I have to do WHAT?!?!?!

Swim?  Are you kidding me?  When did THAT become part of a triathlon?

Well, if you haven't already guessed, I started swimming today.  For the first time in YEARS, I went lap swimming.  And man, was it more than I remember.  A friend set up a swim training program for me.  Here's how it broke down:

100m warm up (any stroke)
4x50m front crawl, 15 second rests between sets
4x50m flutter kick, 10 second rests
4x50m front crawl, 10 second rests
4x50m arms only, 10 second rests
100m cool down, any stroke

So, if you did the math, that is 1000m of swimming.  After not having swam in a really, really long time.  It hurt, a lot.  Afterwards, taking a shower, I could barely wash my shoulders.  That is how much it hurt.  But it was a really good work out.  Far enough to push me, but not so far that I won't be going again tomorrow.

I have decided that this week, I am focusing on swimming because, from the triathlon that I am doing in July, I won a swim lesson with a former Ironman swim record holder.  And this lesson happens to be next Tuesday. I don't want to embarrass myself, so...  off to the pool I go!  My plan is to swim at least 5 times between now and the lesson.  Here's hoping!

Other than that, training has been going fairly well.  I had a minor (week long) setback with my foot, but I am back now.  I went for a nice 30km bike ride on Saturday, and will likely head out for another one or two this coming weekend, as well as getting back on the running wagon.

There is a little more than 2 months before my race.  It's time to start getting serious.  I'll keep updating this as the days go on.  Come late May, I will be on an actual training plan, so I'll be updating much more frequently.

On to the next swim.  Here's to not being able to lift your arms.

Your Armchair Ironman