3.11.2008

Quiet Little Swim

So I finally figured out why it is impossible for me to get up in the mornings and do my workouts. The friggen day light savings has me all screwed up. Even before Sunday it was all I could do to get out of bed before 5 am. Now that 5 am is actually coming at 4 am, I just can't seem to adjust. For the second straight day of not going to the gym in the morning and being to busy to workout during my lunch, I sat at my house after dinner feeling pretty crappy. It was pushing 8:30 pm and I had yet to workout. I was full of a big dinner and really didn't know what to do with myself. If you want to picture the scene, remember Al Bundy and the way he sits on the couch, all except for the hand-down-the-pants bit.

So I started to read some of my fellow triathletes’ blogs and realized how dedicated they were in their training. On days when one did their first brick workout and another was taking care of a sick husband, raising a 4 year-old and working her job, while at the same time still finding time to get her training in. I have a pretty simple life and realize that I really can’t come up with good excuse to not get my workout in.
So off to the gym I go. I decided I was going to get my swim in no matter the time of day. As I walk into the pool room I quickly realized that it was family hour. There are about a dozen little ones swimming, screaming and playing all around the pool. The nice thing about Global Fitness is that there is always a dedicated lane for lap swimmers. The only problem tonight was that a young girl was trying (playing) to swim laps and I really didn't want to invade in her space. So I was looking around and deciding if it was worth even trying to swim in the main part of the pool. I think it would have been very similar to a race experience by bouncing of bodies but I knew the parents would not have been happy if I "accidentally" punched one of their kids while taking my stroke. Just kidding I wouldn't hit a kid.

So I took my time to get all dressed down and rinsed off, and fortunately the nice father of the girl in the lap lane realized my predicament. He asked his daughter to get out of the lane and after a brief "why" he said cause I told you so:) It was awfully nice of him since I would have had to wait about 20 minutes for the kids to leave. The picture above is when I am the only one left in the pool room.

I decided to night I would work on drills and technique. After swimming a few laps of various drills it was time to work on my flip turns. At this point all the kids were out of the pool and it was just me and the regular old men that are there every single evening I come in. When you are really old, is there not some law you need to be in bed by like 7:00:) I can say I gave those damn flip turns a 100% and yet I really didn’t have much to show for it. I will continue to work on them but should probably seek some more advice. I finished my swim with a nice 500 meter time trial with a time of 8:40. I know this is definitely not record breaking pace but I will build on it and improve in time for the Snake River Triathlon at the end of the month.

4 comments:

Tiffany said...

Nice work, Steve! I'm really impressed that you got your workout in that late. I love the idea of reading other people's blogs to get some motivation! Great idea.

Great pic, too! There is nothing better than having the pool all to yourself. There is something very calming about it.

I tried some flip turn practice this morning. I think I did one "good" one, but I was definitely scraping the bottom of the pool and sucking in water through my nose more than once...see you Sunday?

Tim Swanson said...

Man, that takes a lot of discipline to get a workout in once you've been home for awhile...the fact that you did it is motivation for me! Can't wait to see your flip turn progress. Now, you can feel ok about staying in tonight and watching the Cougs take those 'Ucks out behind the woodshed!!! I may be a Beaver fan, but tonight, I'll be all about the crimson and gray! GO COUGS!!!

Tim

jessithompson said...

Steve,

Reading your blog inspires me. Thanks for sharing about the digging deep to MAKE the workout happen. I love he whole idea of documenting the journey because that is what makes the finish line of a triathlon so damn sweet. It's not just the race itself. It's the early mornings, the late nights, the sacrifices, the internal drive to get off the couch and go when it would be so much easier to relax.

You are a stud. Your attitude is infectious. Looking forward to Sunday and more flip turn rehearsals. HA! It's fun to have stuff to 'play' with and work on all together. We'll be flip turn super stars by the end of the season no doubt. Maybe next year, you, me, Tiff, and Timmers can give flip turn lessons after masters swim! LOL! Maybe we'll even have our line 'trick' down by then. :)

LORIE said...

Stever. . . having the motivation to leave the house and go to the gym is huge. I get all comfy in my house and life. GOOD WORK!

Tri-Fusion is about inspiring others and helping each other motivate one another. You are inspiring all of us. Thanks for sharing your triathlete journey.