7 down, 11 to go

The week after the marathon, time for a little recovery! Last week was crazy, with over 16 hours of training, this week was really light, around 6 hours. Next week we will ramp things back up.

This week we completed our first open water swims of the season. We've been putting time in the pool over the past months, but we haven't been outdoors until now. The first swim of the season always has the ability to scare the crap out of me. I can swim non-stop for over an hour in the pool, but I get in the pond for the first time and I feel like I don't know how to swim at all. I panic. I feel anxious for the entire swim and never really fall into a groove. Then I worry about the events we have coming up and wonder how in the hell I am going to survive. That sets off a whole new panic...I'm in over my head, can I get out of it? its too soon, I haven't put in enough work. I think those things while I am in the water, then for the next two days until I get back into the water.

We swam on Tuesday - two laps around the pond. It was tough. I couldn't relax. The good thing is that last year, the first swim of the season was only one lap and I barely made it. I am much further along now. Which is good news because we have a Half Ironman Triathlon two weeks from tomorrow (gulp).

We swam again on Thursday and I'll be honest....I didn't want to. I was scared. I spent the entire day hoping that the rain wouldn't stop and we wouldn't have to go. It did stop and we did go. It was a GREAT swim. We did the same two laps and I fell into a comfortable rhythm after just a few strokes. That sure helped my confidence!

We'll swim four times next week and then at least once the following week. So I will get at least 5 more open water swims before our event. That will be enough to get the kinks worked out and be comfortable. I know I can do this. I did it last year and this year I am in much better condition and have spent much more time preparing.

Time to get excited and stop being scared.

Here's how the week went...

Sunday: rest, day after marathon - 90 minutes massage...ahhhhh.
Monday: Spin for 60 minutes - man my legs were sore!
Tuesday: 60 min upper body weights, 35 minute swim
Wednesday: 60 min spin classes - legs were feeling better
Thursday: 60 minutes upper body weights, 30 minute swim (same course, just faster!)
Friday: 10k run - ran and marked the course for the ARC in Motion event that I am race directing on Saturday
Saturday: rest

Total for the week:
Swim: 1 hour and 5 minutes
Bike: 2 hours
Run: 1 hour and 10 minutes
Weights: 2 hour
Total: 6 hours and 15 minutes

Here's the crazy thing...it was fun...all of it!