Progress Continues

Well, last night was my second swim session after reviewing the TI video. Honestly I was a little worried that I would revert back to the form I had before.

But I didn't. I was more comfortable in the face down position, almost as if I had swum this way my whole life. And what a difference does a better form make! Previously I have swam maybe, 800 meters tops during a session. Last night? 1500 meters and I felt I could have gone farther. Granted I took frequent short breaks, levelling off at 30 seconds per 100 meters, but my splits were very consistent. Total time was 19:04.

Tonight is a run night, but I am taking the night off. First, my legs are still tired from Monday, when I went mountain biking for two hours. Plus it is meeting night for the local tri club, and I am off to check them out, a good reason for a break.

All in all things are going much better than I thought they would. I can't wait for the season to start.

Thanks CBS News!

For reminding me why I no longer care about tv. Leading story on the 5 o' clock news? The court battle over Anna Nicole's body. Second story? Brittany Spears shaved her head and went into rehab.

Not to sound callous, but... WHO CARES???

Next two storys, which recieved much less time, wild police chase with one suspect STILL ON THE LOOSE, and Man exposes himself to young girls and followed one into a secluded area.

Really, don't you think those two stories should have gotten precedence? Aren't they reall news? Like, look out for these people, they are dangerous?

BTW both the third and fourth stories received less time combined than one of the other two.

Success smells like chlorine

It wasn't pretty, it wasn'y efficient, but it was 1000 meters with my face in the water and breathing to the side. I can't believe how hard this was, or how uncomfortable I was in the pool until tonight! I learned to swim in the ocean, during my teenage years I might have spent as much time in the water as on land. The one time I ever had a comfort issue, was on a night dive, in crappy conditions the night of my father's cancer surgery, so that was nothing but stress.

I have no idea how people who are afraid of the water get through it. Those people are truely tough.

But for me, I think I finally figured it out, and now I have 3 months to smooth out my stroke and tone those muscles before my first race.

The only bad part was the headache I got walking to the car. Stupid cold with the wind...

Event Schedule, 2-13

My schedule at this point looks like:

March 31- Ship Bottom Sprint For Life 5k run
April 14- Doo Wop Duathlon- 2mile run, 10 mile ride- 2 mile run
April 21- SOCH Great Causeway Challenge- 30 mile ride- 10k run
May 26- Hammonton Rec. Sprint Tri- First tri ever!
Sept 29-30- City to Shore MS150

I will be adding other races. I have my eye on two other sprints, but if things go well I am hoping to get in an Olympic distance in as well.

This weather...

Crazy! The last two days it was like, 40F. I was loving it! Got a good trail ride in on the new Trek 6700 on Saturday, had a nice ride on Sunday with my girlfriend. Today it snowed all day, now it is even colder and...raining?

I was totally stoked to swim tonight, having watched a Total Immersion video about 6 times since my last session, but the pool is closed tonight. GRRRR

Oh well, I guess I should take the night and catch up on some chores.

BTW if anyone is reading this yet, and you know how to blog, drop me a line at seaducer at verizon dot com? I am clueless how to do all that cool stuff, like linking and alll that. Thanks...

Just another Tri blog

Hello, is this thing on?

Well, it is a rather boring day at work, sitting on hold, so after reading all the new posts on my favorite blogs, I thought maybe I should start my own. If for no other reason than as a way to track my own prgress, or descent into the racing season.


I guess I should introduce myself, my name is Drew.
I am brand spanking new, both to the blogosphere and to the worldview that is Triathlon. I say worldview, and not sport or even lifestyle, because it becomes all consuming, and it totally changes your outlook on just about everything.

Just a week after paying the fees for my first ever triathlon, I have started getting up at 0500, or 5AM for you 12 hour clock types, and doing 2 workouts a day. Not since I was in the Army have I worked out so much. Of course, not since I was in the Army have I been in so much pain either, lol

I also got a membership to a local pool. Honestly I didn't even know you could swim in the winter around here (Central NJ) until I NEEDED to find a way to train. And a good thing I did.

Being born and raised 5 miles from the ocean has had it's advantages. I learned how to swim in the surf, and how to surf not long after that. My astrological sign is Pices, the fish. I don't normally believe in that sort of thing, but I always said I could swim like a fish. And even though I haven't gotten wet in quite some time, I still can.

Only instead of the shark I USED to be, I am now the spent salmon drifting slowly downstream wishing for the great big toilet to swallow me up!

Honestly, I never knew I didn't know how to swim. I am a certified diver having cruised the depths at 90 feet looking for lobster, sharks, and whatever else I could see on the shipwrecks off the coast here, so it isn't like I am afraid of putting my face in the water. But I am like afraid to put my face in the water!!

I look to the side to breathe and all the water in the pool rushes in my mouth choking me out, and there I flail like a big baby until I realise I am in 4 feet of water so I can just stand up, lol

On the bright side, if I just do the tug boat swim with my face out of the water ( like I always have) I can do 500 meters in about 7 minutes. That is roughly the distance of my first triathlon, on May 26th, and judging from last years results I should be about mid pack coming out of the water, so it isn't all horrible. But honestly, I stink...lol

As my ultimate objective is to finish an Ironman race in the next 2 or 3 years, I have a ton of work to do. I ordered a Total Immersion DVD and if that doesn't help I guess I will find a coach.

Well, that is about it. I will post a bit more about myself later on, this was just a test to see if I got at least this part down.

cya...Drew