Tri Stories: Me & this Swimmin’ goin’ HEAD to HEAD…..I’mma WIN!!
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| I'm so at peace when with nature..... |
Mark my words!! OoooooWeeee…….Swimmin‘ ain‘t NO JOKE…....Ok, ok, my mantra I GOT THIS SWIMMIN’ IN THE BAG! I figure if I say it enough, it will for sure come true…..I'm graspin’ y’all graspin’ I say…..Lol.
Up at 0530, short meditation (too short), I make a mental note to sit for meditation later in the day……Off to teach my 0730 class then I’m off to get my training in for the day. Chi-City was bright with sunshine today, and my entire body was lovin’ it. I can’t wait until it’s warm enough to lay out at the lake…..I love the lake, I’ve let go of a lot of STUFF down there, just chillin’ meditating, releasing, absorbing, reflecting……yea, I need this weather to stabilize so I can chill by the water, be at one with nature and self…….I enter the gym full of energy and ready to go! First up my run, today’s run was flawless, I run at my new pace *new May* running pace! hit shuffle on my Ipod and get it movin’, Oh, I must comment on my new head phones….Ummmmm LOVE ‘EM! I was rollin’ with the earphones that came with my Ipod, so to have this up grade, well dang, who knew music could sound so good…..I’ve come to estimate that 14 songs takes me through my 60 min run, so I count down the songs as I run…..odd, I know, but that’s what I do. I ran 5.5 miles in 60 minutes…..Ummmm, Wooot, wooot!! I thought about running over 60 minutes, but decided “let’s not get crazy” I mean I have NO intention of running beyond 60 minutes, and I’ve already established that I can run the required 1.6 miles for the tri in about 20-25 minutes, so no need to go any further….Lol…Word. I do the 60 minutes for endurance, I dunno maybe I’ll run further one day, just not right now…..After my run I hit the studio and get a 45 min personal yoga practice in and a additional 15 minutes of meditation……Ahhhhhh, now I’m grounded. My yoga practice complemented my run and my swim that was to follow……Lot’s of chest and shoulders in prep for my swim, and hip opening asanas to stretch out my lower half, and of course core work and inversion of choice head stand (my favorite inversion).
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| Nothing like being inverted.....NOTHING.....Ahhhhhh |
Now the SWIM……umph, umph, umph…..This is my challenge……sigh……So I’ve been working on my strokes, endurance, and distance. I began with my usual kick drills, no prob….then move into my actual swim…..I make this deal with myself, swim First eight laps, without stopping at either end of the pool, well no longer than 3-5 sec stops, so basically I was aiming for touch and turn around…..Hehehe, OKAY!!! But that’s the deal I make within’. I used the pool boy because in all honesty, I’m just not ready to put it all together yet……First lap, I’m feelin’ strong, I make each arm stroke remembering tips that have been given to me by numerous pool peeps, I make it to the half touch and turn around……still feelin’ good, about half way I began to feel the work required from my upper body, granted I’m movin’ with great speed, it was just A LOT of upper body work…..I make it back to the start end…..OK, one down I say to my self as I stand there for 5 sec and my inner voice say’s GO! I dip under and began swimming my second lap…..RUT, RHOOOOOOOO……mid way I pop up and reach for the side of the pool, as soon as my left hand grabbed the wall, that voice in my head said LET GO!! I let go, and began to breast stroke, this allowed me to catch my breath as I kept movin’, 30 seconds later I’m swimming’ again, I reach the half, touch and head back swim, swim, swim, breast stroke, breast, stroke…….this went on until I completed my first four laps. At the end of the fourth I had no choice but to STOP…..WHEW, DANG I was FATIGUED…….I started to beat myself up with negative words, and immediately shut them down, “No”, I say to myself, “you were unable to do this Monday, so BIG UP yourself for this accomplishment” YEA, I think to myself……I take a minute break and head out for the next four laps. I’m swimming next to this Ol’G that I often see in the pool, we always share a quick smile and the head nod of hello, today I used Ol’G as inspiration……..I noticed he was swimming laps and using breast strokes (I peep him under water…Lol), to recover, so I think to myself I’m doing OK, ‘cause Ol’ G can swim!
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| Nature.....I Love being by the water.... |
I’m completely blown away on how quick I’m moving in the water, yet I’m so overwhelmed by the cardio requirements……WHEW, I keep sayin’ it, but, SWIMMIN’ AIN’T NO JOKE!! I was lovin’ the work out but……DANG! DANG! DANG! Momma was feelin’ all kinds of out of shape, like did I really just run five miles or do I spin on the reg, ‘cause right now my body is sayin’ “SUP T?” Hahahaha……….I’m gonna get this swimming’ thing, YESsssss SIRrrrrr I AM……..My breast strokes began to out number my actual swimming, but I didn’t care, each time I thought about stopping the determination in me kicked in and said “NO keep going”, “even if you breast stroke the entire time”…..”keep going”……so I did! At the end of my eight laps I stop, rest my forehead on the edge of the pool and pure emotion poured out, my heart rate was coming down, my eyes began to fill with tears and I was very thirsty…….I closed my eyes and congratulate myself…….THEN, I made another deal with myself…..make it 12 laps today, and you can have a treat….Ugghhh…..Seriously, I have no idea where these thoughts came from, but I agreed with my thoughts, took about 2 more minutes to reground with my breath, hold back the tears, and headed off to get four more laps in!!! I WILL GET THIS SWIMMING DOWN!!! When I’m focused, there really is no stopping me…..REALLY……I take those last four laps like they were my first, moving on some crazy internal energy, I swam two of the laps with only one break of breast stroking…..with all my yoga breathing I’m able to stay underwater for at least 4-6 breaths…..NICE……so my breathing is not the problem, it’s the actual physical work of swimming, very, very, fatiguing…..I finish up the last two laps, jump out the pool in a tired daze…….I felt sooooo mixed up, my emotions all over the place, I couldn’t hold back the tears any longer….as I rush into the locker room, I make a mad dash for the shower before one tear is able to drop, standing under the shower head I allow the water and my tears to mix together as one……..I didn’t wanna cry, I didn’t wanna acknowledge the tears and why they were fallin’ from my eyes, I just wanted to let it all wash away….what ever IT was……..
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| Ahhhh.....Nothing better than cleansing the soul..... |
Laying in the steam bath, I close my eyes and let the thoughts pass by with no attachment……I was a bit frustrated, a bit proud and HELLA TIRED! I lay in there for 25 minutes, just letting’ it all go……….On my walk home I chatted a bit with a friend, never mentioning my pool experience, I was so mentally, physically and emotionally drained when I got home……I passed out……BEST sleep I’ve had in a LONG time…….I’m letting today’s experience go……..I’m feeling good about it, all 'n all, it's just sometimes I push, and push, and push myself, to the point where it’s overwhelming……..I struggle with is that a bad or good thing…….I dunno, I think it’s good, but……I dunno……Well, tomorrow’s another day……I'm sippin' on some raw honey tea with lemon, as I type….then....I’m going back to bed……..LETTIN’ GO OF TODAY!
Peace,
T
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| Peace, Love & Tomorrows a New Day Y'all |
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