Just breathe

Had my latest swim lesson and I am starting to see in the future that I might actually be a swimmer.  Although Coach Lyndsi also tried to kill me as well.  Right after we said hello she tells me to swim 200 meters.  And that was a killer for me but I did it.  After that we went between swimming with the snorkel and swimming without it.  I am starting to learn and have the base to learn from when I practice on my own after tonight's lesson.  Tonight we started the process of me getting myself able to breathe without the snorkel.  I am still thinking way to much about it.  It involves a lot for a person who is still less than 2 months into his swimming career.  When to turn your head, what direction to turn your head and what angle do you turn your head.  It is like my head is going to explode.  I get it then I lose it.  I think I am improving then I am drinking pool water.  Coach Lyndsi is so good as a coach.  She had me swim a couple of strokes, breathe, stop and then repeat.  We did that for a little while then we extended it to a couple of strokes to couple of strokes, breathe, couple of more stokes, breathe again and then stop.  We did that in a hour.  I am going to be practicing this all coming week. My goal is to have my decision of whether I am going to use the snorkel or not on the day of the race.  My real goal is to really swim the race whether I am ready or not without the snorkel.  I want this so badly.  It is something I am aiming for and it would be nice that my first race is also my first long swim without the snorkel.

Tuesday I also did my first spin class and it will not be my last one either.  I found it very difficult yet pleasing as well.  I know my legs need one hour of hell at least twice a week through a spin class.  This will only benefit me in the long run.  It and my bike training will help me reach my goal of increasing my speed and distance on the bike.  Plus I would love to see myself finding my distance increase in such a way that come the next Hotter'N Hell Hundred I will be able to do it with my boss. Which is in Wichita Falls which my grand-dad would always say it is the hell hole of all creation or something like that.  So where else is the perfect place for the Hotter'N Hell Hundred.  That is in August I believe.  I have gotten myself up to one 26 mile ride and a bunch of 16 or so mile rides.  So all I need to do is just increase my endurance and distance by say 7 to 10 miles a week and come August I would be ready to take it on.  I am not saying I am going but I am saying that I would like to see myself be able to ride that far if that chance ever did come up.  But I still have no interest in traveling to Wichita Falls though.  Talk about a boring ride there is nothing between Fort Worth and Wichita Falls.  And you do not get to Wichita Falls by accident I tell you that.

My running is going but I will admit it has kind of been put on the back burner this past week.  While resting after the Cowtown I kind of let it slide while trying to improve my other two activities.  Main reason why is because my first two tri-events only requires me to run a 5k.  Heck I can do a 5k while getting out of bed without any warmup.  So that reason is allowing me to let this slide.  I am still going to keep my long runs over the weekends but I might lower my mid week runs to just a couple a week instead of 3 or 4 times during the work week.  Still running at least 6 miles per run so I should still be good there in the end.

This weekend the weather is supposed to be awesome and I cannot wait to have my 4 or more hour workouts both on Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday I am now debating between going to White Rock and riding with the DFW Tri Club there and end with a long run or go to Plano and ride with the DFW Tri Club there as they are doing hill repeats and do my long run there.  I would doubt if I did hill repeats that my long run will be easy that is for sure.  But it might help build my strength even more and possibility even faster as well.

That is it.  Countdown to St. Pats Tri Sprint is heading into less than 7 days.  Come Sunday it will be right at a week till race time.  I am reading articles, training as hard as ever, asking questions to my tri friends and preparing myself for the excitement of that coming day.