I'm so sorry. It's not what you think.
It was just a fling - a silly little summertime dalliance. It meant nothing, I swear. You know I love you, right? I'd never break up with you for swimming, I promise. You know better than to even think that.
I know, I know, it's been a couple of weeks. But I'm confident we have a strong enough relationship to survive spending a little bit of time apart. Anyway, there were extenuating circumstances. School is starting again and that means Swim Coach Marcy is going back to being a swim coach for while - I had to practice with her as much as possible. See? Not breaking up with you. You need to know that I love swimming too, and understand that we've had such a rocky relationship until now it was important I spend this extra time with it.
Tell you what, let me make it up you.
How about a nice 20 miler in the country this weekend, cycling? Huuuuh? Doesn't that sound like fun? Lots of fresh air in your tires and extra lube on your chain. We'll take a couple bottles of Performance and a Luna Bar - it'll be like a picnic!
And running.... how would you like to go to Montana with me next week? Yeah? Shhhh... don't tell swimming and cycling, they can't come along. This will be our little secret.
Are we cool now? Good. I've got plenty of love to go around for all three of you. I promise.
Friday, August 11, 2006
Tuesday, August 08, 2006
Could someone please tell me...
... when, exactly, swimming 1000 yards went from being my ultimate killer workout to being a compromise workout on a bad day? When I'm tired from work and have to force myself to the gym, when I put off going for hours and still find the pool full of obnoxious, lane-ignoring kids at 8 pm, when my shoulders are still aching from massage therapy, when my eyes itch and throat is closed from hay fever, when my head is pounding from allergies and the stench of an over-chlorinated pool.
When did that happen? I haven't been swimming more than that on a routine basis - too be honest I've been swimming less. But it suddenly seems like the easiest thing in the world.
Something's happening in my mind. A paradigm shift. I can't figure it out and maybe I'm not supposed to. But distances - in all three sports - that used to seem unconquerable now feel mundane. Routine. Not worth getting wet if I swim less than 1000 yards. Not worth dragging out the good bike if I'm doing less than 20K. Even running a 5K - which I can't even run all the way yet - seems inadequate.
I forgot my lap watch tonight, so only timed a few laps on the wall clock. I was clocking around 40 second laps and I was disappointed. Disappointed?! Two months ago I'd resigned myself to never reaching that speed and now it feels slow even as I'm swimming it. When did that happen?
As I approached 1000 yards I found myself doing Iron math. 4000 yards. Swimming that workout 3 more times. And you know what? I could get on board with it. It no longer seems like an impossible dream.
Something's happening to me. I'm improving exponentially at a time when I'm consciously holding myself back from the sport, when my focus is on healing. On getting down the basics. And I don't understand. Maybe it's the amount of weight I've lost. Maybe it's because I'm Type A OCD over-achiever and can't leave well enough alone. Maybe it's just part of a triathlete's journey.
I don't know. But maybe it's time to let go and see where it takes me.
When did that happen? I haven't been swimming more than that on a routine basis - too be honest I've been swimming less. But it suddenly seems like the easiest thing in the world.
Something's happening in my mind. A paradigm shift. I can't figure it out and maybe I'm not supposed to. But distances - in all three sports - that used to seem unconquerable now feel mundane. Routine. Not worth getting wet if I swim less than 1000 yards. Not worth dragging out the good bike if I'm doing less than 20K. Even running a 5K - which I can't even run all the way yet - seems inadequate.
I forgot my lap watch tonight, so only timed a few laps on the wall clock. I was clocking around 40 second laps and I was disappointed. Disappointed?! Two months ago I'd resigned myself to never reaching that speed and now it feels slow even as I'm swimming it. When did that happen?
As I approached 1000 yards I found myself doing Iron math. 4000 yards. Swimming that workout 3 more times. And you know what? I could get on board with it. It no longer seems like an impossible dream.
Something's happening to me. I'm improving exponentially at a time when I'm consciously holding myself back from the sport, when my focus is on healing. On getting down the basics. And I don't understand. Maybe it's the amount of weight I've lost. Maybe it's because I'm Type A OCD over-achiever and can't leave well enough alone. Maybe it's just part of a triathlete's journey.
I don't know. But maybe it's time to let go and see where it takes me.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
I Have Officially Seen It All
Beer. Flavored. Ice Cream.
I'm not sure how I feel about it. I mean that literally and figuratively - I am as of this moment, eating it. And I'm not sure how I feel about. The flavor is... hm. Odd, maybe? As a concept... well... I don't love it, but figure it was just a matter of time. If somebody was gonna do it, better that it was Ben and Jerry.
Why did I buy it, then, you ask? Two reasons. First, it was on sale. Second, it's beer freaking flavored ice cream. I challenge any of you to resist the temptation under the same circumstances.
I'm not sure how I feel about it. I mean that literally and figuratively - I am as of this moment, eating it. And I'm not sure how I feel about. The flavor is... hm. Odd, maybe? As a concept... well... I don't love it, but figure it was just a matter of time. If somebody was gonna do it, better that it was Ben and Jerry.
Why did I buy it, then, you ask? Two reasons. First, it was on sale. Second, it's beer freaking flavored ice cream. I challenge any of you to resist the temptation under the same circumstances.
Friday, August 04, 2006
Am I official now?
Today I got my first blister from running : D
It was my first real attempt at running since my injury and it went great. I stuck with the heart rate monitor for the first 2 miles or so, which for me right now means jogging with short walk intervals to bring HR back into range. But for about the last 3/4 mile I turned off the annoying little 'out of range' beep and just ran to see how long I could keep it up. My HR was awfully high, but I felt fine and when the 3.1 rolled around I didn't feel like I had to stop.
Noticeably slower than I was before the injury and starting to train with a monitor - the final run varied between a 13:20 and 14:30 pace - but feels better overall and it's easier to go longer, so I guess I'm doing something right. Dunno why I got a blister - didn't even notice it until late tonight - but I don't care. I was actually excited to have the proof I ran today.
It was my first real attempt at running since my injury and it went great. I stuck with the heart rate monitor for the first 2 miles or so, which for me right now means jogging with short walk intervals to bring HR back into range. But for about the last 3/4 mile I turned off the annoying little 'out of range' beep and just ran to see how long I could keep it up. My HR was awfully high, but I felt fine and when the 3.1 rolled around I didn't feel like I had to stop.
Noticeably slower than I was before the injury and starting to train with a monitor - the final run varied between a 13:20 and 14:30 pace - but feels better overall and it's easier to go longer, so I guess I'm doing something right. Dunno why I got a blister - didn't even notice it until late tonight - but I don't care. I was actually excited to have the proof I ran today.
Thursday, August 03, 2006
Happy Little Swimmers
I finally got the pix from the swim race on July 15th. The quality isn't the best - they're scans of copies of prints (I now officially, with a tearful heart, reluctantly admit I prefer digital over film, at least for everyday applications) - but I'm happy to have any record of such a great day.
Me, Regner and Swim Coach Marcy showin' off our race numbers.
The big start.
View of the course. It's a biiiiiig lake. Still can't believe I swam it without a hint of panic.
My big finish. (The clock time is slightly off my officially recorded time of 47:17)
Happy post-race swimmers. There are no words for how happy it made me to come out of the water to the cheers of the two people responsible for teaching me to swim.
Me, Regner and Swim Coach Marcy showin' off our race numbers.
The big start.
View of the course. It's a biiiiiig lake. Still can't believe I swam it without a hint of panic.
My big finish. (The clock time is slightly off my officially recorded time of 47:17)
Happy post-race swimmers. There are no words for how happy it made me to come out of the water to the cheers of the two people responsible for teaching me to swim.
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