Does Chlorine Clear The Gunk From Your Lungs?

Good news! I am no longer the newbie on the swim team! Yay! There’s a new guy working out with us who is training for a triathlon (we’ll call him Tri Guy, since I’m so creative). It is nice to not be the new person. I even know 5 or 6 people’s names, which is quite an accomplishment for me. I’m horrible with names.

It was my first day back at workout after being sick – or I should say, while being sick. I dragged myself there knowing that one of two things would happen. Either I’d feel a) better or b) worse. So far I’m going with a. I am exhausted though. I even made it through part of the main set, too! Yay! I was pretty excited. We were supposed to do 4x(3x50, 2x100, 1x150) swimming our mile pace. Which, by the way, still cracks me up. I have one “pace”, as I’ve already explained to you. And it is the same for the mile as it is the 50. Anyway, I humored the poor coach and attempted what one might call a mile pace. And I did it! I completed one full cycle (3x50, 2x100, and 1x150) at the pace I was supposed to do.

Man…. How I have missed that sense of accomplishment – of doing something I didn’t think I could do! I had forgotten what that rush was like. Feeling it again takes me back to some very specific moments in my swimming career (which, interestingly enough, typically happened at workout and not at meets. I was a fabulous workout swimmer who sucked when it counted!). One of these moments was a time that we were doing 3x400m free on an interval that was not much off of my best 400m time. (It’s times like this that I REALLY wish I remember my best times.) Anyway, the interval was maybe 5 seconds off my best time. And I made each one. I didn’t think I could do it, but I did.

Anyway, my accomplishment today was not nearly as great but felt just as good. I have decided to mentally draw a line in the sand between the past, present, and future. What I did before, while not that great by many people’s standards, was great for me. And what I’m doing now – as pathetic as it might feel to me – is the best I can do for today. Who knows what the future holds.

And no, chlorine does not clear the gunk out of your lungs. You just forget about it, temporarily.

Measurement Monday

I’m still under the weather and decided not to go to workout today.  I’ve graduated from sleeping 24/7 to coughing up a lung.  I’m quite pissy, actually, about not going to practice.  I’m sure Bikini Girl could have lost a limb and SHE would go to practice.  Ugh.  I am such a wimp sometimes.

Anyway, since I had nothing more exciting to talk about today I decided to do my measurements a day early to see if I had lost any inches.  Holy cow.  Time for a new obsession!  Who needs a scale?!  Not me.  Which works just fine since mine was taken away.  Don’t tell or they will take away my measuring tape, too.  In one week, I’ve lost:

Waist	1 3/4”
Hips	1”
Chest	1/2”
Arms	1/2”
Thighs	1/2”

Craziness!  This swimming stuff really works wonders, doesn’t it?!  Now, I will confess my true feelings.  One of those areas is the least desirable area for women to lose inches, but I am proudly willing to give that up for the sake of scientific data.  Plus, I’ll be more streamline.              

Weight Loss Wednesday (Well, Sunday)

Since I’m sick and feeling sorry for myself, I thought I’d update my weight loss progress.  I didn’t do it earlier this week because I was banned from the scale after over focusing on it for several weeks.  :o)  I have started to do weekly measurements, also, so I will report back on that one of these days.  Anyway, here is how things are looking as far as weight goes:

There are no numbers on purpose, thank you.  I do have some dignity to spare!  The chart represents a 17.4 lb loss!  Wowza!  I’m pretty proud of myself!  I want to lose 3 more lbs. before October 8th – which is when I leave for Hawaii. 

Out of Commission

The h2ochik is sick. Boooooooooooo.

Why Am I The Last Person To Know How Awesome Zoomers Are?

You people have been keeping a HUGE secret from me!  Come on now, I thought we were friends!  Today I wore Zoomers during practice.  Good lord!  Those babies are a flippin’ miracle!  (I just realized I made a punny!!!  HA!).  I am going to start wearing them during workouts for awhile.  They definitely allow me to go further and for a longer period of time than without them.  And since I’m still in the “get in shape” mode, I think longer and further will help.  Coach agreed.  I seriously felt like my “old” swimming self.  I felt FAST!  Yay!

In other not-related-to-Zoomers swimming news, Bikini Girl is injured and just not up to par.  Too bad she is so incredibly nice because I’m really starting to feel a tremendous amount of guilt for talking smack about her!  Just wait until she discovers my blog!  LOL!  You know it is bound to happen.  How embarrassing!  I live in a small town, and well, the swimming community is a pretty small world.  So I’m issuing my heartfelt apology now, because you know as soon as she sees this she will read it ALL (I would anyway…):

C (Bikini Girl), I really like you a lot.  Not only do I like you as a person, but you also make my stories so much more entertaining!  Thank you for relighting my competitive fire.  Forgive me?  Maybe?  Think about it?  XOXO

Alright.  Maybe the XOXO’s are a tad bit much, but I really do feel bad. 

But here’s the thing.  We are about to start an IM set today at workout and Coach says “It’s too bad <Bikini Girl> is injured, I’d like to see if you could keep up with her during this set.”  Whoa.  Stop right there.  KEEP UP WITH HER??? 

I started the set (it started with a 300m IM.  What’s that you say?  Yeah I did, too.  75m of each stroke.  DUH!  I had a huge red L on my forehead after asking THAT question).  Prior to today, I hadn’t swam more than about 20m of butterfly in 18 years.  I swam 75m of fly after his “keep UP with her” comment.  Heh!  I am SO going to show him.  Keep up with her… sheesh!  (This is all prior to me putting on the Zoomers, by the way).  That comment stuck with me for the rest of the workout.  Thus the Zoomers.  Swim longer, swim further.  It is time to up my game, peeps.  I am not going to workout each day to keep up with people.  I’m going to workout to be faster than them at meets!  

I think I need to go to yoga now to recover from today’s madness.  Ommmmmmmm….. 

How much you wanna bet that he made that comment to me on purpose?

Ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm…

A Week Without Swimming Makes Me... Well, Nutty

My house is FULL of sickies this week! It all started last Saturday morning when The Trooper woke up and promptly puked ~ in the toilet, thank God. The rest of the day was kind of iffy... feeling bad, not feeling bad, feeling bad.... and ultimately ended with The Trooper puking *ALL OVER* our entry way, including a wall (insert image of puke dripping down the wall). Um, yeah. That's what I said. Sunday was better (no puke but a high fever). Monday rolled in and both The Trooper and The Tween were sick so both were home from school. The Tween was well enough (I think he was faking on Monday) to go back Tuesday, and by Wednesday The Husband was coming down with it. Thursday The Husband and The Tween (legitimately sick this time!) were home, with The Trooper back at school. Shheeessh!

I told you all of that to tell you this. A week without swimming makes me, well, nutty! I haven't been able to hit the pool since last Friday. I'll be able to go tomorrow on my lunch hour, since both The Trooper and The Tween should be at school. I'm sure the coach thinks I threw in the towel already or something. Yeah, not so much. I've been itching to get in the pool all week! Hopefully these days of rest for my poor, pathetic muscles have been a good thing. I probably needed it anyway! So here's hoping that **I** don't get sick now!

My New Goggles ROCK!

I bought a pair of goggles last week from the vendor I purchased my suit from (I am still wounded over that, by the way).   I LOVE these goggles!  I’ve never heard of the brand before (The View?  I thought that was an ultra-liberal talk show??).   Anyway, these goggles were worth every penny.  Not that they were spendy, but I just mean they weren’t a waste of money.  They are quite a bit like the ever-popular Swedish goggles, however they have a rubber seal around the plastic so they are actually comfy!  Another bonus is that they have an actual nosepiece, so you don’t have to put the thread through the thing that attaches to the… whatever.  You know what I mean.

What are your favorite goggles?  Do you have a brand/model that you swear by?  Fill a girl in!