Hard Workout Time

Got in some great workouts over the weekend. Yesterday we swam a main set of 6x400y with 1:30 breaks. The odds had the first and last 50y all out while the evens had the first and last 75y all out.
I started steady on the first couple - 5:04, 5:00, 5:00 then got to work. Went 4:52, 4:52 and a big 4:48 on the last one, probably my best swim set EVER! Felt very good throughout, Matt Balzer who I can normally swim around in races crushed me out of the water in Chicago with his 'new stroke.' So I figured I'd give this 'new stroke' a try and over the last week have been working on it with great results. My goal from now to the end of the season is to just swim swim swim. I'll get in the bike and run workouts but the focus will be on the swim. I plan on doing Portland Pro Nationals and Treasure Island which are both draft legal so I'm going to have to swim big time if I want to make those races worthwhile. I also figure that I've had a strong season up to now and I'm happy with what I've done so I may as well mix it up and change the focus a bit. If I want to put in some big results next year - top 5's at the biggest US races - then I'm going have to get out of the water minutes faster so I may as well get going on the swim now.
Today we did a 3x1 mile workout at Highline Canal with 2min breaks. My teammate Pete Mallett went after it from the get go on the first one so I figured what the hell I'll make a big go of it today. We ran 4:57, 4:44, and 4:48. Probably my fastest workout at altitude. So I'm coming back around after feeling a bit blah after Chicago and now I'm excited to get out there in Portland.