Swimming In The Rain...

Today was kind of hectic and we didn't get out for our swim 'till about 8:30pm. Lucky for us, the pool is empty in the evenings. Unlucky for us, that cold front had blown in and getting ready to swim in the outdoor pool was harder than normal. You wouldn't BELIEVE how much my blood has thinned since my move to Florida a few years ago. Anyway, the pool we are fortunate enough to have access to is heated, so we knew we'd manage.

And of course, we did. A little bit of a warm up, a stretch (mostly underwater because of that frigid air!) and then a 25 minute swim as cold rain began to drop on us. It had been a little while since I last swam and I missed it. That doesn't mean my stroke was fluid and lovely, it just means I missed it. Still I got into a groove enough to just count the laps and let my mind wander and wander. It's best to let the mind wander instead of thinking of the lead arms you are using to swim, trust me. Anyway, the whole thing was pretty freeing, really. I still haven't had that feeling yet biking or running, likely because swimming is second nature to me in some ways and biking and running are more like speaking a foreign language that I am far from mastering but desperately hoping to do so. All was well, save for some slight foot cramps from me and more major ones for Kate which left her hobbling around in pain in the freezing night air. We managed to get ourselves from the pool to the hot tub (the most important part of the workout, of course. All for the stretching benefits, mind you!) and discovered that it was closed for repairs. :( So instead Kate hobbled back to the car with me and it was home for a super hot super long shower, again. The best.

So while I was doing that whole lap-swimming mind-wandering thing, I thought of this blog and some things to say in it. (You mean, I HAVE been wordy enough already?! Too bad! Ha ha!) Although I have been training since September, this blog is still in its infancy and has missed out on some of the old stories that would be worth mentioning now. And I think now is the right time to mention a few of the funnier swimming memories we've had so far...

* One day, swimming in a different pool that overlooked the ocean, we saw an odd sight. It was after our warm-up and mid-stretch when we saw flames rising up into the sky. I swore it was an alien spaceship, Kate wasn't sure what to make of it. It glowed brightly in the dark night and appeared to be heading towards us for a spell which caused us to mildly panic. Well, not really, I mean we are super tough triathlon chicks, you know. Anyway, in time it drifted up into the sky and finally disappeared. We decided it was some kind of fluke object in space and figured we could name it after ourselves since we'd discovered it. Kate and I were not aware of any shuttle launches scheduled for that day, but turns out it wasn't any alien spaceship but instead a shuttle launch. Darn. There goes our fame!

* A couple of months ago we decided to jaunt out to good ole' Moss Park, the site of the race, to check out the course. We figured we'd swim, or run, or bike, whatever. Most importantly, we'd survey the scene. Of course that morning I was suffering from "the knee" pain, so running was out and probably biking too, so that left the swim. As we headed towards cool, clean, Lake Mary Jane, reality struck. No one was around really, the water was coldish, and here it was, THE PLACE WE WOULD BE SWIMMING!!! Would there be alligators, we wondered? After much hemming and hawing in ankle-deep water, we finally gave it a go to swim to one close by buoy. We weren't sure how deep it would be, and found it was about waist deep there which was laughable. We set a goal to swim for 20 minutes, I think, but only ended up swimming the small distance from one buoy to the next before stopping for a breather. Adrenaline rush and nerves made it hard to swim. That paired with the water which was was "tea colored" (which apparently means it's really clean) made it impossible to see anything. I swam mostly with closed eyes, and no, I'm not joking. Also, once when I stopped a fish bit at my leg which was nervy. We exited the water with maybe the shortest swim of our lives, but heck, at least we got OUT THERE and did it. 'Till next time...

I guess that's enough storytelling for now. There is MUCH to do on this front to prep for school. I was planning on that bike ride in the morning but there is just no time to fit that in with everything else on my plate. Don't go giving up on me now, though. Just know this: I'm human just like you! ;)

Cheers,
K

P.S. Please note if you are new to my blogs, there is an archive to the far right so you can be sure you read ALL of the enthralling blogs I've posted already. :)

Tri Fun Fact #101:
Swimming in an outdoor pool where random debris pokes at you while swimming is normal and all good. Swimming in an ocean, lake, etc. where random debris pokes you is very nerve wracking!