Training Log Archive: kissy

After the workout this morning, I headed to Boulder to run some errands, the first of which was to stop by the Ironman race to cheer on Nic and Annie. (Annie my coach, not Annie my dog.)

It was a very hot day (my car thermometer said 99˚), and I felt sad for some of the competitors who looked wiped out. I managed to see both Nic and Annie, and cheer them on, but it was tough with the hats and sunglasses. Luckily, the race bibs also had their first names on them.

I was surprised by how many people didn't look like what you think of when you think of a half Ironman competitor, but there they were, doing a great job. Shows what you can do when you put your mind to it.

This session went much better than last time. It was just me and Colleen because our coaches were competing in the Ironman Boulder 70.3 today. When we arrived at 7:30 am, the lake was deserted except for a lot of seemingly large fish from the size of their splashes when they leapt out of the water. Luckily, things swimming with me don't bother me.

After the last, panic-filled session, I had my worries about today, but I had spent all last night visualizing swimming to the third buoy very easily, with no panic. And I think that helped. That, plus the fact that the lake was so calm today and crystal clear.

I managed to swim 3 laps, stopping at each end but not for very long. There were a few times when I could have panicked, but I talked myself off the ledge by just slowing down and convincing myself everything was going to be fine. Nothing to panic about here. During the next session, I'll aim for swimming a lap without stopping.

I'm not sure what happened to my tracks. It's not .5 mile; it's just .27 miles. Maybe it got confused with all of the back and forth. And I did *not* swim on the sand!

C • track 4

And then the now familiar loop around Bear Creek Lake Park. I'm not sure how my watch stopped when it did. I must have hit the button by mistake.

Another not fabulous run, but I did it. And it was hot. It was damn hot.

Sad news...Annie has kennel cough. She must have caught it at the dog park...Graham's been taking her more often lately. She's been a little pathetic lately, but she scored some hydrocodone at the vet today as a cough suppressant, so she'll be fine.

C • Kennel Cough 3

My first open water swim session of the year...and for the past 20 years or so.

It was not great, but it was not a disaster. I took it slow, swimming to the first buoy and back. That went fine. But my trip to the second buoy involved a little panic attack at the buoy, so I turned and made a beeline to the floating divider that divides the swim beach from the training area. I hung on that for awhile until I calmed down, and then swam back to the beach.

I swam a few more times to the second buoy, and it got better. I practiced sighting so I wouldn't swim in circles. As my final lap, I decided to go to the third buoy, and that was a bit of a disaster. I had a definite panic attack between the 2nd and 3rd buoys, and flipped on my back to calm down. I backstroked for a bit and then swam to the 3rd buoy, where I could stand up. I stood there awhile, with a few tears streaming down my cheeks, until I decided I just needed to put on my big girl panties and swim back. I did that and decided that was enough for the day.

C • open water 10

I had brought my bike because I suspected that the swim session wouldn't go so great, and that I would need something to bolster my spirits. This was the same route we rode on Saturday, but I was slower today. I could feel the swim in my legs.

More vetting.