I got back in the pool this morning for 2500m after a three-day layoff. That's my longest break this year, but I think I needed it to fend off a cold. I was generally fatigued and full of malaise, and still have a scratchy throat that I don't like, but I don't think I'm going to get a full-blown illness at least.
I did a few tests for my upcoming Olympic-distance triathlon:
500m, cold start: I sometimes have problems getting comfortable in my stroke and getting my breathing down to a regular pattern when I first start swimming. To test my ability to "just swim", I hopped in the pool and did 500m right off the bat without any warmup. It went well - I got comfortable quickly and finished it in 14:39. Of course, swimming in 85*F water is a much different experience than swimming in 65*F water as I will be in my triathlon. I'm just hoping I don't have a full-blown hyperventilation episode in response to the cold water like I did last year.
200m time trial: This also went pretty well! 5:02, at a reasonably comfortable pace, not a full-out sprinting pace. Woot! That's a full twenty percent faster than I was swimming the same distance last November! Yay! That's wonderful news!
Sighting: I'm accustomed to swimming head-down, using the lane lines at the bottom of the pool for visual references. All that's gone in the murky open water I'll be swimming in during my upcoming events. I still do a big neck-twisting contortion thing to get my head up high enough to sight ahead of me while swimming, and I suspect that I'll be emerging from the water with a sore neck (which will hurt me in the aerobars on the bike leg). More practice definitely needed.
On to Columbia! We're down to ten days out! And yes, I've already started looking at the long-range weather forecasts, and they're mostly saying rain for the next two weeks.
10 comments:
Nancy, I've been reading your blog for awhile but haven't commented before... but just wanted to say I love your blog!
Your link to last year's hyperventilating swim prompted me to comment -- that same time last year was also my first open water swim, first triathlon, and first experience hyperventilating :) Your experience sounds identical to mine! "Just keep swimming..." was the mantra (a la "Dory" from "Finding Nemo") and it worked, though very sloooowww.
Fun to look back a whole year and see how much progress you (and me both) have made!
Thanks for sharing your experiences with all of us. You are an inspiration! Keep it up--
Anne
I'm excited for your first Tri of the season! Sounds like your swimming has really improved over the last few months. That should give you a boost of confidence!
I'm not real good at sighting either. At White Lake, I picked out this man that looked like he was sighting well and followed his feet. Is that considered cheating? :)
Thank you so much for stopping by and commenting, Anne! Yeah, I think the hyperventilation is tough to get past, because it's just a panic response by your body that you can't control consciously. I'm planning on a very long warmup this year!!
And no, Mojo, there's very little you can do in the swim to cheat. Fortunately. :-)
The first 500 yards are always SO damn Hard...so congrats on pushing yourself for time after jumping in. (It takes me 500 to "warm up" anymore!)
And as far as Temps go, if you start to "think" cold, then you will "be" cold...so try not to let the thought to even enter your mind, and certainly DON'T say it out loud! :-)
Oh yeah...drafting someone in a swim is certainly REAL! It's kinda like sucking wheel in cycling-but they don't call a penalty on it, that's all! :-)
And just make sure the feel your are following are attached to a head that knows where in heck he/she is going!
FEET- not "feel"...altho I guess you could tickle them if close enough!
I just had my first lake swim. It was stunning. Hopefully, now that I've lost my "open water swim" cherry, it will be easier from now on.
Nancy -
I'm definately thinking that you are going to have some PRs in your swim leg this year for Columbia and Eagleman! I wont be in town for Columbia but Eagleman is looking like a possibility .... Besides I have to "scope out the course" as a race possibiltiy for next year (2007) ....
I like Anne mantra ... Just Keep Swimming ....
Nancy, it sounds like your ready! I keep up with your progress and use your enthusiasism to fuel my own!
I am stepping out this month and doing my first Tri. Actually, it is a beginners tri with very short distances. The bike and run will not be a problem but I am not a swimmer . . . I just hope I don't sink or drown. That would be too embarrassing!
Best wishes for you. Olympic distance is something that I wouldn't dare think of . . . you're spectacular!
Jim
You are so right about the sodium stuff in your previous post. That was the one thing that went wrong in my Ironman. I didn't realize how much the heat would affect me. Anyway, glad to see you are on top of it. I will be next time, that's for sure.
Benny
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