Did I Mention I'm Doing a Triathlon?

So yesterday morning I registered for a sprint triathlon. That sent me on a serious search for a pool. First and foremost I wanted to make sure I still know how to swim. Secondly, I wanted to know if I can swim 400 meters, however far that is.

I rode my bike to the gym first and did my cardio routine, including c25k Week 6 Day 1, weight training and core. I rode home and picked up the car to ride to the local city pool. Closed. Doesn't open until May 24th. Darn.

After several hours and many phone calls with no success (who knew this was so hard?) I decided to drive to a local school where I know they have a pool. A teacher, Jean, was teaching a class. I asked someone and learned the class gets out in 45 minutes. I decide to wait. Turns out that was a good idea.

Jean was a dream. I explained my swim/pool dilemma and she agreed to let me sit-in (well, swim-in since it's a swimming class) on her class for the rest of the semester, which is three weeks. I jumped on that! Thank you Jean! What a stroke of luck. I hurriedly changed and put on a swim cap (with the help of a 12 year old girl in the locker room - so cute!) for the first time in my life.

I came back to the pool with my nose clip in hand and Jean remarks, "You can't be a serious triathlete with a nose clip." God bless her she doesn't mince words. Well, since I'm not yet shooting to be a serious triathlete I keep my noseclip. She has me swim a lap and critiques me, "too fast, slow waaay down". She was right, I would have died at that crazy arms-flailing legs-flying disorganized mess of a swim pace. She proceeded to give me things to work on for the 45 minutes I swam.

After a while she suggested I call it a night so I'm not sore tomorrow (which is now today - not sore) after my first time in the pool. Man! Swimming felt great. I have a lot to learn though and Jean said she'll do what she can with me in the next three weeks. And she's gorgeous, in her 50's I'd guess, with beautiful gray hair and perfect blue eyes. But she's tough. I heard her yelling at some kids during the class and I was scared for them. Let me tell you I did what she told me in the pool. She suggested I consider taking her fall swim class if I want to get "serious" about swimming. I think I'll have to do that. So I head back to the locker room feeling triumphant and lucky. Of course I have a camera so...


I was so tempted to crop out my chubby arms in this picture but then I figured, what the heck, they're my arms and they are taking me places so they deserve to be in the picture too.

I learned a lot but two things are: 1) I still know how to swim and 2) I can swim 400 meters. Now, can I then go on to cycle 11 miles and jog 3 miles? That remains to be seen. Ack! What have I done?!

So all day today at work I couldn't shut up about the tri.

Hey Michelle, how's it going?
I registered for a triathlon!
Really, when?
Blah, blah, June 21st, blah blah, swim, blah blah, cycle...

You get the idea. I must have done this to at least 5 unsuspecting souls. Some seemed to be humoring me but others, mostly people who cycle, swim or jog, really got into it with me. Yay! I vacillated between this excitement and fear all day. Sometimes when the tri would enter my mind after I'd forgotten about it I'd get a little boost of adrenaline.

So today was a day off from the gym. Now that I'm doing this tri thing (did I tell you I'm doing a triathlon?) I might have to write out a schedule for myself so I can squeeze it all in.

Irene - Yes, I signed Miguel up too. He's excited! Kristy - 26%? That sounds like a big chunk fell off me iceberg style. I wish I could draw, that'd be funny. Thanks for all the supportive comments after my last post. I'm glad you all believe in me, since my mother never did. Oh wait, this isn't therapy.