End of an era

We are getting close to this all coming to an end. For years now Joe and I have gotten out of bed at 5 am and embarked on some kind of workout. Before the running club and marathons there were gyms and weights, now there is the pool and lap after lap. It was this morning where we discussed this is the end, the 5-6:30am babysitting shift will be a hard one to fill. Yeah, there are always the weekends with the kid in the jogging stroller but that won't be the same. It's hard to think back about all that we have trained for together in the mornings. The gym in Attleboro that neither of us can remember the name of followed by our very first attempts at running in Pawtucket. There was Maureen's Boston Marathon, those were the months that lead to our own marathon endeavors. Training for 5k's 10k's, half and full marathons. The triathlon bug followed after that. Now we find ourselves in the pool reaching for a mile before parenthood begins.

Most of the time just the 2 of us, we've always enjoyed company although are likely known for cancelling at the last minute. We have some strange morning rules, there can't be too much talking. We won't drive further than Providence for a morning workout. It has to start no later than 5:30 and Joe won't allow anything earlier than 5am (although there was that one real early 14 miler). If we can hear the rain from our bed we are out and low wind chills make us cry. It better not be too hot or humid. Regardless of all of this we have been getting out there in one way or another for close to 10 years.

There are those who have seemed to take joy in telling me our workout days are over come Junior's arrival. I want to tell them to shove it, but rather I smile and say we'll see. I have no doubt that it will be different but that said I don't expect the training to end. That said, I will miss these morning workouts, just the 2 of us.

Yards swam today: 1250

A taste of what's to come?

I preface this with I have no idea what we are in for when Lil Macedo arrives, nor do I pass judgement on those who are up at nights with their own little ones. I think last night and this morning was a minor, a very minor, peek into what life will be like. We had a very eventful night leading to little sleep at all. Things kicked off around midnight with Joe falling down the stairs. Why was he up? It's not clear, he tells a story about hearing the cat arguing with a neighbor but I'm not sure I believe him. Regardless we were both up for a while, and that was the end of it. Filled ourselves in on the end of yet another terrible Sox game, the birds begin to chirp around ten minutes of 2. At 3am I had a fit about the hour and turned on a sound machine, that was the last I remember. The alarm buzzes at 5 and I thought I was going to die. This can't be happening. It was the kind of wake up where I had to get in the car as fast as possible. If I even became slightly aware of what I was doing I would have talked myself back into bed and skipped the whole workout. Low and behold, somehow for reasons unknown to either of us, we landed in the pool. It might have been due to having little sleep the night before or the workout being just a tad longer than last week but it was brutal. Every stroke took effort, there was a moment I thought I might be in the pool until lunch time finishing up this workout. 35 minutes later we were in the locker room, bad night and brutal workout behind us. I sit here with coffee brewing and toothpicks in my eyes, and remind myself that this was only a taste of what's in store for us. Yards swam today: 1100

Major Fail

All I have to say is that I hope chlorinated water is good for the baby, because we drank a disgusting amount of it this morning. Today I tried, I really tried to breathe on both sides while swimming. I failed. It felt similar to trying to write with your left hand if you are right handed, just all wrong. Every time I came up on the left for a breath I would get a mouth full of water, sometimes throwing me off to the point that I would have to stop mid lane and catch my bearings. I think at one point the lifeguard questioned why I was in the pool at all, it looked that bad. It was frustrating, even more so when we started the workout and my slow poke of a husband dashed out ahead. I gave up. It was too frustrating and unnatural. After swimming how, I know how I caught up to him and eventually passed him, found a smooth rhythm and enjoyed the swim. This is going to be a problem later on when the workouts get longer but I'll have to accept that punishment then. And who knows maybe it will all be just fine and I'll never need to learn to breathe on the left side. Yards swam today: 900

Day 2 week 1

Day 2 of learning how to swim a mile. Low expectations remain but man does it feel good to be in the pool. For the last several weeks my ribs have been feeling very cramped but swimming makes me feel like I'm about 6 feet tall with plenty of space for Junior to grow. Things started a little tight but quickly loosened up. I need to learn to breathe on both sides, currently I only breathe on my right side every 4th breath. Anytime I go to breathe on the left I get all confused and stop swimming. This is going to be a problem a few weeks from now when I'm swimming for longer intervals. I'll try tomorrow or Sunday. Other than that form felt good, speed was acceptable. I could benefit from from some nicer goggles but my cheapo deapo ones are getting the job done. Also, I have not hoisted myself out of the pool since swimming while pregnant and really hate, more like despise, having to dog paddle over to the ladder.

Yards swam: 900

A swimmer's ramblings

Today started a new adventure, my attempt at training to swim a mile. As spring arrives my need to train for something has reached new heights, and this pregnancy continues to prevent much training, really any training at all. I have whined and complained about not being able to train for any of the spring races, I have critiqued the plans of others, spent wasted hours looking at old plans. My feet continue to hurt preventing any real road running and track is completely not an option currently. In a fit of frustration I accidentally came across the zero to 1650 training plan, how to swim a mile in 6 weeks (tried to post the link but was told it was spam). Today marked day 1. I think the furthest I have swam life time is somewhere between a half and 3/4's of a mile and that would have been last spring. The plan is only 6 weeks and yesterday when Joe and I were looking at the workouts in weeks 5 and 6 "Oh Shit" is the only thing that came to mind. Interestingly enough, last night at yoga seeing 2 women who are 6 weeks further along in pregnancy than me, I had the same thought. Either way the next 6 weeks is going to be full of challenges: like how not to waddle while I continue to rock 5 inch heels at work and how to learn to breathe on both sides while lap swimming. So we'll see how this plays out. I would be very happy to be able to successfully complete this plan in the next 6 weeks and be able to boast about my new distance. If nothing else it will serve as a nice distraction from lists about invitations and announcements. Yards swam today: 900