Week 1

I made it through my first week of the full-blown schedule, a little sore, but not too bad all things considered. 

On the swim front, I did one 2000m swim in just under 40 minutes with lots of sprint sets and one easy 1500m swim. I dread long swims because I get bored and then I lose count and the littlest thing can set me off so that I stop. I have been swimming Tuesdays and Thursdays at my local Y pool for over 10 years now and have always generally been in the fast lane. Except for my last trimester of both my pregnancies – then I just couldn’t suck enough oxygen in to my lungs to keep going. That, and a lane mate said that I reminded him of a keel on a boat, which did nothing for my 40 weeks pregnant, hormone raging ego. But now that there are more competitive swimmers training there, I am grumpily in the “moderate” lane – when there are more than 2 in the fast lane, because I hate holding people up and so swim way faster than I can for prolonged laps, and I hate being lapped. The moderate lane is ok, except when there are 2 others who are much slower than I am, and then it’s a constant game of figuring out when I can pass them or cutting my lap short to get ahead of them. This keeps my mind busy, but then I lose count or can’t get into the rhythm.

I also did a 12km run during the week in 1:18, which I feel is really slow, but it IS uphill all the way there…. Usually, I keep the longer runs for the weekends, but it isn’t going to work with the training schedule this time around. I’d like to open up my weekends and keep my training to weekdays. What a difference it makes to run on Mount Royal during the week. The streets there are quiet at 6am, with the newspaper delivery people out, a few people going to work, a few biking pelotons doing the Westmount Hills and only a few other runners. The mountain was nice and quiet and I took my ipod off for that part. I get a little creeped out being out that early, all alone. But then I ran into a dog-walking friend and suddenly the mountain seemed to be a bit reassuringly busier. I had a nice spring in my step coming down off the mountain and ran rather than shuffled the 6km home.

Taking the road bike out this week was an eye-opener. The first ride I did was a quick loop of Mount Royal – so up and over and then around the long way to get mileage. Getting to the top wasn’t so bad, but coming down – Holy cow! First of all, the sun was right in my eyes blinding me and Chemin Camilien Houde is really steep. I don’t know how fast I was going, since my speedometer isn’t working, but I was going really fast. I’m not sure if I was squealing only in my head or not, but none of the hill climbers coming my way seemed to take note. The roads are full of potholes and cracks as ever and while I thought my bum and legs would be sore, it was my wrists that really ached. I need shock absorbers or something.

So it was a great week, training wise and also great to see how managing this schedule will fit into all the other schedules I juggle. 

I also signed up for the Tour du Lac Brome 10 km race that my neighbor coerced me into. That’s happening Sunday, June 17^th. I’m hoping to get close to 55 minutes. And I registered for the Esprit Triathlon – Olympic distance in September. So there is no turning back now. Is there?