Hitting the open water...

As many of you know I swim quite a bit as part of my new lifestyle. Of the three disciplines in triathlon it is definitely the one I work the most at. I am part of a masters class that swims three mornings a week at 5am. We have about 5 or 6 of us that regularly show up, and we have a coach that puts us through a workout. The workout is done at an indoor pool which definitely has it advantages, but also its disadvantages.

It is nice because it is a controlled environment, so you can always get your workout in regardless of the weather conditions. You are the only one at the pool at the time so you don't have to worry about crossing paths with other people. And it is much easier to keep track of exactly the distances you swam. On the other hand though, swimming back and forth for 50 meters at a time can become very repetitive and boring. With nothing to look at but the line on the bottom of the pool it definitely takes more concentration to stay focused and not let your mind wander. In fact I haven't concentrated so hard on a following a straight line since the last time I got pulled over driving home from the bar, but I digress....

Well my pool that I go to had originally been scheduled to be closed down for two weeks for yearly maintenance. That wasn't going to be a huge deal because I was going to be out of town part of the time, and I still had my weekend group training sessions out at the lake. Well we are about to go into 4 weeks of it being closed and we still don't have a date when class is going to start back up again. While most people would bitch and moan, I have taken it as a chance to work more on my open water swimming.

Although most of the same form and mechanics are the same, open water swimming vs pool swimming is a completely different animal. You have to worry about sighting to make sure you go in a straight line. The more you zig zag, you are just adding more length onto your distance. You also have to worry about the conditions. Is it cloudy? Is it sunny? Are you swimming straight into the sun? Is it windy? All things which can effect how you handle the swim.

But at the same time open water swimming can be some of the most peaceful swimming you can have. I have been getting out to the lake before sunrise so I can hit the water the minute it gets light enough. Most days I am the only person out there that early, and there is nothing more serene then looking out along the glass like lake as you walk into the water.

Soon enough my pool will be open again, and it will be back to the hamster style workouts of swimming laps. Don't get me wrong those are great workouts, and I wouldn't be where I am today without them, but in the meantime I am definitely going to take advantage of the early morning lake swims as long as I can. Cause on some mornings there is nothing better than hitting the open water....

Back in the saddle again....

So to say my training routine had a wrench thrown into it would be an understatement. After the bike crash it took me a few days before I could run semi-comfortably. My pool that I train at is closed for two weeks for yearly maintenance. Then add in a almost week long trip back home to Nebraska where mass quantities of alcohol were consumed, and its safe to say I had been itching to get back into my normal routine.

There routine isnt quite there yet since the pool is still closed hindering my swim workouts, but I was able to focus on some running lately, and yesterday I was able to finally get back out on the bike for the first time since taking a spill.

I got out early enough before the heat started to set in, and it was actually a gorgeous morning for it. Lately I have been doing a lot of hill work when I go out on the bike, and considering the was my first time in a couple weeks back in the saddle I wanted to ease into it a little bit. I ended up taking a little flatter route, and I could definitely tell the hill training has been paying off. I wasnt pushing myself too hard but still cruising at a pretty good clip. I even came up on another group ride and ended up passing them about half way through my ride. Rocked 25 miles in just under 1 hour and 25 minutes, so I was pretty pleased.

One of the best parts about this weekend though was out at the lake this morning. I went out to get a swim in, and as I was getting ready to get in the water another guy showed up. We started chatting about swimming, and racing and such, and come to find out not only has he completed multiple Ironman races including Ironman Texas, his lottery number was picked for the Ironman World Championship in Kona in October and he is gearing up for that.

It was amazing being able to pick his brain about Ironman racing, and what it takes to complete the races and the training involved. Not only had he done Ironman Texas, but he did it two weeks after completing Ironman St George. When he does Kona in October it will be 6 Ironman races total, with 3 of them being this year alone. Needless to say I couldnt stop asking questions trying to soak up as much information as I could. I was like a sponge. But it was amazing.

Talking with him really gets me even more pumped for Ironman Texas. In a way it makes me wish I was signed up for the 2012 race. I have the itch to do it, and each day it gets a little worse. But talking with my buddy Jarod this morning who is also doing the race, it probably is for the best we wait. We definitely want to make sure we are properly trained and are able to give that race our best effort. I have to keep telling myself, that I have been doing races for less than a year. I really need to not only build a base of training, but a base of race experience. But all that will come in time with some patience.

In the mean time though, I guess I will have to keep dealing with the itch!