Ride Like the Wind, Bullseye!

Remember that ambitious training plan where I was doing something every day of the week? Well, two weeks later, I've mostly stuck to the plan.

Last Friday was my first venture back into the 50 m pool. I need to work my way up to swimming 400 yards continuously and it's a lot easier to do that in the bigger pool. There's nowhere to stop in the lake and hold on to the side. Last year, I had trained to swim 400 yds freestyle straight but, when the actual day of the race came, I found myself breaststroking for about half the distance. Even though I had been in the lake before, being in the lake with 50 other women all swimming in roughly the same direction at the same time was very different and disconcerting. My goal this year will be to minimize the amount of breaststroke that I do and maximize the freestyle. Oh, and not lose my goggles and not swallow too much lake water.

Last Sunday was my first 'long' ride of the year - 11.3 miles. That's about the distance of the triathlon bike leg. It was wicked windy for more than half the ride. I swear I was in my lowest gears and was still moving at a snail's pace. Still, I stuck it out by looking for a landmark that wasn't too far off and saying to myself, "Just a little bit further, just to that post/tree/hole/turn." It felt really awesome to finally turn and have the wind at my back.

As for running, I tried my first interval workout the Sunday before last - running a minute and then walking a minute. This actually pushed my total running time down. Will try this again this week.

At the end of the week, I'm off to the East Coast for five days to attend a conference. In addition to all my work stuff, I'll bring my running shoes and my gi. Training doesn't stop just because I'm traveling.

First Swim of 2008

I finally did it. Got back in the pool and did some laps today. I'm not sure what the distance was but I was in the water for about 20 minutes. That's all I had in me, not too tired, just right. I took my time, back and forth, back and forth. It felt good. The water was nice and warm even if the wind was blowing outside. Yes, this is an outdoor pool. Yes, I'm so glad I live in California.

I'd forgotten how calming it is to swim. Time to focus on my breathing, on the stroke, on the kick. Time to feel the water flowing around.

Time to start training for another triathlon? I don't know. But it sure is nice to be swimming again.

Swim Therapy

I was tired when I was driving to the pool tonight. Somehow, I knew that once I got in the water, it would all be ok. I don't know how far I swam, I was in the water for something like an hour. Breaststroke, free, a teeny bit of back. Concentrating on my breathing, then my arms, then on kicking. Clearing my mind and just trying to swim as quietly as I could. Don't make a sound. Try not to splash. Be one with the water. Just like in aikido - blend. Channeling Dory from 'Finding Nemo': "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming. Swimming, swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do, we swim!" Come on, lungs! Come on, legs! It's just me against myself. The minutes flew by even though I'm really not a fast swimmer.

I looked up and it was time to get out, get dressed and head home.