another first!
so you know how, back... back in april.. when i took to the pool for the first time?
you know how i totally sucked and had a lot to work on?
well.....
nothing's changed.
i still suck.
but. but now!!.. i suck on a regular basis. every saturday morning... at 9am. for about half an hour+.
and i'm starting to love it.
swimming is... awesome. i love it. getting up in the morning.. that part kinda blows, but... once i'm in the pool, it's pretty damn fun. combine that with my usual swimming partner in crime and... its a good time to be had.
this morning though... this morning was a first.
after having done the whole swimming thing for a few weeks, 0% body fat chick decided last week, that this week, would be my week. my first 1000m week.
and so it was.
this morning, i... for the first time... really payed attention to what i was doing.
normally i just kinda swim. i lose count of what lap i'm on. i lolly-gag after each 50 'cuz i'm kinda tired and a little outta breath. i decide half-lap that i'm going to do one drill, then another.. then another.
i'm very.... myself, about the whole ordeal.
but so this morning... i changed my mind. i wanted 1000. and i wanted to do it right.
this morning i grew up a little, and started taking things more seriously.
so what'd i do?
i swam in sets of 100. nothing crazy, nothing new for most of you out there....nothing to write home about (although that kind of happens to be exactly what i'm doing), but... for me... it was a start. and around 700... it was a damn fine challenge.
i did catch-up drills. i used the pull buoy. i did this weird kick-kick-turn-breathe-kick-swallow water- cough-kick drill that i'm pretty sure i'm still not doing right but... i tried. for 100. i used the pull buoy again (i'm getting the hang of that better now, thanks...) and tried my darnedest to apply pull buoy theory to non-pull buoy swim.
it didn't work.
but i did my best and by 900... i was dog tired. i was pausing after each 50, my shoulders and arms were tired.. i was a wreck.
so i started to compromise.
what if i do the side kick? i'm awesome at the side kick. i'm probably faster doing that than i am free-style...
or breast stroke. i used to swim the sh*t outta breast stroke, i could do that for....
...nahhhh. that makes me tired to0. huh.
OOOH!! i know!!
i wanted to give my arms a break. i was tired, i was sore... hell i was getting lazy, so in my brilliance i thought...kick board!!!
and finished out my 1000 with some kicks. straight legged kicks.
and then i was done!
well... i was mostly done. because then.. the guilt set in.
does kick board count as swimming? i'm not sure if it does, the whole point is to NOT use your legs... is it like cheating using that as my 100? will my 1000 not count, what will 0% say?(fyi, 0% totally slacked and didn't join in the morning time swim. something about "catching a cold" or some non-sense.
SLACKER!)
so to appease my guilty self, i finished off with one more lap of actual solid swimming.
it was a 1050 meter morning.
and as i got up outta the pool, tired and happy to be done... i felt a little wiggle of pride.
i just had another first.... sweet!
this triathlon thing's gunna be good.
it's gunna be really good.
Comments
that is the most amazing thing i've ever read!!!! i'm serious!
tell me please, HOW on EARTH do you keep track of 1,000? or 50 for that matter?
YOU ROCK!!!
Posted by: jeanne | January 13, 2007 10:36 PM
Sounds wonderful! Oh, how i miss the pool. I need to check out our open swim schedule and see if I can squeeze it in once a week!
Awesome job! I would be lost after 200m!
Posted by: Teacherwoman | January 13, 2007 10:41 PM
Well, when I start swimming next week, I'll have your suckiness as inspiration. Stay two steps ahead of me sister!
Posted by: Wes | January 13, 2007 11:11 PM
Nice job! I find getting in the pool to be the hardest part - once I'm in, the whole swimming thing isn't so bad. But I still haven't mastered the whole keeping count of my laps thing - it would be great if I had a personal assistant who would sit there on the edge of the pool and count for me :-)
Posted by: Danielle in Iowa | January 13, 2007 11:16 PM
Nicely done. Congrats on another first. You are going to rock this triathlon thing.
Posted by: Laurie | January 13, 2007 11:24 PM
umm...yeah, kicking totally counts. more than counts cause it's hard. so you kick butt for doing extra. next week 1500?
Posted by: Curly Su | January 13, 2007 11:30 PM
It totally counts! Much more than I would have done. Great job.
Posted by: Josh | January 13, 2007 11:40 PM
Kicking counts double because it sucks! I hate kicking but when your arms are about to fall off then what else are you going to do?
Congrats on you 1050! That is awesome.
Posted by: 21stCenturyMom | January 14, 2007 12:31 AM
Awesome, a.maria, totally awesome. BTW, kicking does count.
Posted by: Juls | January 14, 2007 12:19 PM
Great job!!
BTW--I hate 0% body fat people. Ugh, the nerve of some people.
Posted by: jkrunning | January 14, 2007 1:03 PM
Too funny. As a boy, I feel that kicking should count double, because it's so hard, but I sometimes wonder if pulling (pull-buoy) should count.
Great work on the swimming!
Posted by: warren | January 14, 2007 1:45 PM
Woo hoo! That's my girl!
Posted by: sara | January 14, 2007 2:47 PM
1,000+!
Woot!
Stay tuned...
Posted by: TriBoomer | January 14, 2007 4:26 PM
I'm delurking to say that you completely rock. I'm training for my first marathon and slogging out 12 min miles, and reading accounts of YOUR marathon training is tremendously humbling.
Posted by: rivkayael | January 14, 2007 7:26 PM
Huh? Swimming awesome? Are you on crack? Go get those running shoes on Little Miss Runner Pants!!! go, go now.
Posted by: Susan | January 15, 2007 5:55 AM
Woot! Way to go, little one!
Posted by: Flatman | January 15, 2007 8:31 AM
Good job on the swimming. Now you need to run 6 miles of hills after that.
Posted by: Kurt | January 15, 2007 9:16 AM
girl, you must have been PRUNEY after that long ass swim! look at you fish! i need you to motivate me with my swimming training. practice starts in 2 weeks and i cant swim 1 lap if you paid me $1mm!
Posted by: Kim | January 15, 2007 2:59 PM
You are the woman. So proud of you! Wiggle it, just a little bit...
Posted by: Nic | January 15, 2007 10:25 PM
Great job!!! Of course kick counts!
After all, you'll need the kick when you're passing those other folks!
Posted by: Wendy | January 16, 2007 7:02 AM
me so proud!
kicking counts.
unless, you kick a cat, or a boy.
Posted by: bold | January 16, 2007 8:24 AM
Congrats on your long swim Ale. You're making great progress!
Posted by: walchka | January 16, 2007 9:14 AM