Humpback Whales at the River Plex

Today has truly been MY kind of day. After dropping the kiddos off at school, I came home to do a little cleaning (very little), a load of laundry, and started my vegetable soup. Finally about 9:30, I was ready to head to the River Plex.

I got to the lap pool and horror of horror saw someone from Tremont there. I thought to myself, "Oh man! Now he is going to 1) see me in a bathing suit and 2) see my drown as I pretend to know how to swim."

Eh! Oh well. He saw my in my tri outfit last year. How much worse can this be?

I don't know what the staff is doing at the River Plex, but by golly, the water sure is cold when I get in. I don't remember it being this cold last year. Wow! It usually takes me a minute or two to get brave enough to submerge my entire body. Finally, my body was acclimated and my cap & goggles were ready and I was off!

I pushed off the wall and I heard a creepy voice in my head telling me I was cheating. What??? Where did that come from??? Oh thanks Fatty! The Fat Cyclist wrote an article recently about training for a triathlon and how pushing off the wall after each pool length. Yes, Fatty, I know, there aren't walls in the lake at Canton. Damn. No more pushing off for me. I'm ruined.

I started out with 2-50s for a warm-up. Nice and easy. Just get the blood pumping. I've read about some swimming workouts where the warm up is 500 yards. YAH! Right. That's about my goal for the day!

After my warm-up, I started focusing on technique. Dragging my fingertips through the water for 50. Pulling only (no kicking) for 50. Focus on keeping my elbow up high for 50. After a few 50s, I was feeling kind of lame because the Tremont boy was 2 lanes over and hadn't stopped yet.

"Guess I'd better show him with my endurance and do a whole 100!" And to kick it up a notch, I threw in flip turns! This is when I discovered the humpback whales at the River Plex. My first flip turn was a FLOP turn. I took off too far from the wall and didn't get a good push off. (Sorry, Fatty, it was all in the name of technique!) On my second turn, I waited a stroke later to start my turn and WHOALA! I flipped, turned and was off again in no time...and that's when I felt it.

The humpback.....my buoyancy had suddenly changed. I had a humpback. When I did my flip turn, I apparently pulled my butt up out of the water and now had an air bubble wedged in my.....well, it was wedged. I had one air bubble in my ear and another keeping my lower body afloat. Boy, was I embarrassed when I finished my 100 and there was Mt. St. Helen's erupting around me.

"No, honestly, Mr. Tremont boy. I did not just relieve myself through my lower blow hole."

I think that's when I scared him because he exited the pool a little while later. I did another 100. A few more 50s and then a whole 200!...and then a couple more 50s. All in all I did 1000 yards today. NOT CONTINUOUS, no, thank you very much, but I am still working on my technique. Come March 1st....I'm going for endurance. Although I must say, swimming is kind of boring. I've always been the independent fitness guru but staring at the trash at the bottom of the pool can get quite boring. I need something to distract me and I'm thinking I need to get an Interval Waterproof Headphone System. Dang, I wish Fatty would give one to me.

I finished my workout and stopped at Wal-Mart on the way home. Yes, I went to the grocery store starving. I'm sorry, but it needed to be done. I didn't buy a bunch of junk though. I'm pretty pleased about that. On the way home I was listening to the Meal Makeover Moms and discovered a recipe for Banana Brownie Waffles which I just HAVE to try out on my kids. My girls eat processed white bread gross waffles most days for breakfast. I'd love to make these. 1) They are healthier. 2) They are chocolate. They won't even have to KNOW that they are healthy....but of course, my kids know I don't normally cook anything UNLESS it's good for you.

BUT now it's time to be off for work and coaching volleyball.