Hashers and Mashers - Closed (Page 13)

As much as I love seeing all that bold (and trust me, I do love seeing all that bold, so this is very hard for me), I think Chrispy deserves recognition for the awesome run total (which I have just about no chance of catching up to).  Great job!

As much as I love seeing all that bold (and trust me, I do love seeing all that bold, so this is very hard for me), I think Chrispy deserves recognition for the awesome run total (which I have just about no chance of catching up to).  Great job!

All I need to do is double my training load and I might catch Joe/Jaxx...? ( in my dreams...)

February Totals:

                   Swim         Bike             Run            Total Time

Joe              11900       87.94           39.00         16:02:58  Almost all bolded!!

Jax               5290        152.73          28.92         15:58:35   Just 4:23 behind...WWJD??? 

TJ                4900         144.73            6.12         11:02:53  

Chrispy        3226          12.43           51.20          10:25:02

Charlie            0            86.40           19.35          10:07:49   I lost my swim mojo, too!!

Sarah           1350         84.00           26.57          09:35:18  

Tom              800          58.51           12.23          07:39:54 

Dave               0          112.00            3.00           07:26:20

Yvonne            0            23.22          21.04           06:49:13 

Mike                0               0             33.00           05:48:50   Wha whaaat? Where you been??  

Chris               0               0             16.37           02:41:20

Kate             2100            0               3.00           01:24:43

Coming into the final lap we've got #1 Joe leading by a nose, #2 Jax right on his shoulder, and don't count out #3 TJ making his move. It's gonna be a photo finish, folks!!

Yvonne, I could explain but instead click this... aqua jogging   By the way, people will look at you funny. Just ignore them. 

 Joe, I hear ya on the shower situation after being cold. Gotta resist the itch! Around these parts that happens after most winter runs. My skin AND muscles burn. Hurts so good. 

I'm also planning a 1-1.5 hour bike ride this afternoon.

OK...so finally taking a minute to report about my swim lesson on Monday.  First off...wish I had done it months ago!  It's really going to help me.  Secondly...crap it's hard!  My instructor is Mary and she was great.  She had good things to say about my stroke and actually seemed impressed that I taught myself how to swim.  She could have absolutely been lying, but if her goal was to give me confidence, the lie worked!  Anyway, the main thing she wants to work with me on first is to correct my breathing.  I can only breathe on the left side.  When I try to breathe on the right...well, it's unnatural and I choke and just can't do it.  She said that's fine, I can manage to breathe to one side.  BUT, I've been breathing every other stroke.  Her goal is to get that to every 4 or 6 strokes.  During the lesson, I did ok.  But, here's the problem.  In order to keep my panic at bay, I get myself into this rhythm.  Steady.  Slow.  Chill.  Don't panic.  The breathing is key to that.  Which is what makes me swim at a snail's pace.  So, when I do the breathe every 4 or 6, it speeds me up, lengthens the time between breathes and totally blows my rhythm.  So, then I am super winded and heart rate is high after 50 yards and I have to stop.  So, I have to completely retrain myself and find a new rhythm. 

I praciced on my own for 1100 yards on Wednesday and it was really tough.  Near the end I gave myself permission to go back to every other stroke and suddenly that feels wrong too.  So now I feel like I'm starting over.  But, the good news is that I know I'll work through it and will find a new rhythm.  It's just frustrating that I feel like I'm starting over.

She told me my problem is 100% a confidence issue.  So another thing she did was have me swim with flippers on for about 300 yards.  Man I felt like I was flying!  It was so fun that I didn't even think about my breathing.  I just flew back and forth, fast as I could and made the 25yard length of the pool in 3 breaths.  I kept saying I didn't even feel like me!

Anyway...progress is being made, I think!  A few steps back...a few more forward!  I've got 7 more lessons over the next 7 weeks.  Will be interesting to read this post after that and see how I feel about things then.  I'd like to fast forward!  (Sorry for the loooonnnng post!)

Jax

I'm afraid I have to concede the week to you, Joe.  CH has me on a bit of a recovery week. so your numbers will blow mine away.  Hopefully I can still motivate you from behind! 

Jax