Not wanting to disappoint Coach Pete any further, I sucked it up and headed to LA Fitness. I had 1600m on my schedule, so I chose a workout from Coach Lora that included drills with fins since my legs were a bit wobbly from running. I ended up doing only 1000m, but it was better than not swimming at all.
Let me tell you - swimming is extra tough when you don't do it more than once a week. I am praying that I can learn from my past, and get the swims in 3-4 days a week. Without the self-discipline to do that, I know Augusta will be a bit unpleasant, even with the downriver current.
Friday night Chad and I watched the Rays' game. I headed to bed at 11pm, since I had a 4:30am wake-up call for the next day's event, the Dash N Splash aquathon. Chad kept Zeus out in the living room so that I could get a good night's sleep (our pup can be restless, and I tend to be a light sleeper). I swear that my head no sooner hit the pillow my alarm was sounding. Ugh. I had to giggle, though, because as soon as I turned the knob to open the door, Zeus came running. He was NOT happy that he didn't get to sleep in the bed, lol.
I managed to gather some breakfast and make coffee while I loaded up my car. I put my bike on the rack and secured it with bungee cords and a lock, made sure I had a few pair of goggles, my running shoes and socks, and sunscreen. Once I was satisfied, I headed south to Pass-a-Grille.
I arrived with plenty of time to spare - a whole hour before the race was to start! I picked up my packet and got body marked, and then chatted with Kelly Ann, Jim, Nick, Nancy and Kate. I was a bit nervous, because everyone there seemed to be lean and muscular. They looked FAST. Oh, well. I was there, I was doing the event.
The time came to head to the beach, so Kate and I set up our transition area (towel, goggles, swim cap) and got in line to start. The horn sounded, and we were off for a 2 mile run on the beach. The sand was semi-packed, but I was able to navigate pretty well. I held just over a 10 minute pace, and enjoyed my surroundings. It's difficult to have a bad morning with the sun rising up over the Gulf of Mexico as you run on the shore :-)
When I got to transition, I removed my shoes and socks, put my goggles on, and then my swim cap. As I was wading into the water, I decided that I should put my goggles over my swim cap instead of under, because what if they leaked and I needed to fix them? No, these were not new goggles, but the very same ones I swim in regularly. I am sure that took about 2 minutes, but finally I was swimming towards the big orange triangle that marked 200 yards. I kept calm, let people pass me if needed, and just kept swimming.
I counted the entire swim - mostly to ten, sometimes to five. It worked, because I stayed calm and didn't even have to flip over on my back to calm myself down this time. This is a victory for me, and I was happy. When I made the turn for the final 200 yards, I swam a little off course, but re-routed myself and got out of the water - 13 minutes. Not awful. Still slow, but I was happy because I did not panic, not even a little!!!!
I put my socks and shoes back on my feet, and headed south for the 1 mile run. The tide was rolling in, and there was not a large surface of packed sand, so this part was more challenging, but I still held that 10 minute pace.
My total time was 0:46:16. I am sure I could've ran a little faster, but it was a good day! I am glad that I signed up for the event, and I'd definitely do it again. The race was small and well organized. It was almost as though I was there training with friends and we had a cookout afterwards! So much fun.
My training schedule had a 2 hour bike ride listed, and I needed to get that done. I did not feel comfortable riding on Gulf Boulevard down by St. Pete Beach, so I headed north to Clearwater. Still Gulf Boulevard, but I am familiar with the route and felt more comfortable riding there by myself.
I parked at City Hall, and headed to the Causeway. This was the first Saturday in a long time with sunny skies, no chance of rain, and temperatures in the 80s. Want to take a guess where everyone was spending their day? Yep, the beach. I decided that traffic was a little too congested, so I opted to ride on the sidewalk instead of the road until I made my way to a side street. After that little part, I was on my way. I headed up the Sand Key bridge and out to Redington Beach. I had a good ride - the other cyclists had been out earlier, when it was cooler and less congested with beach goers. Every 15 minutes, I did 3 sets of one legged drills, for a total of six sets during my 2 hour ride.
I felt great when I was finished - I was proud of myself for riding, even though I wanted to stay at the beach with Kate and Matt. I thought about climbing into the fountain at City Hall, but I was tired and hungry and I wanted to go home. It was noon. Lol.
Zeus helped me unload my car and make lunch. I had a fruit smoothie and 2 turkey burgers with avacado - yumm-o! I spent the afternoon cleaning up the kitchen and doing laundry. That night I headed out with some friends. Yep, I actually went out. On a Saturday night. In a sundress.
Sunday morning I was meeting my friend Cathy for a run. Originally we were going to meet at 8:30am, but she asked if we could push it back an hour. OF COURSE! I was so tired and sore - not hurt sore, just muscle fatigue. Chad went to play basketball, and I went back to bed for an hour. It was fabulous, sleeping in until 9am!
Cathy and I met at Safety Harbor Spa, and headed out to Phillippe Park. It is a beautiful place to run - quiet and shaded, with extensive views of the Gulf. We did a run-walk combination, and called it a day at 4 miles. We went to Starbucks for coffee and catch-up chatting. I was super hungry, and really wanted a slice of coffee cake. I thought better of it, and chose a protein box instead. I made a smoothie and eggs when I got home.
Yesterday Chad and I did home-y stuff. We did laundry, dusted, vacuumed, cleaned the bathroom and kitchen . . . .Chad put together a vanity for our bathroom (a bridal shower gift from my brother, sister-in-law and nephew) while I read a few chapters of my new book. We watched the Rays sweep the Orioles, made a pot roast, cleaned up the dishes.
I woke up today sore and in need of a very deep tissue massage. I will work these into my training plan to keep my muscles happy.
I am looking forward to Week #2 of training:
Monday
Scheduled: 1600m swim
Tuesday
Scheduled: 1 hour bike (easy), 3 mile run (easy), lower body strength training (heavy)
Wednesday
Scheduled: 1 hour bike (moderate), 4 mile run (2 easy, 2 hard)
Thursday
Scheduled: 2,000m swim, upper body strength training
Friday
Scheduled: 45 min bike, 5-6 mile run
Saturday
Scheduled: 2 hour bike, 2 mile run
Sunday
Scheduled: 1,000m OWS, 2 hour bike (optional), 4 mile run
I am excited for Saturday - I will be joining my TEAMmates for the bike ride and a short run, and then I am heading to the State Fairgounds for the Color Me Rad 5k!
Not to worry - it's not all training this weekend. Saturday we are choosing the menu for our wedding, tasting wedding cakes, swinging by Jamie's housewarming party and ending the day with family to celebrate my niece's high school graduation. It's all about balance!
And so I tri . . .
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