So we have a "swim rant" thread, but I wanted to post my "swim happy" moment today, probably brought on by being out of the water for over a week.
Pool reopened after maintenance + clear, fresh perfect temp water + 6 lap lanes between 4 lap swimmers = 4200yd :bliss:
I'm swimming happy now because I'm getting cold water acclimated!
Last Halloween (ish), I joined a bunch of crazy people up here in Boston and did a spooky dip. Well, can't remember the exact name, but you know what I mean. The water at that point was 51F and I couldn't even believe people were swimming in it. I ended up standing, mid-thigh high, for 10 or so minutes, then jumped in, intending to swim a bit, but after 5-6 strokes decided I was going to die so stood up and walked out. So damn cold!
But just this past Sunday, I went to Winthrop, MA, and jumped in and swam around for 32 minutes...in 50-51F water. w00t!
So happy!
Had my very first open water race this AM and didn't finish last! Actually did a lot better than I expected - a 1/2 mile in a cool 17:29, according to the results sheet. More than two minutes faster than my pool time three weeks ago! So proud to have finished and done not half bad. I was one of only two or three folks not wearing wetsuits. (Out of a 1/2 mile field of 20 or so?)
I'm happy with my new 400m PR of 6:32 (down from 6:35 last week). Last week I was doing 6:32 pace until 300m, then I died, massively. This week I did not die. :)
I'm very happy with my new 800m PR of 13:32, down from 13:43 two weeks ago.
I have revised my swim goals: By April 2020, I want to be at sub 6min 400m. Initially that was a dream for age 60 in 2022. But I can do this next year!! :)
Faster, Skuj, faster! You can do it.
:) Thanks.
My happy new 100m PR is 1min26.0sec. I went HARD on the first 50m, because I think I was being too cautious on previous 100m starts. However, my last 10m felt like I was swimming in jello.
I think I was 41-high/44-low. (Pushing off.)
I'd love to be at 1:22 by the end of the summer.
This morning I swam 400/200/100/50/50 warmup + 400 PUSH + 400 cooldown = 1600m total.
The lanes were quite busy when I started, so I wasn't expecting to do My Thing. "Do some kind of a session. Do what I can." That is the best philosophy to have, especially on weekend mornings.
But lo and behold, at the end of my most excellent warmup, people jumped out of my lane. My uninterrupted 400m PR attempt was on. (6:32 last week.)
I got to 200m in 3:13, feeling fantastic. But I faultered/slowed in the second half. I believe that I lost concentration on good form as I tried to bung.
Still, I swam 6:29!!!
In the grocery store parking lot I bumped into an old running friend. We talked about knees and swimming. She implored me to go to a particular place where I could be fully cured. And then I said something profound. I said:
"Even if they gave me some injection, and I could run as much as I liked, without consequences, I know that I'd just continue to do swimming."
The sun was shining brightly. Off in the distance an owl could be heard.
