Thursday, July 02, 2009

Swimming. The Clean and the Dirty.

I'm getting ready for the Redman Iron Distance in September.

If I stick with Baboo and do about half of what he does, I can usually finish an Iron Distance. I wonder what would happen if I did MORE than half of what he does? Hmmm...

I rarely write much about my training, so here goes: Tuesday and Thursday we swim in the morning, and then run after work. Since we commute to the same place every day now, sticking with him for training is easier.

This morning we hit the outdoor pool at the gym (this is a Tuesday/Thursday thing now). If we get there at 5:30 we can swim for an hour in the clean, pristine heated outdoor pool, tucked as it is into the side of a small mountain, at an altitude of 6000 feet.
This morning, I swam 2500 in ascending pyramids with one 500 at the top, alternating freestyle and freestyle w/paddles. I finished off the last 100 with 50 breast stroke, 50 back stroke. My arms, they are tired right now. You know that feeling when you've worked your arms so that it's hard to lift them to put on your makeup? Okay, well, maybe you don't. But I do.

I'm using that little beep beep that I wrote about and it keeps me focused. Since I've gotten back into swimming my swim pace is finally starting to speed up again. Good thing, because I'm doing The Bottomless Lakes Sprint triathlon this weekend.

I'm on a careful diet, which I call "I'm menupausal and my thyroid's tanking". I use Livestrong's The Daily Plate to track calories and exercise. I keep my calories at about 1200 to cover my nearly sedentary BMR, but of course I add extra in for any workouts I do - usually in the form of extra lean protein. It's a maddenly strict diet designed to get me back into iron shape and perhaps burn off some of this wiggly, non-working tissue. It worked last year. Let's see if it works this year.

Mini Baboo has written us twice now from Navy boot camp. He's actually enjoying boot camp, and why not? I've mentioned more than once that he did his first marathon and an Oly prior to his 17th birthday. He joined the swim team for a season and cross country for 3 seasons just to improve his triathlon performance, and while he wasn't an elite class triathlete, he's probably in pretty good shape for the rigors of boot camp.

So anyway, in his second letter, he let me know that he now knew how to, "properly care for, fold, and store my clothing. I never knew about that before" I was all, GAAA! LIKE HELL you didn't now that!! I only spent...let's see, oh, EIGHTEEN YEARS trying to teach you how to, "properly care for, fold, and store" your clothing!! AAAAGGGHHH!
Okay, mom. Calm down. Breathe...you believe in redemption, right? Be happy he knows it, however he knows it...
I can always take the credit down the road.

So he graduates August 7th, in Chicago. We were planning to go to APA that week, where I get to go to all manner of fascinating workshops (the best one, hands down, that I ever went to was on HOARDERS.) but I've never seen a boot camp graduation, and I do like Chicago. It has one of my favorite restaurants in the whole world: The Chicago Diner. I'm hoping to hit that, hippie that I am.

I wonder if you can do an open water swim there. Look at this picture. I mean, it looks blue. I wonder if it's safe? Oh, hell. I've swam in the Ohio River. How bad can it be?

Speaking of highly suspect water swims, we're looking at this for next year: The Rev3 Iron Distance Triathlon.

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9 comments:

  1. Yes, you can definitely do an open water swim in Chicago. I've done the Accenture Chicago Triathlon (Olympic Distance), and we did some short swims in a bay/marina close to Soldier's Field. The water is amazingly clear and clean. Go for it!

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  2. Doing a OWS with my Tri group this afternoon in the lake. Check out Ohio Street Beach - It's all marked out for a 1/2 and 1 mile swim with markers, The lake isn't lovely to swim in but I've seen worse.

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  3. http://openwaterchicago.com/

    I've been reading you for a while, but I don't remember if I've commented before. I found you via 21stcmom...

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  4. Since everyone else knows about open water, I will tell you about vegetarian restaurants. If you get up to the Rogers Park neighborhood (far north side) try Lakeside Cafe. Also try Karyn's Cooked near downtown, if that is where you're staying. Have fun!

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  5. Cedar Point totally rocks. Swimming in Lake Erie is probably better than the Ohio River. Being a native I've been both places, I'd rather be in the lake.

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  6. Yes you can definitely do an OW swim in Chicago as long as the beaches aren't closed due to sh.. -- er I mean e-coli. :)

    Second the Ohio Street beach recommendation in downtown Chicago -- it has markers and is a hotbed of triathletes and swimmers. You'll be pleasantly surprised.

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  7. I didn't know you were doing Redman. So are you doing B2B? I can't keep track. The only thing I know is that you are NOT doing IM Lou

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  8. That is beyond funny.

    Moms... can't even teach you how to properly "properly care for, fold, and store" clothing. Jeez. So unprepared for life!

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  9. I am fascinated by the compulsive hoarder thing. Did you go to a workshop in chicago?
    Hey mini Baboo LOVES boot camp? That is awesome! (the side effects sound nice-learning to properly care for, fold, etc)..

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