Sunday, June 20, 2010

Weekend Wittering’s

Finally, I have coffee coursing through my veins. I had a sore run this morning. Sore because I wore a shirt I have not worn in a long time. 45minutes in I knew I was going to pay the price for wearing it but I preferred to be squealing like a little girl (oh wait I am a little girl) in the shower afterwards rather than strip off mid run and scare off every other runner on the road this morning with my white – one ab. Oh ok its not that bad…but if the day comes where you see me running stripped off it will be with a 6-pack. So that isn’t ever going to happen is it!
Not a bad run. Never know how far I run but if my fast twitch muscles are talking to me I know that I have tried. Also another gage is how easily I can extract myself from the car after I have driven home! Oh and while we are on the subject one more telling factor is the shoes. This morning I could actually shake my leg and the water would come out my shoes – and we are talking sweat people!!
So run in the bag I needed to do something I really do not like to do on the only day I have that post run can be looked upon as a rest day. I needed to brave a shopping mall. I needed to buy some kit. Sport bras. You know just in case there does come a day when I do strip off I need to make sure I am wearing something under there, no matter how small an area it covers!
So while I would have liked to sit on the sofa coffee in hand and snooze, I had breakfast and headed back out the door.
Now if you have to go to the mall on the weekend. Do it EARLY before the rabble gets there for their free air-conditioning, window-shopping and eating.
I decided no coffee until the chore was done and in the bag. That would get me moving and give motivation to the cause. Thankfully it didn’t take too long and I am now positioned in a quiet coffee bar away from the maddening crowds with another large Americano due very shortly.
Apparently I am supposed to be in Bali doing the triathlon. Well that was news to me? But I had an email yesterday saying some people were asking where I was? This person didn’t know quite how to respond so asked me “why the hell are you not here. Get your butt over here and kick butt”.
Ahem. I responded ever so politely. There is the little matter, little being the operative word here that in my phrase book we all know that an Olympic Distance to me means Oh Dear. So as tempting as it is to pop over to Bali and have a party, AND despite the fact that in the past couple of weeks there has been an improvement of sorts in my swim I still do not swim quick enough to warrant the trip. It’s a bummer really; a lot of friends from all over have gone to the race. I hope they had an awesome time this morning. But if there was one thing that would bite it is the transition from the swim exit to the bikes. 700 metres over sand!! Yes that’s what I said. That’s almost a kilometre. Over sand. My gosh, PD is a tough enough transition. You come out the water and I find myself sprinting and trying to breath all at once but 700metres. Hey, maybe I would have had a chance after all!!
So briefly back to the swim. I met this French lady at the pool a couple of weeks ago. She swims a couple of times a week with her husband and we usually bump into one another in the changing room NOT the pool, I can swim in a straight line in the pool. Lovely things those blue lines :)
I saw her on Friday morning after our swim. We exchanged the usual morning pleasantries and then she said something that made me think. And then made me quietly smile. My arms hurt, they always hurt. On the bike they hurt in the pool they are lactic until about 10minutes in.
“You have got a lot quicker,” she said.
(Me) “I have?”
“Yes, I said to my husband that you are going so much quicker now than two weeks ago,” she said.
(Me) “I am?”
I am not going to say anymore. I am just going to keep hurrying slowly. I now have to tape my left wrist before swimming because the paddle has started to cut me due to the fact I only swim with paddles and all the other stuff including donut aka towrope. I think the paddle is cutting because I am maybe starting to do something right? Well that’s what I am telling myself.
Yesterday I carved up some kids in the pool. There was a day when any kids in my way would be excuse enough for me to get out and skip the session. Not any more. That is MY POOL. YOU get out the way. You can see me. I cannot see you. So if I hit you, your fault. Sorry but that’s the way it is.
So far so good, it is like a constant parting of the waves and they do move out the way when I come through. Yesterday however BANG. Now the thing I have found out and have been thinking about whilst swimming is what happens if something happens mid swim before I reach the end?
Silly question you may think. BUT. When fitted with paddles, pool buoy and donut if you want to stand up in the pool you cannot. Not without having something to grab hold of. Yesterday it was the poor kid I crashed into!! I guess if I do get in trouble I can just do an impression of a whale and roll onto my back! 

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