wow, I forgot how to swim

I entered my second tri, an Exterra. It is still a swim, bike and run, but just a little different. It was an 1,100 meter swim, approximately 550 get out out of the water run a few yards and back in for the swim. Friday night I did a test run in the local pool. Swam 550 yards got out walked around the pool and back in and swam the remainder. I was happy. It was the best I have swam. Sunday was a totally different story. I freaked seeing the red markers which seemed to stretch forever. I got in forgot how to breath, stroke and all the other important aspects of swimming. I flipped to my back to try and rethink. I must have been rethinking what the heck am I doing. I did need some breathers, but I finished it and was upset with myself on how bad I swam. It was like the first day I hoped in the pool and the life guard thought all their skills would be tested today. On the way back to the transition area I hard to get my head into the game, because it was only the day before that I rode a mountain bike for the first time. The rain from the night before was sure to make the course a hole new challenge. It was. Even after one spill I thought took me and the bike out, we straightened out and got going again. Could I have road faster, maybe on the straight a ways, but after the spill my only goal was to finish. Back into the transition area it was on to the running shoes, but my body was wondering where do you think you are going. I was taking in a lot of fluids, but I must have been light headed, because I took off running. The only thing at this time it did not feel and probably even look like running, but maybe power walking. 4.5 miles and 3 plus hours I was done. I'm glad I did it. It was good challenge of where I'm at today in my fitness. A long way to go. Think you are fit, try an Exterra. Would I do it again, I probably would, next weekend no way. My body needs time. I will still run, bike and swim during this time, but not all three in any one day. If it was not fun, I would never consider it again, but the slipping through the mud on the bike except the one instance was wild, the trail run if I would have remembered my tunes and not totally wiped out would have been greatest type of run I think I have done. The swim we will leave it at that. It is over and now I have to get my mind to not be intimidated.

tri, tri again

I completed my first tri, while a mini, the fear of water was still there. I finished the Watertown Tri in 37th place with a time of 1:22.32. My goal was 1:30. I was pleased and learned a lot. What did I learn? What it feels like to get kicked or hit by an arm swinging. But that pain was nothing. The real pain was walking across the rocks to get into the water and then to have to do the same getting out. Getting in I was not concerned, because the clock had not started yet. Getting out the clock was ticking away. Seconds turned into what felt like minutes, and listening to my wife and daughter, that might have been the case as I tried to walk out of the water and into the transition area. My feet are tender. But all in all it was OK. If it works I will try another tri before summer ends.
If I had tougher feet, it might help in my time not only getting into the transition area, but out I had to make sure ever grain of sand was off the bottom of my feet, socks on and straight and shoes tight so they did not blister.
Walking back and forth on our gravel driveway might help, but just thinking of taking of my shoes in house makes my feet hurt.
Knowing swimming is my weakest, I've devoted more time to that than either the biking or running, so much so I was worried that I may have lost a step on my running. Not that running is my strong suit. Biking is not either.
For biking, LeAnn and I have been doing one ride in Aberdeen with a group of experienced riders. Oh and did I forget to mention they like to ride, let's say not not a Sunday ride pace. It has been good, now if the wind was always at he back it would even be better for me.
I will be keeping up my swimming, but because the pool is outdoors and once school starts, its back to on the road, adding time to already shorter days.
Will I be able to get in the mile swim, who knows, but one day the Titanic even needed to head out of dock on her maiden voyage. I just hope the same thing does not happen to me.

Swim, bike, run another day

For personal reasons at this time my July tri is or was just that a tri. But I do plan on trying to keep up with swimming, biking and running, but at this time I have left the training plan and need to take care of other matters.

sometimes you just go

There are times you just go and do it. It is not a matter of time concern, heart rate, distance and any factor, but if someone is willing to do a training day you take them up and go. So speed, heart rate and all that is thrown out the window, even if a one hour training ride day is just shy of two hours. So when an opportunity arises, jump on it.

It's all about finishing

I know I have talked a lot about swimming, but really it is all about finishing. I bike and run, even mix the two together and I feel fairly comfortable about those two events right now. By no means are they at first place times, but my goal is to finish, not first, but in order to that, I must complete the swim. Once I start swimming in Webster and get more comfortable, it will easier to add in biking and running into the swimming mix. If I'm unable to complete the first event, it will be impossible to finish. Swimming is first, than biking and last the run. I classify it is as the most dangerous to least with the ability finish by walking.

water levels

I have been patiently waiting for the pool to open so I do not need to drive an hour to drink chlorinated water. I still am amazed that the day after swimming if I'm running, I smell chlorine. It's not from my hair or that I did not shower good enough after swimming, it is from the intake. Remember my breathing, I'm a land animal. So after June 7 I will appreciate that I will not have to drive an hour, but just a couple of blocks. There have been reports that Webster pool loses large amounts of water, but nothing after I get in. No I don't do the cannon ball or belly flop any more, I'm to old for that. I slowly get in and get accustom to the water and temperature. The water stays in Webster, at least for awhile, but the level may even go down more. It's just my attempt at breathing. I call it the suck swim. As I swim I suck in the water along with a little air that gets into my lungs. But serious unless you are swimmer, get use to the taste of chlorine. I know a lot people would rather see me swimming in Blue Dog and knowing each time I leave the water, a good portion of the lake would go with me. I know one of these days I will need to head to open water, but don't worry I plan on bringing an experienced swimmer along, in a boat, with a life jacket, cell phone with ICE programmed in as well as emergency personnel.

it seems to work

The tips Nikki gave do seem to work, but it be the fact that all the stars and planets are aligned again and for the third time I was able to swim sine I was 12 years old. It is bound to happen a couple of time in 35 years. She even gave a pointer on open water swimming on how to hold the head up to see where I'm going. I'm hope the lake is crystal clear like the pool. Do you know of any like these? I have experienced panic. Not only the first time getting into a pool after so many years, the lack of swimming ability and did I forget to mention you need to learn to breath. Breathing in the water is where panic can set in. The first time I suck in what felt like a 1,000 gallons of water, I thought that was it. I was going down and did not follow my wife's advice. Don't drown tonight. Then I realized I sucked up that much water I can touch the bottom in the deep end. It has happened a few times since and first is panic and then I over come and keep going.

tips from coach

Webster has a new swim coach for the swim team and just the short time she watch me swim. OK paddle through the water, she was able to give me some help. First tip, stick to running and biking. No she didn't say that, but maybe thought it. Ok for real. The advise she gave seemed to pay off, but I did not realize I had to think. When I run it one foot in front of the other, breath and pump my arms. Biking. It's clamp in my feet, peddle and when I see a hill shift... Swimming is much more than a sport. It takes thought. Are my fingers to far apart, to tight, does my hand go back to far, not far enough out front, don't kick like I'm running in the water, but kick from the hips, look down into the water and turn the head to breath. Each one of these by themselves is no problem for me, but pt it all together takes a lot of thought. While I'm going to give a little more to see if it is still working and go back to see what else I may have forgotten. Everyone needs a good laugh.

Wonder waves

While last night made me feel good in the pool, on the way made me wonder. It was a South Dakota breeze. The white caps on Lake Kampeska made me wonder. Do they even hold an event when it looked like the waves from Deadliest Catch. I never imaged them pulling in a crab pot and finding me, but the waves had me wonder. It's like riding a bike into gale force winds, but it great coming back. Do they start the swim at another point in the lake so the waves help carry you or is it the chips fall where they may. No matter what, this has been an experience, but last nights waves made me wonder if their would be another post if I had to attempt them last night.

It's happened twice

I don't know if all the stars and planets were aligned last night and a month ago or so, but for me I was able to swim, twice. It may not have been pretty, but it could have worked. The problem is it needs to be regular, a little faster and let me out of the water without being exhausted. For swimmers reading this congrats. It was something I could do as a kid, but after being a land breather and for most part, a couch potato the last 25 year, I think I've come a long ways in 16 weeks and for the swimming aspect, 32 hours. That could be even stretching it as the first couple swims did not last for an hour. I'm not sure if I stop because I was completely out of breath, the life guard thinking they were going to be able to use their training after all, or the other swimmers wondering what in the world I was doing. I'm sure they knew it was not swimming, but did not what to call it. I'm hope in the next weeks I can get control of my swimming, hop on a bike and then take off on foot. The other alternative is not good. Have you ever tossed a rock into the lake and seen what happens to it. You have the picture.

Back to Back

It is so much easier doing back to back than doing one training and later in the day yet another. It is easy to talk yourself out of them and find yourself exhausted as the day is extended. What is equally hard is finding time to participate in actual events as most weekends there are many commitments. A number of those work related and then other activities calling for attention and then add in weather. With nine weeks to go, I begin to question time and commitment. I know I'm going to be first and with a goal to finish some might think it is a piece of cake. Finishing and finishing that I want to do it again are two different items.

It's easy

It's easy to skip a workout, but I fear to many skipped workouts will mean a long day on the course. Swimming just knocks it out of me, or maybe it is the hour ride home. The book says to get up at 5 a.m. and knock out one of the workouts for the day and the second at the end of the day. I tried the 5 a.m. start and did it for a couple weeks during the winter months, but I like my sleep. As much as I like my sleep it might be time to get back early mornings or change something around. Wednesday when I got home from the pool, it was supper and relaxing on the couch, not the hour run. We'll see about tonight's bike and run brick. Hopes it goes better.

the countdown

I do not think I'm going to be able to bring my history up to date, so I will start with the countdown. Sixteen weeks ago I started training for a 1/2 ironman. Keep in mind I hated to run in high school 30 years ago and loved to eat, drink and not get off the couch just a couple years ago. The last time I rode a bike, other than a kid was in Custer State Park when one of two bicyclists abandoned their ride and hoped into one of our vehicles. It was better than getting trampled by some pissed off buffalo that day. Grabbing the bike and holding on to it out the window until we were clear of the buffalo and then getting on it and riding it down to safety was it. Maybe it was a 1/4 mile. My wife inspired me as she is training for a six day ride over 470 miles on her bike, so I should be able to do 56 in a day. I've ran a few half marathons, so I told myself I can do that. Putting the bike ride together with the run has been work, but doable. OK you might remember it is a triathlon. Biking and running are the last two events. The first is how much lake water can I drink. Actually that to swim 1.2 miles. For swimmers, you are thinking a piece of cake. My fear other than drowning is finishing the swim, exhausted and dead to the world, then heading to the bike rack and seeing only my bike, or worse yet, someone parking their bike and heading out on the run. I've been hitting the pool and can now swim more than 25 yards without being completely out of breath, but not a 1.2 miles yet non-stop, but I can do a mile plus. June 1 the local pool opens and I'm plan on a little more time and seeking some more help so in 10 weeks my fears don't become a reality.

past updates coming

This is new to the web site and will be updated from my journal, please watch for updates.