I THINK I may be getting the swimming!!! (I know, I've said this before, but now I mean it). I think I started to get it today. Coach said that I'm limp when I swim and that I need engage my whole body but not to tense up. So what did I work on today? Tensing up. Just like when I went bowling and I finally got that high score of 49 by aiming to the left instead of center. If I concentrate on tensing up, I'll engage the core a little bit. And I think I was gliding. I really think I was. When I was "learning to swim" I was told to exaggerate the hands out like a Y because -maybe- then they would be centered. Same philosophy, tense up and maybe I will engage the body a bit. Seems my lower body lags without me engaging it at all. Last swim session I also learned I don't swim straight, even following the black line, and I totally thought I was. Someone in BeginnerTriathlete said I was probably slower in the lake because of poor sighting and navigational skills. Seems they nailed it.
So I had my first group trainer class today. Can I just say that I love being told what to do? I love just showing up and doing, instead of thinking, planning, remembering, etc. It's great to turn off the brain and just engage the body. For the longest time I didn't see what the big deal was in having a personal trainer. Now I do. From now on as long as possible I plan to have some sort of trainer at all times, it is just awesome. Sure I could make myself lift weights alone now that I'm getting some idea for exercises and such, but it is just so much more fun to just go and do. So now 8 hours of my week are coached, and of those that are not coached one is a long run and one is long bike, so no real high-end thinking going on there. I can't emphasize enough how liberating it is not having to plan, analyze, construct, plan, make up, plan. Did I mention plan? Sure I'm going to have to learn how to construct a triathlon plan eventually and learn how to periodize and how to come up with an annual training plan and all that as I wish to be a lifelong triathlete, but this year is not that year. This is the year to lay back, relax, and enjoy the training.
So I said in the morning that I couldn't promise no singing. I had ==months== of pent-up inability to take group classes bottled up inside and I was going to enjoy the hell out of that group trainer workout, and I did. Music blasting in a group makes the trainer a lot of fun. Not the same as spin, though, feels a bit more like "work," but enjoyable nonetheless.
I'm having issues with determining if I'm pushing myself enough, because I think I'm scared I'll run out of energy before I run out of workout, so I think I'm too conservative. Going to do bike zones next week and run zones eventually so maybe that will help. And I think the track workouts starting this week will help with that also.
I'm so happy I got the swimming back. For a few sessions I wasn't feeling the swimming and I even dreaded them a bit the last two times, but I'm back to my swimming groove. Such a great feeling afterwards, the smile wouldn't leave my face. First runner's high, then biker's high, then weightlifter's high, now swimmer's high. There is nothing like that shot of endorphins all over the body. Feels awesome. Am I supposed to be working out? Because I'm just having fun here.
I was driving back from swim and passed the turn off for hills workout, and as I've done workouts around town now I have memories as I drive by then and just by the turnoff is enough to get that good feeling back, just as I start salivating listening to my run music lol
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