Sunday, January 31, 2010

One-hour swim 2010

I am not going to write a lengthy screed, as I have a pronounced headache - it came on just as I started swimming (some combination of poor goggle placement and sinus irritation from pool chemicals?) and though it receded for an hour after I was finished, it came back and has not yet been dispelled by ibuprofen!

- I haven't been swimming much over the last 2 months, not entirely by my own choice

- I had low expectations and was slightly dreading it

- but TNYA is a lovely team, and the vibe in the place was incredibly positive when I got there - I began to contemplate the prospect of the one-hour swim with a bit more enjoyment

- I forgot to take an antihistamine this morning

- I also forgot to bring a towel!

- Here was my report on last year's event

- Last year I was aiming for a pace of 2:00/100 yards, and pulled off something just a bit faster than that, around 3100 yards total

- I knew I would swim more slowly this year - it was dispiriting but that's the reality of it, and I was having a hard enough time doing those 50s on 1:00 the other day in practice that I knew I had no hope of making last year's time

- I am writing a lengthy screed despite my disclaimer!

- I did flip turns for every single turn but 1 (where I was trying to clear my airways of phlegm and needed the open turn to do it above water!)

- That is an accomplishment

- Really the whole thing is an accomplishment - I remember when I started swimming 3 years ago that it seemed extraordinary to me the first time I swam for 10 minutes without taking a rest at the wall

- But I only swam c. 2950 yards

- Liz, who was counting for me (and who swam a highly respectable c. 3300!), observes that I come up very early out of the water after my flip turns, well before the flags, and that in fact at this stage they may still be costing me speed

- I will work on push-offs with flip turns and not popping up so quickly

- My goggles had water in them and my head really was aching, but it was otherwise a surprisingly enjoyable swim - I note that it was mentally much easier than last year, or at least it seemed to go by much more quickly, and that the fairly extensive distance swimming I did last year really has had a beneficial effect

- So, nothing of triumph in my feelings, but it is a nice way to spend a couple hours on a (very cold) Sunday in January...

The three charities TNYA's supporting this year are the AIDS Service Center NYC, Immigration Equality and the Trident Swim Foundation - go here if you'd like to make a tax-deductible donation.

The whole week was one of tiredness and headaches and frazzle, so I am going to try and reset mentally tonight and get off to a good start tomorrow with a block of training and work time that will make me feel cheerier - this museum thing I'm involved with is a very cool thing, but I thoroughly underrated how tiring I would find it - I have to write and see if I can do fewer shifts this coming week...

4 comments:

Unknown said...

You swam almost the same distance on much less swim training, and did flip turns! That is a huge achievement!

Out of the turn: hand over hand, biceps squeezing top of ears, looking straight down at the bottom, core engaged. It takes practice, too, but you will feel the difference!

P.S. Good for Liz!!

ShirleyPerly said...

Very impressed that you did the whole thing with all flip turns except for one. AWESOME job, Jenny!

Brent Buckner said...

A good use of the day!

Spokane Al said...

On the plus side, there are no flip turns in an IM event.