Monday, April 12, 2010

Biding My Time

We started a new 5-week session in Master's swim today. I actually got there on time (6:15 AM) and was in the water at 6:20 (can I hear a collective "wow"!).  It seems that no matter how hard I try, I can't get there any earlier than that. And to be honest, I'm not sure I really need to but that's another story.

After warming up for 300 yds or so, Richard had us do 4 sets of 3 100's with a minute rest in between. After each set we were supposed to do an "easy 50" with a drill for the first 25 and freestyle the last 25. There was actually more detail to this workout but my brain shuts down after hearing the first half of what we're supposed to do!  Honestly, I can never keep it straight, I just go when he says go and I stop when I see everyone else stop (no trouble there, I'm always the last one to stop).

Today I started with fins thinking I could kind of keep up. Natalie and Al were in the lane next to me, with Todd and Jim next to them. These people happen to be the fastest swimmers in our program and they lap me handily. Its like running with Doug Bell or some elite Boulderite. But people like that don't intimidate me - they're so far out of my league that I don't even think twice about it.

But Jade and Sarah are more like me and I try to keep up with them. I used to be able to be fairly close to their speed but not today. They were way ahead of me. I really had to keep myself from starting a pity party - I felt like a total clod. Even wearing fins, I couldn't keep up with them.

What's interesting is that sometimes I feel totally hypoxic when i swim, like I can't get my breath. And other times its smooth-sailing. Today I was hypoxic and strangely enough, I was kind of glad because it mimics how I feel in a triathlon sometimes. I get that panicky feel where i can't seem to breathe. I haven't had that feeling in a long, long time (thank God, because its horrible). But today I had a minor version of that happening and i just kept swimming.

I figured I swam my usual 1400 yards today and I think that's fine for now. Will start to increase it when we move outdoors in June. I plan to swim the perimeter of the lake at least twice a month (1.2 miles) all summer and fall, until we move back indoors. That's more swimming than i did last year and I had a decent swim time in Florida!

I wanted to run really bad after dropping off the kids. But I had a lot of school work to do and since I'm not supposed to be running much anyway, I decided to get the work done. I lifted for 20 mins and then worked on school stuff. In fact, I was sitting on my butt almost the entire day - UGH! 

So, when it was time to go to Kat's soccer practice, I decided to take Daisy and try a short, easy run. I did, and ran about 2 miles, very easy and slow. I felt great and had no pain. But later I did, of course and i'm icing my hip right now.

All in all, not a bad day. Got a good swim workout in and lifting. Will keep going as planned...hope to be running again soon!

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