The Hungry Triathlete

Just breathe May 21, 2009

It seems that just when I’m feeling zen about something, I get knocked back to reality.  Last night in the pool, I reverted to my pre-breakthrough self.  Argh.

Among other things, we did a 20-30 minute continuous swim last night, but there was a twist this time (I knew we were in for trouble when the coaches described the workout as “special”).  Instead of going up and down the lanes, the coaches removed all the lane lines from the pool and placed strategically located bouys throughout the space.  We had to swim continuously, but we had to always keep the bouys to our right–which meant that we had to practice sighting AND try to navigate the shortest course around.

I wasn’t freaked out at the start, since we’ve done multiple continuous swims and group starts.  But for some reason, I couldn’t get into my usual breathing/stroke rhythm, and I ended up gasping for air.  I had to go to “sweet spot” (a drill that involves rolling onto your back) a bunch of times, and I never fully recovered or got into a groove.  Once the final whistle blew, I headed to the wall to rest, and a delightful wave of dizziness came over me.  I quickly made my way to the ladder and sat on the bleachers with my head between my knees.  Good times.

Best I can figure, I panicked (subconsciously, maybe) about the new situation and started hyperventilating.  But I was so focused on pushing through that the extra oxygen didn’t hit me till I was finished.  However it happened, I was not pleased–it was the first time that I’ve had to exit the pool before the workout was finished, and I did not enjoy the feeling of defeat.

Since this weekend is a holiday, we have no group training sessions.  I hope to put in some significant pool time, so maybe I can get back to feeling as comfortable in the water as I did before last night’s debacle.

Next up…my morning at bootcamp…stay tuned!

Continuity May 15, 2009

As my mentor and I were driving to the pool on Wednesday night, we were lamenting how tired we both were.  “You know,” she said, “I really hope the coaches don’t tell us we’re in for a fun workout.  That’s never a good sign.”  Sure enough, during our pre-swim pow-wow, our coach definitely dropped the F-bomb (no, not THAT one–the other one).  It was time for another continuous swim!

We had the choice (depending upon the length of our event) of doing 500, 800, or 1100 meters.  I was torn about whether to do 800 or 1100–on the one hand, I need to increase my endurance, but on the other hand, I had been out of the pool for almost two weeks.  So, I erred on the side of caution and decided to do 800.  Since we were in the 50-meter pool, that meant that I would swim up and down the eight lanes, then get out of the water and run to the other end of the pool, then swim up and down all of the lanes again.  Fun indeed.

The start was chaotic, of course, with people kicking and thrashing and trying to get into their respective rhythms.  I got kicked pretty hard in the chest, which slowed me down for a minute, but then I got into a groove and focused on my breathing and my stroke.  I tried not to pay attention to the people passing me, though I admit I was a bit distracted when our team’s star swimmer zoomed by–she is truly AMAZING to watch.

So, the good news about the continuous swim is that I didn’t have to go to “sweet spot” (a drill, rather than actual freestyle) or roll onto my back for rest.  My swim stroke, while not perfect by any stretch of the imagination, was stronger and more consistent than it had been in the previous continuous swim.  The bad news?

It took me 22:20 to finish.

At first glance, I was really excited about that time.  But then I started crunching numbers in my head, and I realized that if I maintained that kind of pace, it would take me about 42 minutes to finish my 1500 meter race distance.  Not bad for a first-timer, but my goal was to finish the swim in 35 minutes.

Of course, I still have about two months to improve my speed and stamina, and there will likely be a current/adrenaline effect on race day.  So while the workout wasn’t “fun” in the traditional sense, it was super productive in terms of giving me a new baseline and helping me figure out what I need to work on.

Next up: transition clinic (or, as I like to call it, “instructions on how to get from swim to bike to run without killing yourself or others”)!

Movin’ on up (maybe) May 1, 2009

Wednesday night’s swim started out pretty rough.  The air was wonderfully warm, which meant that the pool felt pretty darn cold.  My arms were still a bit sore from lifting weights on Monday, and I was tired from a stressful day at the office.  To top it all off, we were practicing pacing–which meant a healthy dose of sprints.

After doing a few 150s at race pace, one of my teammates and I asked the coach how we could generate more speed in the water.  He said that we needed to be more efficient, which of course hinges on proper technique.  To help us out, he suggested that we do something called a catch-up drill (explained here).  It was really challenging and a LOT to think about, but it actually helped quite a bit.  After a few laps of that, the coach told us to do a “three-quarters” catch-up drill; in other words, instead of touching hands each time, our hands entered the water when they were 3/4 of the way to touching.  In both drills, it was crucial that our elbows entered the water last and that our palms pressed straight back toward the wall.

At the end of the workout, the coach came toward me, wagging his finger.  I was ready for a lecture (though a good-natured one, as our coaches are VERY positive and encouraging), but instead, he said, “You were REALLY swimming.  If you keep that up, we’re going to move you up to the fast lanes.”  My jaw probably dropped straight to the ground.

But the feedback wasn’t over!  One of our other coaches approached me on the way to Moe’s (where we go for post-swim burritos) and said, “What the hell happened to YOU in the pool???”  Except she meant it in a GOOD way!  She said that she saw me swimming and had to ask the other coach who I was–and that she was shocked and amazed when he said, “That’s Betty!”

I didn’t think my ego could get any bigger, but THEN my night hit its highest point.  One of my teammates, as we were walking into the locker room, did a double take of me and said, “Betty, your arms look AMAZING–you are so toned!  You really have that hourglass figure thing going for you.”  I dropped my gym bag and hugged her on the spot.

Certainly, all of my training has been positive–I’ve gotten TONS of support, I’ve met some incredible people, and I feel good knowing that I’m doing all of this work for a great cause.  But some days are simply too good to believe!

Here’s hopin’ that I’ll be able to have another “too good” day at the Big Peach 5K tomorrow!