Monday, Monday...

A quick note about my toughest day (February 9th) so far this month! I went to Novas for my first swim of the day and got in 3,650 yards. I left for LBHS and only got an hour in before we had to leave the pool for thunder. I decided to go to an indoor 24-hour fitness (near Spectrum) and met up with another aqua-robics class. I had to wait 20 minutes to get in. I only lasted 2 hours in that pool. I couldn't stop sneezing and my skin felt as if it was on fire! It also burned off all my arm hair. I only got in 12,800 yards but decided that was enough for the day!

The Sign Says...

The LBHS pool is across the street from a church. Last week when I went to swim the six "Pool Patrons Only" spots were taken up with gigantic SUVs that didn't say "swimmer" to me. This morning I went over to the pool at 9:30am (the pool opens at 10am on Sundays). Partially to get a spot and partially to see who was taking up the swimmer's spots. I was leaning toward a passive-aggressive approach like citations from youparklikeanasshole.com but then I decided to do direct confrontation. Nothing hits a church person like the naughty finger! (that is your index finger waving side to side).

The first car that drove in was obviously church-goers...I looked at them with huge eyes and pointed to the Pool Patron sign and they left the lot. I explained to the passengers in next three vehicles, that the pool was open at 10am, etc, etc...they left and found other parking. More church-goers with large families arrived and pretty much ignored me. I heard one person say "I just don't care". The last confrontation was with a couple that pulled up in their cream colored Escalade. Just a man and a woman (with no kids...obviously not doing their church-relatied duties). I explained to them that they were, in essence "stealing" from others...the woman (dressed in a bizarre designer frock with a weird collar and shoes with 6" contortionist heels) meekly said "thank you" as they trotted off to church and while staying in the Pool Patron spot.
I should have asked them to say a prayer for the swimmers that they were stealing parking spots from...

So as of today I am at 192,900 yards and 109.6 miles (100 miles was my goal last year)

Friday Night - PAAARRRTTTYYYY!!!

Hey Friday Night! Time to party! Let loose! have some fun!

WOO HOO!

Well no...I am at the Laguna Beach Community Pool swimming my third workout of the day. In fact, I am the only swimmer and feel a tiny bit self-conscious.

I don't look up but I can almost feel the glare of the somewhat curmudgeonly guard waiting for me to call it quits. It is raining...no it is pouring. The drops on my back are so fast, huge and cold I wonder if it will turn to hail?



I am in a perfect zone though. I could swim this rate forever...Pulling up and down some pyramids...500, 400, 300, 200, 100, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 500, 400, 300...then an unexpected WHACK!!! on my feet...
"Gotta get out now!" The guard says "I heard rolling thunder twice and I'd hate to see you fried". I hop out of the pool and dash to the showers. I have never-ever heard of anyone in a pool getting electrocuted from lightening. I think tonight it may have been just a lifeguard who really wanted to go home!

Workarounds

I have been told, over and over and over again that when you start out too hard, you're bound to get hurt. I guess that holds true in in more areas than just swimming...
So a couple of days ago I strained my triceps muscle. I thought it was just lactic acid soreness and tried to power through it but that made it worse. I had to reduce my yardage the other day. I changed out some of my workout yesterday for kicking and one-arm pulling.
Julia (a friend on Novaquatics who is a physical therapist) said it did not feel serious. I just need to give it a rest (rats!) I will hold to my schedule of kicking. I will make it to my goal (whatever that is) it may just take a little longer than I had planned!

Transitions and (small) Disappointments

Yesterday was the last day at my old job. I probably should have felt more emotional for such a passage, but 2/3s of the employees have been let go prior to me (and I was chair of the Employee of the Month Committee!). But I was too zoned out from having swam 24,000 yards before that.
A friend had me over for dinner (that sounds funny...eh hem) and then I went to bed early.

This morning I thought I was going to be putting in a BIG day, but my body told me otherwise! I did a double workout with Irvine Novaquatics. My left triceps hurt terribly. I am almost giddy that my shoulders feel strong and intact but the muscle thing was killing me. I did 7200 between the two workouts and went home and iced my arm.
I went to 24 Hour Fitness for the next workout after that but the arm pain wouldn't go away. I did another 9100 and decided to call it quits for the day. I am icing and heating the arm now...I expect it to be fine tomorrow (positive energy!)
:)

Obstacles

This morning, I did a double workout with Irvine Novas and got in a 6,600 yards between the two workouts. I had to go into work after that to clear a few more things out of my cubicle/my home-away-from-home and tried not to get too teary-eyed.

After that I was trying to figure out where to get the next workout in...Novas, LBHS or 24-Hour Fitness. I opted for the 24-Hour, because I thought I would get the longer time-chunk to swim. Unfortunately I was met by a pool of bobbing apple-doll people, taking up all 2.5 lanes of the outdoor 25-yard pool.

"Join us!" they said. No thank you., not unless I could reasonably convert the vertical thrust to a horizontal yardage? I had to wait a half an hour for the ladies to exit the pool and the lane lines to be reset.

When I finally did get to swim (1 wicked 18,200 set plus an easy 200) I had an odd series of lanemates: big Splashy guys (BSGs), Lane runners and bobbers, 2-length sprinters (then off to the jacuzzi). It was mostly entertaining, but a little distracting. I think next time I will just hit the Nova pool...

Superbowl Sunday

I had my base workout planned from Channel Swimmer's group - I have a feeling I will be using this alot!
Marcy's wicked Workout x 2!
1 x 600 (9:00) 600
2 x 550 (8:15) 1100/1700
3 x 500 (7:30) 1500/3200
4 x 450 (6:45) 1800/5000
5 x 400 (6:00) 2000/7000
6 x 350 (5:15) 2100/9100
7 x 300 (4:30) 2100/11200
8 x 250 (3:45) 2000/13200
9 x 200 (3:00) 1800/15000
10 x 150 (2:20) 1500/16500
11 x 100 (1:35) 1100/17600
12 x 50 (:50) OVER... YIPPEE 600/18200

I got up early and swam at 24 Hour Fitness (Ocean Ranch with an Outdoor Pool). I was the only one there so I used my MP3 player (Smashing Pumpkins, Hole, Radiohead, a friend's music, etc). It was cool watching the sky change and as the sun warmed the sage on the hillside there was an incredible fragrance! I swam from 5:45 to 8:45 and did 11,200 yards (end of round 7).
Dashed home to grab some Tylenol and made it to Laguna Beach Community Pool at 10:15. I was disappointed to find the spots labeled "Pool Patron Only" filled by cars from the adjacent (unnamed sect) church so had to find parking and hike to the pool. I swam from 10:30-3:00pm and did 16,100!
I drove to Trader Joe's to get some food and went home. I thought I was going to nap, but that didn't happen. I drove back to 24 Hour Fitness and finished 9,700 yards in 3 hours. I finished the second round of Marcy's set and then 300, 200, 100 to round it off to 37,000 or 21 miles.
10.5 hours and 37,000 yards!
I am icing my shoulders now and trying to eat. I wonder who won Superbowl?

I hope I don't hate myself in the morning!