 100 and taking less than 20 seconds between repetitions.  I thought I was a decent swimmer, but there's no way I can swim at that pace, especially if I want to keep my heart rate in zones 1 to 2!  I typically swim 1 lap (50m) per minute, so my 200s each took about 4 minutes.  Even though I felt like I was getting more tired and therefore slower the longer I swam, I actually managed to take a few seconds off each 200, so that I did the last one in 3:48.  I felt great about that, though I was definitely swimming harder than I think I was supposed to for an E2 workout.  Oh, well.  Got it done, and it felt good!  2600m total in 59 minutes.  My shoulder does hurt a lot right now, though, which is not at all uncommon for me after a swim but still annoying.  *sigh*