Selling Donuts to Buy an Endless Pool

Yesterday was my return to the pool following a week off to heal a small meniscal tear in my right knee. When we arrived at the pool, it was clear that chaos had overtaken the swimming pool. There were people EVERYWHERE. This initial observation was quickly confirmed as we walked by and the most helpful of the lifeguards said to us, "tight fit today ladies" and boy, she wasn't kidding! How do you even begin to decide which person has been there the longest? Who will give out first? Who can swim in a straight line? It took a few minutes but eventually we politely moved in to share a lane with a gentleman who had been swimming prior to our arrival once his lane buddy had had enough.

We began swimming, me with the pull buoy in tow, just as my doctor had advised. I noticed swimming with this gentleman (I'll call him "Freddie") that Freddie must not be a regular swimmer. Freddie continuously looked at his watch, which by all accounts and observations, was most likely the same watch he had worn to work with his suit and tie earlier in the day...you know the silver-stretch-banded watch like a Fossil or a faux expensive watch. Freddie frequently checked his time as he swam end-to-end and attempted various strokes lap after lap when the previous stroke seemed to fail for him. I noticed something else about Freddie...every time I would pass him at the dropoff to the deep end, Freddie would plant his feet down and propel himself forward to complete the length of the lane. This began to be somewhat annoying on my return beside him because during my stroke, out of nowhere I would be overtaken by a tsunami next to me as he lunged ahead. At one point, I also realized that Freddie was bringing out the Phelps and racing beside me as I had my pull buoy restraining my ability to kick. This, of course, forced me to reach farther, pull harder and glide longer. Perhaps I need him beside me every day I swim.

My guess, not that it matters in the big scheme of things, is that Freddie signed up for his first race most likely that day or perhaps the previous day. (You know how we always start a new plan on a Monday!) Freddie came to the pool that day determined to see if he could find a way to complete the distance in a reasonable amount of time that the race would require. Once he'd successfully completed this pre-determined distance "by whatever means necessary", Freddie exited the pool and was gone. .

I digress...I tell this story not to diss on Freddie who was swimming in the lane with us but as a reminder to myself of my first race that I signed up for...A friend and I signed up for the Susan G. Komen 5k race in Greenville, SC. Two nights before the race, we went to the local gym's indoor track and ran 80+ laps or so just to be sure that we could complete the race. It's funny how our mind works in the beginning. It's all about finishing...can we do it? Over time, however, you learn the importance of pacing, efficiency, planning, etc. This explains why my title today is "Selling Donuts to Buy an Endless Pool"...is it too much to ask to have a lane sometime that you don't have to share? Perhaps I will tag-team with Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts and target those who aren't interested in swimming whatsoever all for a good cause and would help me get my swimming in without the anxiety of chaos in the pool. :) Wonder how many donuts I'd have to sell to afford an endless pool?

Whose Lane Is It Anyway?

One of the difficulties in training this time of year is finding time to swim in a pool that has a lane available for you. Unless you are fortunate to have one of the Endless Pools or live in a house big enough to have an expensive, heated indoor pool, a challenge we sometimes face is getting a lane.

Having only the necessity for a pool over the last year and a half, I am beginning more and more to understand pool etiquette or the lack thereof. Yesterday, my training partner and I went to our local community center where we always swim (10 lanes). We had already checked the schedule and knew that the water aerobics class would take the first 4 lanes; however, tonight they had the first 5 lanes (that leaves 5 lanes). Then, there is the swim team that usually takes one lane but tonight they have 3 lanes (that leaves 2 lanes)...it's now starting to feel like Gremlins where adding water causes them to multiply only the lanes aren't multiplying, too. So, there are supposed to be 3 lanes for open swim. Now I am no mathematician but that doesn't leave 3 lanes. So, my partner and I decide to swim in the swim team lane from the time we arrive until their start time - that gives us 30 minutes. We'll then move into a lane that opens when the water aerobics class finishes or the 4 swimmers get out of the 2 open swim lanes. It sounds good, right?

Well, it just so happens that the swim team begins their swim practice early AND the water aerobics class is not over. There are 4 swimmers in the 2 open swim lanes....two are swimming and it has now come to my attention that two have stopped swimming and have decided to snuggle and make out across the lane lines/ropes. They look up at us as if it isn't obvious that we've gotten out of the pool two lanes down and are now waiting on a lane to finish our swim workout. These two swimmers (although tonight they don't technically qualify as swimmers by definition) making out are not in the same lane. Fast forward...-the female in the couple gets out and the water walker sharing the lane with her male counterpart gets out. So, we politely ask to share the lane with the remaining female....denied. As we sat on the deck of the pool carrying on a conversation, she continued to give us every reason under the sun why there should be no lane sharing with her. It was an unbelievable, frustrating evening trying to complete Luckily, the water aerobics class ended and we proceeded with our swim workout.

I write about this today to say that I am not crazy about sharing a lane either especially when there are so many factors that can affect a good swim, but over time, I have learned that we all have one common goal - to get our workout done (unless you're there for a pool make-out session). So, just like with biking, I ask, be courteous with those around you and be willing share your lane...it will make the overall experience much more pleasurable and everyone meets their goal. Happy swimming! :)

You Are What You Eat

One of the toughest parts about IM training is determining nutrition before, during and after training. I thought that I would share a few links with you about some of the research that I have found that might help others in training.

http://www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/calories.shtml
http://www.coach-janet.com/triathlon-nutrition.html
http://www.active.com/triathlon/Articles/Nutrition_Overhaul_for_a_Triathlon_Newbie.htm
www.infinitnutrition.us/library/THE%20BEGINNER.doc

This isn't even the tip of the iceberg on the information that is out there but these were good starting points for me in determining what's next and what's for dinner?!?