Definitely not a tri log.

shazkea

So I take it you enjoyed the swim then . Nice, well done and great to see the progress

Solobally8

Great to see you enjoying the swimming littlebug. I remember how I used to hate the pool at the start then after a while things just clicked and it became easier then actually enjoyable and a great stress-reliever.

Now if only I felt the same about open water swimming:(

littlebug

Solobally8 wrote: »

Now if only I felt the same about open water swimming:(

I've yet to experience that one. In what ways is it different? (aside from the obvious)
I should get some sea swims in a couple of weeks (that's if I can still fit into my lovely aldi wetsuit:o). I think lakes scare me more than the sea. I also need to find other people to go with. I don't fancy hopping into a lake by myself with no one to notice if I go down and don't come back up again :eek:

Dory Dory

So wonderful that you are beginning to enjoy swimming. I remember when I first started running it was the same - not all that enjoyable at first, but then the more I ran, the more I started to like the way it made me feel.

Open water is totally different than pool swimming (vast, open space with no lane lines to follow so you have to sight objects to create your path, and basically zero visibility underwater that can make you feel lost in space), and a wetsuit adds another totally different dimension (restrictive, which can make you feel like it's hard to breathe and like you're fighting your stroke...but, it adds buoyancy), plus, depending on how cold the water is, your body may object to the drop in temp in the form of rapid breathing - but these new challenges can be neutralized with practice and you may find open water swimming liberating. Definitely go with someone experienced, it will bring you confidence and safety. Interested is a top notch open water swimmer/mentor, but I think you're a little far from him.

littlebug

Thanks DD:),
I stilll can't believe how easy it suddenly felt. definitely turned a corner.
I think Interested is out of my league and on the wrong side of the country .
There's a lake near me that local tri people swim in a fair bit. I'll see if I can muster up the courage to ask someone to accompany me there sometime... soon... not in the next few weeks though.

catweazle

littlebug wrote: »

There's a lake near me that local tri people swim in a fair bit. I'll see if I can muster up the courage to ask someone to accompany me there sometime... soon... not in the next few weeks though.

If you cant catch up the Tri Lakes crew, I will be more than happy to go to Annaghdown Pier with you some time, the water there is pretty clear. If you are ever around Loughrea I would highly recommend Loughrea lake, crystal clear sandy bottom and you can stand if needed

littlebug

catweazle wrote: »

If you cant catch up the Tri Lakes crew, I will be more than happy to go to Annaghdown Pier with you some time, the water there is pretty clear. If you are ever around Loughrea I would highly recommend Loughrea lake, crystal clear sandy bottom and you can stand if needed

Thanks cw. I might just take you up on that offer sometime:). Loughrea sounds lovely but a bit far to go go for a swim at the minute but i'll keep it in mind.

everything else had to take priority this past week and I was burning the candle at both ends with family and work so any training slipped off the end of the list.
Work completed :cool: ahead of schedule so was headed off out with the dog for our usual 3 miles this morning. Just about to leave and my daughter said "I wish I could come too:(". I had started taking her on 2 mile runs a few months back with a view to building up to 3. But, as with every summer, her asthma flared up, worse than before and she was exhausted and miserable with non stop coughing for a couple of months. Finally after trying a few different things she's been on an inhaler for the past 2 weeks that works! So a change of plan and me and my girl and my dog went out for a short slow 2 mile run, chatting all the way. "if you could be any animal for a day what you be" etc Lovely to have her back again.:)

Dory Dory

So, what animals would you two be?

Solobally8

Oh I'm so jealous, my daughter thinks she is waaay too cool to run with me

littlebug

Dory Dory wrote: »

So, what animals would you two be?

well my daughter would be a dog of course because it looks like good fun and I would have to have wings... you know just to give the old woman knees a break

Solobally8 wrote: »

Oh I'm so jealous, my daughter thinks she is waaay too cool to run with me

ah that'll happen here eventually too. Mine just hasn't reached the age where I'm embarrassing yet:pac:. I do really enjoy it though .

littlebug

monday. Nothing :rolleyes:
Tuesday evening: usual 3 easy miles with the hound. I don't even bother with the watch on these.

Wednesday afternoon: Swim.
It's been 2 weeks.. and I'm tired.. so I went along thinking if I even got 20 lengths done I'd be happy. Saw kids were settling in nicely and off into the first lane. First few lengths and my arms really felt it but just took it easy and that wore off. There was a man in my lane who was doing one fast length and then a few mins rest before the next one. I was doing two lengths then a breather for a few seconds (don't know how many.. maybe up to 30s). Then I noticed that when I'd get maybe quarter way down the pool he'd start, overake me and finish well ahead of me... then repeat when I would start off on my next one. And so began a tortoise and hare thing I decided he wasn't going to get ahead of me in the long run so my 2 lengths before stopping became 4.. and I finished the 4th before him. Then the same for the next 4. Then he left.... having probably not even realised he had been racing the tortoise :pac: By this stage I was on 24 lengths. decided to try another 6 without stopping to bring me up to 30 in total. No problem and kept going... 8 , 10stopping after my 34th length only because the kids were waiting at the end for me to come and play with them. I left the lanes for a while for some general messing about and then back in for a last 6 lengths for a total of 1000m . nice to know that the only thing stopping me swimming continuously is my head.

Evening: Knockma with the mutt. took it easy on the steeper uphills as I'm not quite confident that my left knee is 100% yet and that's where I feel it. Downhill was fine

Not getting out on the bike at all.....:(

Solobally8

That's fantastic Littlebug, now that you know you can do that many lengths it be become easier and easier and you will soon find 40 is nothing to you

Nules10

Wow great swimming P. Makes me want to get back into it

Dory Dory

That is great swimming! And Nules, get back into it!

littlebug

Really bad at updating at the minute. Also really bad at running, swimming and god forbid cycling!
I'll fast forward from whenever I last posted to today
out on my treasure island:) . travelled on Monday so once we were settled in we all just walked to the beach. The water looked lovely and calm... was kicking myself I didn't bring swimming stuff down with me. May not get that weather again while we're here.
Tuesday.... atrocious weather. Didnt leave the house
Wednesday... 4 lovely slow miles in strong wind, with 2 of those miles along the coast road. Funny enough 4 miles is my longest run since April 1! Knee hurt a bit in the first mile but eased after that... hopefully a good sign.

Will be weather and tide watching over the next few days so I can get my maiden sea swim done. First I'll need to check if a) there is anything living in my wetsuit and b) if I can still fit into it.

Now... being realistic, with family stuff over the next few weeks it's going to be September before I can put any structure into training.
Structure... I need structure. I'm just plodding along making excuses for myself. I do plan to get back to a once a week swimming class in sept but I need structure and motivation for running.
I also need a goal and I have no idea at the minute what that might be. Ideas on a postcard.....

madon

How about a tri?
Well done on the four miles- hopefully the knee not hurting is a good sign. Gosh we are all a bunch of crocks, this is supposed to be good for us isn't it!
25 days and mine are back to school (Baby starting this year) I won't know myself- I'll be fit as a fiddle, house will be spotless, dinner always made on time and not rushed at the last minute.... yeah right:p

shazkea

Waterford half in December...maybe a bit far tho to travel??

Lots of cycling events that I can PM you about

Runonewon

littlebug wrote: »

Really bad at updating at the minute. Also really bad at running, swimming and god forbid cycling!
I'll fast forward from whenever I last posted to today
out on my treasure island:) . travelled on Monday so once we were settled in we all just walked to the beach. The water looked lovely and calm... was kicking myself I didn't bring swimming stuff down with me. May not get that weather again while we're here.
Tuesday.... atrocious weather. Didnt leave the house
Wednesday... 4 lovely slow miles in strong wind, with 2 of those miles along the coast road. Funny enough 4 miles is my longest run since April 1! Knee hurt a bit in the first mile but eased after that... hopefully a good sign.

Will be weather and tide watching over the next few days so I can get my maiden sea swim done. First I'll need to check if a) there is anything living in my wetsuit and b) if I can still fit into it.

Now... being realistic, with family stuff over the next few weeks it's going to be September before I can put any structure into training.
Structure... I need structure. I'm just plodding along making excuses for myself. I do plan to get back to a once a week swimming class in sept but I need structure and motivation for running.
I also need a goal and I have no idea at the minute what that might be. Ideas on a postcard.....

Hi Little Bug,the cross country season is not far away.It's a great oppertunity to allow the body recover from the spring/summer road racing by ploughing thru the soft mud for a few months.It allows you to run away from the roads while allowing your injury to recover.there are any ammount of cross country races from the end of september.Hope this is an option for you...it may mean more use of the washing machine!!!

littlebug

:eek::eek:
3 months since my last confession update.

So what have I been doing with myself. Well, lets just say I definitely won't be doing a tri anytime soon
I tried but found it really hard to keep up all 3 disciplines, just didn't have the time or energy (could easily add inclination in there). I find it strange that cycling is the first to get dropped since it's the only one of the three that I have any history with. I guess the body doesn't remember all those cycling miles 20 + years ago and the love is gone! So the bike is back to propping up the shed.

Running.... for the most part I've been keeping up the weekly/ bi-weekly 3-4 mile runs in the woods just for the enjoyment of it.

August- October I worked more on swimming than anything, culminating in me swimming 750m across a freezing Killary Fjord . When I say I swam..... it wasn't pretty:o. My pool swimming didn't translate to the great outdoors at all and I just could not keep my head down and get a decent breathing rhythm going so I was shockingly slow but I did it and I lived. Plenty to work on next Spring but will need the right place/ people to swim with.
After the swim 3 weeks ago I went into shutdown and have done NOTHING since! Walked lots with the mutt but there's been nothing resembling runs at all and haven't been near the pool.

Reading the marathon reports this week has given me a little kick up the behind and I took the dog off out for a 3 mile run. The good news is I can still do it though there was a lot more huffing and puffing than there should have been.
What now?
For the sake of having something to aim for I'll sign up for Fields of Athenry on Stephens day again. I doubt if I could even do a sub 60 min 10k at the minute so I'll make that my target for now.
OH starts a new job in a few weeks which will hopefully have him home a wee bit earlier in the evenings which may make club (fit4life) runs accessible to me again. I'll see how that pans out. Running with others definitely makes a difference so I'm quietly excited at the prospect of being able to do so again Fingers crossed.

I'll get back to the pool this weekend. I can't over-emphasise how much I was enjoying the swimming:). I'll aim for twice a week through winter to build up strength and stamina and try to make a proper go of open water swimming next Spring.
Bike... hmmm... I wont even pretend to set myself a target there. We'll see.

Younganne

LB welcome back, slow and steady buildup and your fitness will be back in no time at all!