The great thing about being a triathlete in the base (read: less structured) training phase is that if, say, I find myself on the couch at 6 pm watching last night's DVR'd Modern Family, and it is now dark outside and I haven't gotten in the bike or run I had planned on, well, I just go to the gym and do a swim workout. Now, I am not recommending this style of training every day, but it is nice to know I can choose from a variety of workouts and still consider it legitimate training.
That being said, I am ashamed to admit that I have not been on my bike since the Tour de Palm Springs, 12 days ago. (Don't tell my Dad! It's not that he would be disappointed; just genuinely perplexed that someone with a bike would not jump at any opportunity to ride it!) Sure, I ran a marathon in the interim, but I am not kidding myself that that is any excuse for neglecting 1/3 (my weakest 1/3) of the events I am training for. In fact, until about 30 minutes ago, I had not yet even pumped up my tires from the Tour, having rolled across the finish line with 2 half-flat tires. Tomorrow I get back in the saddle! (I feel like I have had occasion to use that phrase a lot since my training started...)
Tonight's swim was one of my favorite workouts. It was a series of 100 yard swims consisting of 25 yards easy/25 yds building/25 yds easy/25yds fast. What I love about it is that it is strictly based on feel, on being tuned in to what your body is comfortable with and capable of. The distinction between what is "easy" and what is "building" is determined by how I feel while I am swimming. This type of training (often referred to as RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion) is based on how hard you are working in relation to how hard you could be working, and only you can judge that. Therefore it encourages you to be very aware of your body and it's capabilities. It also depends on you to be honest about how hard you are pushing yourself, because if you slack, you are only cheating yourself. I feel like it is the exercise equivalent of asking a psychiatrist, "What do you think this means?" and the psychiatrist replying, "What do you think it means?"
In addition to working on my swimming speed in the pool tonight, I also got to work on one of my character flaws: being too judgmental. While I was doing my 100 yard sets I noticed a guy standing on the pool stairs. There was an open lane, but he was just standing there. I did a full set, and he was still just standing on the stairs. Then he got in the water but he just stood at the end of the lane. I did another full set and he was still just standing there. It was creepy. Like, why is he just standing there? Is he a creepy pervert who just stands there and watches girls swim? Another set later he had moved about 5 feet. Finally I chastised myself for being so judgmental. After all, I am a slow swimmer who crashes bikes on test rides in parking lots and gets stuck in my pedals! Who am I to judge?! For all I know he has a debilitating fear of water and he has come to the pool to face his fear and though it takes everything he has not to jump out of the water, he slowly makes his way into the pool and inches his way down the lane. He is the bravest person I have ever seen! Finally, he starts swimming. He swims one lap. The he gets out. I am so proud of both of us! Him, for facing the imaginary fear I have bestowed upon him, and me, for trying really hard not to be such a judgmental b*!#ch.
It turned out to be an extremely successful workout in many ways!
That being said, I am ashamed to admit that I have not been on my bike since the Tour de Palm Springs, 12 days ago. (Don't tell my Dad! It's not that he would be disappointed; just genuinely perplexed that someone with a bike would not jump at any opportunity to ride it!) Sure, I ran a marathon in the interim, but I am not kidding myself that that is any excuse for neglecting 1/3 (my weakest 1/3) of the events I am training for. In fact, until about 30 minutes ago, I had not yet even pumped up my tires from the Tour, having rolled across the finish line with 2 half-flat tires. Tomorrow I get back in the saddle! (I feel like I have had occasion to use that phrase a lot since my training started...)
Tonight's swim was one of my favorite workouts. It was a series of 100 yard swims consisting of 25 yards easy/25 yds building/25 yds easy/25yds fast. What I love about it is that it is strictly based on feel, on being tuned in to what your body is comfortable with and capable of. The distinction between what is "easy" and what is "building" is determined by how I feel while I am swimming. This type of training (often referred to as RPE or Rate of Perceived Exertion) is based on how hard you are working in relation to how hard you could be working, and only you can judge that. Therefore it encourages you to be very aware of your body and it's capabilities. It also depends on you to be honest about how hard you are pushing yourself, because if you slack, you are only cheating yourself. I feel like it is the exercise equivalent of asking a psychiatrist, "What do you think this means?" and the psychiatrist replying, "What do you think it means?"
In addition to working on my swimming speed in the pool tonight, I also got to work on one of my character flaws: being too judgmental. While I was doing my 100 yard sets I noticed a guy standing on the pool stairs. There was an open lane, but he was just standing there. I did a full set, and he was still just standing on the stairs. Then he got in the water but he just stood at the end of the lane. I did another full set and he was still just standing there. It was creepy. Like, why is he just standing there? Is he a creepy pervert who just stands there and watches girls swim? Another set later he had moved about 5 feet. Finally I chastised myself for being so judgmental. After all, I am a slow swimmer who crashes bikes on test rides in parking lots and gets stuck in my pedals! Who am I to judge?! For all I know he has a debilitating fear of water and he has come to the pool to face his fear and though it takes everything he has not to jump out of the water, he slowly makes his way into the pool and inches his way down the lane. He is the bravest person I have ever seen! Finally, he starts swimming. He swims one lap. The he gets out. I am so proud of both of us! Him, for facing the imaginary fear I have bestowed upon him, and me, for trying really hard not to be such a judgmental b*!#ch.
It turned out to be an extremely successful workout in many ways!
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