The actual Swim Workout....

Well, Tuesday was my first actual swim workout..... Nothing too spectacular, especially for me... I wasn't (or am not, since not enough time has past for me to fondly reminisce upon it....this is pretty much present...) in aerobic shape to complete an actual swim workout for an hour.

Not surprisingly, not everyone is cognizant of this on the team.... they view your swim as your ability to be in a certain lane, and start off assigning the lane based on your swim technique, since that's all they have to go on initially....so I started in some middle lane (the one suggested was quite crowded, so I went to the one below that, which, to me seemed too fast, anyway....). I swam the first few laps with the lane folks, but felt I was trying my hardest to keep up with them.... and, though I try my hardest to look good (after all, it's not how you feel, it's how you look....), I was gasping for air.....

I switched to the next slowest lane, and gasped even further... the coach suggested I move to a lane slower, a suggestion to which I happily obliged... I think I dropped one more lane, but can't really remember, but I ended up in a lane where I could concentrate on my technique and breathing without worrying about slowing the folks around me. I swam every other lap with them - I've got a ways to catch up (and, don't forget about the left shoulder constantly complaining - must have done some sort of secret rescue last night while I was sleeping....). I'm comfortable in that lane (and that's all they care about from the team perspective - they are not there to push you beyond your perceived limits, unless you specifically request that - they want you to be comfortable).....) - I'll be good for at least past Thanksgiving, I believe.....

But, then, there was a second workout again that evening - running...

But, for my reformed couch-potato level, I had the option of a run, or.....OFF.....

Guess which one I chose.......

though, I must mention, I was really keen on running that evening...... don't ask me why - I think I'm falling further into the Triathlon cult.......

But, I resisted, and went out to dinner and drank beer that evening.....

However, since, I'm behind on the blog, and expect to keep falling more behind as this keeps going, (I'm getting really tired as I keep waking up early, but still can't fall asleep quickly - I'm waiting for my body/mind to catch up to the new routine - I'm not slacking off for it - eventually I should just collapse when I go to bed.....I hope...... rather than collapse at work or something.....), I'll talk about yesterday and today (it'll be really short, I promise.....)

Yesterday, Wed, I got up and exercised again (and again, my left arm acted like it was the only one working.....), worked, then, got ready for the run in the evening.

Should I mention it's gotten really cold suddenly? My mind did a symbolic protest, but only to keep up the facade, I wasn't really into skipping the run...., I ran (though it took more delay than I expected - it was cold).....

Not much to say, except for the fact that the cult is taking hold..... I went up the previously described ski jump, and was lucky enough to get caught by two red lights, so I had to stop for a couple of seconds, then ended up making it to my anticipated half-way point and checked my watch - hmmm, it has noticed my suspiciousness and kept better time.... it was about my actual halfway point.... pretty cool.

But the way back held some eerie implications of things to come......

I saw a light was turning in half a block (based on the time left to cross the street that has become popular in the metro area....) and actually thought about speeding up to catch the red light so I could have a little break - what was that about???? I was going to speed up to have more rest? I chuckled all the way to the corner, and, no, didn't catch the red light and had to keep running - I was hoping for luck, but it wasn't coming. Then there were the lights that I was fortunate enough to catch - I got to the corner, which said "Don't walk*", stopped, but then there were no oncoming cars, so I had no choice but to keep running, how unlucky is that????

I finished the run, and still didn't promptly fall asleep in the evening - the way I am so tired during the day, I expect to eventually collapse once I lay in bed.... hasn't happened yet.

I didn't swim the next morning (this morning). I had heard that there would be no hot water in the showers, and had too important a meeting during the day to take a cold shower after the swim, so had enough excuse to skip the swim.... and skipped the evening bike ride as well, since it was out of my normal habit of commute from Virginia one day a week.

Friday is the normal day off, I thought about riding the bike to catch up on Thursday, but feel so exhausted this evening, that I'll take two days off this week. Saturday morning is the run clinic, followed by the run, then Sunday I'll have another group ride. Tuesday I have to do the swim since Thurs is Thanksgiving and I'll be out of town for that..... I don't want to lose any momentum..... (or too much momentum - it's amazing how a few month's worth of work (an example, not reality here), can take only a week to dissolve into starting all over again - makes you think about the purpose of man and exercise - maybe we weren't meant to be in shape if it is so easy to drop out of the habit.....)

Maybe I'll post on Saturday - haven't yet talked about the towed car.......
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*actually, it showed a red person standing, which, is the US universal symbol for "don't walk". In fact, it is not a universal symbol. Countries all over the world have different symbols - in Berlin alone, they have three symbols - one in former East Berlin, one in former West Berlin, and a third in some area I haven't actually figured out, but is probably some sort of EU symbol..... - a good example, though difficult web site is the Berlin Ampelmann site.....)