Back on Track

Life feels like it is back on track. I haven't fixed my money worries, and the Bay is still freaking freezing (OK 55-56 degrees is getting better) but I had such a fun weekend that I feel like I will make my goal. Thursday I was depressed and mad at the world which often seems to correspond to the mornings I don't go to my masters swim workout, so I took the dog for a long hard hilly run after work. This was a bad idea because Friday was the Run, Jump, Swim event at the club. So after making myself go swimming before work (to lighten my bad mood) and the hard run the day before, I was sore and tired for the RJS. The event was to run from the front door of our club in San Francisco, around to the end of the Muni Pier (about 2/3s of a mile), vault over the wall and swim back to the club beach (about 1/3 of a mile), run through the club and do it all over again. The contest is to see how many laps you can do in one hour. I thought I would be brilliant and wear my "five-finger" vibram running shoes because I thought I could leave them on and swim in them. Well, they worked OK in the swim, but running on concrete with no support or cushioning, and I was all but crippled the next day. My calves are so bunched up, I can barely walk. Boy do I feel stupid. But I made four laps, placed 15th (out of 30 :-) and had a blast! It was fun running through the crowds of tourists in my bathing suit, cap, and goggles... and I love jumping off of things into water, always have. There was a fabulous party afterwards. It was the South End at it's finest. Saturday, I had planned on swimming for two hours in the bay, but I only made 1.5. It was a beautiful morning in the bay. I swam with John Brooks (who is off to swim Gibraltar in three weeks) and we swam to Fort MAson and back to the club, and then did an Outside/Inside and back to the club and then I quit. So I was disappointed in myself. My shoulders are sore, and I have burning pain in the right bicep. But I "quit" and that's not OK. Reasons aside, it is important to do what you say you are going to do. So today, Sunday, I went to the pool and swam for over three hours. I needed to stay at it, and not give up because of the cold or pain, and I did. I learned a bit about the mental work I need to do too. At just over one hour, I wanted to pack it in, but after the second hour, I was happy and well. And just after the third hour, when the guard came to tell me that I had to get out, I had energy to spare and did a "fast" hundred to close out the session. I could have stayed for a while longer. My shoulders are sore, but not painful. I am feeling strong and hopeful. Next weekend I have a swim clinic/lesson and will slack off a bit, and then the following weekend, Memorial Day, I am scheduled to swim my six hour qualifying swim. I am so excited and I feel ready. I need to stay positive. I have been looking over my log and I have been working towards this goal for over 19 weeks. That is a long time. I need to realise and appreciate my dedication. The English Channel is a huge goal, and I am putting in huge effort. This is something to be proud of. I have eleven weeks remaining. I need to stay focused, and get down to the hard stuff. In four weeks, school will be over, and then I can really put in the time and swim in the bay every day. Life is good, and I am feeling strong.