Doubling Up | Girl on the Run

Monday, March 5, 2012

Doubling Up

One of my big resolutions this year was to learn to swim, since I committed to this little race called the New York Triathlon.  I mean it's not that I don't know how to swim at all (I can get across the pool and all), but I'm not very efficient. Or fast.  I had a little taste of where I stood with my swimming abilities when I attended the Hartford Marathon Foundation's free mini swim clinic last spring during their open house. I knew I needed help.

I found a local tri group by me in CT, TriFitness, that offered group swimming lessons at a reasonable price. I was a little nervous to be in class full of seasoned triathletes and was worried about falling behind.

The first class was tough. I felt like it took me three times as long to get across the pool as anyone else, and I had no idea what any of the drills meant!  Since then, I've been getting the hang of it, and I feel like I am slowly making progress.  I won't be winning any age group awards, but I just might be able to finish the swim portion of the tri with a smile on my face!

In order to make room in my workout schedule for these swim sessions, I've had to commit to morning runs so I can swim in the evenings.  The New York City Half Marathon is only a few weeks away, and I so badly want to cross that sub-2 hour half barrier.  I've been running 5-6 days a week and upping my mileage to at least 40 miles/week for the past month or so, with long runs ranging from 12-16 miles.

It's exhausting to get two workouts done in one day, and I know it will get a little crazier when I have to add biking to the mix, too. But hopefully all of this hard work will pay off!

9 comments:

  1. You're doing awesome with your training! Glad you're liking your swimming classes! I know you're going to rock NYC!!!

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  2. Great job with your training! Swimming will continue to get easier the more you do it, keep up the good work!

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  3. Swimming across the pool sounds exhausting (I'm not a swimmer), but good luck with the lessons. It'll only improve your running since it's good cross-training.

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  4. Oh my gosh, I'm the same way with swimming as you used to be....it takes me FOREVER to get across the pool...! I want to work on that if I'm going to a half ironman later this year....

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  5. I think it is awesome you are keeping it up and it sounds like you are on your way to have a great triathlon!

    I hope you are able to do a sub 2 half, I sure think you can do it!

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  6. Swimming is the reason that I'll never attempt to tri. I can't swim well and I dislike biking.

    Good for you to work on your swimming!

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  7. Yeah, I'm with Rena. I'll never do a tri because of the swimming (though I'm also not interested in all the bike maintenance). I run because I'm too lazy to do anything else!

    But good for you for pursuing the resolution! I have no doubt you'll do it.

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  8. Swimming is such a hard workout. No matter how in shape I think I am from running, one length of the pool puts me out of breath!

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  9. You are working well also with the cross training. I am sure you will break that barrier.
    About swimming, the improvements will be fast and very soon you can compete in the pool (or open-water) too.
    Because of my injury now I am member of a swimming team and I enjoy my new kind of training in the swimming pool: it is a jump in the past for me!

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