Sunday, March 27, 2011

"weirdos" at the pool

Okay, maybe they aren't weirdos, but certain people display behavior that I find unusual and others downright irritating.  I'll let you be the judge  I already mentioned the male swimmer wearing camouflage speedos.  Fine, maybe he really, really likes camo, or he's in the army, or it was on sale?? But what about the man wearing white speedos?  Yes, white does become transparent in most wet bathing suits.  It's a good thing that most bathing suits and speedos will double layer the front side to protect from this.  Unfortunately, the back side lacks this protection.  Then there are the swimmers who like to drown themselves in cologne so that they don't drown in the pool? It must be that cheap cologne that helps them float If I can smell you in the water, as in, as I'm swimming towards the end of the pool where you happen to be catching your breath after that fabulous all out sprint, then you've put on too much.  Speaking of fabulous all out sprints, if you know you cant hold your pace for the full 50 meters of the pool, then let me go first instead of cutting me off and splashing and kicking water everywhere.  I'm just going to pass you half way down the lane!  If you get to the end of the lane, please look before pushing off to do your next lap.  If I'm right there behind you, its because it was too dangerous (on coming swimmers) for me to pass you, so I slowly swam behind you until you got to the end of the lane.  If you and your swimming posse are doing some drills that require all 4 of you to wear fins on your feet and paddles on your hands and you MUST draft off each other's current while fabulously sprinting 100 meters only to spread out and catch your breath at the end of the lane.....DONT! this is a PUBLIC pool, not your own private pool! you cant take up a whole lane to yourselves by not letting anyone else swim before, you or between your swimming posse.  Heaven forbid I should try and swim before you because you'll drown me under the waves of water kicked up while you pass me using your fins and paddles....all FOUR of you.
My ultimate, NUMBER ONE PEEVE are the men who stand in the hot tub facing the jets.  Does that "massage" feel good? Happy ending??  You are in a PUBLIC space, STOP IT!!


Well, I guess this post turned into a swimming rant more then anything.  But the original inspiration for my post stemmed from two swimmers this evening who seemed to be observing how I swam.  This is normal.  Sometimes I do it before getting into the water or after I'm done.  So why did I think this particular instance was unusual?  And I'm not being egotistical, it was the two-beat kick they were interested in Well, instead of standing on deck or watching from the end of the lane, these two guys decided they would swim two thirds of the way down the lane and while standing on the opposite side of the swimming traffic/flow, watch as I swam past them.  After a few bouts of this, they used a new method of observation.  The under water kind. 
If I knew who these people were, or even if they had asked permission to observe so closely, then I wouldn't have been so weirded out!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Harry's 8K, I dont think I like running

First race of the year! Harry's 8k.


The race, which took place in Stanley Park, was a great race!  Beautiful scenery, very well organized, nice and flat.


I didnt do TOO bad.  Finished in 38 mins and 15 seconds.  I was 168th out of 959 runners, 36th out of 489 women and 10th out of 94 women in my age group.  Top ten!! 


I didnt walk away with any medals, but I did walk away with the realization that I dont like running races.  At least not short races like 8k.  The first 10 mins of the race was like playing Frogger, dodging in and out, weaving around slower people.   After things cleared up, it took another 15 mins for me to fully warm up.  You know that feeling where everything is burning:  legs, feet, lungs, stomach, throat... It wasnt until I saw the 6k marker that I tuned into "race mode."


I think I'll just stick to triathlons for now.

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

I swim like a seal

This morning I received one of the best swimming compliments I've ever heard.  There were only three of us swimming this morning, and one of our last drills was to do a 4x50m relay. (is that right? im trying to say that we each swam 50 m, 4 times by ourselves).  
Anyways, this allowed us to watch each other swim.  After my last 50 meters, the other two swimmers exclaimed that I swam like a seal!  I don't splash, I'm very smooth and I quickly glide through the water.  That put a huge grin on my face!


Swimming is technically the hardest discipline out of the 3.  There is so much to think about! Two-beat kick, arms coordinated with legs, stream-line, breathing, arm catch, arm pull, don't scull while breathing, leading with the elbow, arms wider....and once I think I've got it all down, I get another correction! Or because I'm thinking about the 8 other things Im suppose to be doing, I've completely ignored something.


Every new correction breaks my swimming down to the point where I just float in the water while I try and figure out what to do with my body, but once I get it all coordinated, I can swim like a seal :)


Regardless of all the things I have to think about, I still find swimming the most relaxing discipline to train for.


....well, except when I'm at the aquatic center and there's a guy standing on deck wearing camouflage print speedos.  "uh oh, where'd u go?? oh I didnt see you standing on the deck there bc u were wearing tiny camo speedos! TOTALLY blended into the wall" LOL

Sunday, March 13, 2011

2 months fitter

The first year I trained for IMC 2008, I started in May.  My goal was just to get across that finish line.  Fear of getting disqualified from being too slow and not making the time cut off on the bike kept me motivated to get my butt out and train.
Last year I started training around this time, but because of some personal distractions, I was never able to dedicate myself wholly to training.  I'd swim twice a week, run 1-2 times a week, and skip on the bike.  This continued on for a few months into I finally geared myself into my commitment.
This year, I've got a solid two months under my belt and for the first time I'm really excited about getting out on my bike and putting the pedal to the metal.


Here's to getting stronger and faster!!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

oops

i gotta write something!! its been two weeks, im falling out of habit!


regarding my last post: im not saying that losing weight is as simple as eating healthy and less while exercising and you'll lose weight.  If that was the case, then EVERYBODY would be thin and fit.  Eating healthy all the time and keeping up exercise is HARD WORK!  I know!! Not only am I trying to eat healthy, but im trying to eat healthy minus wheat and dairy! Plus, I have a ridiculous training schedule.


so what do I eat now?  I used to turn to foot long subways and pizza as my staple, quick cheap 'healthy' ish meals. And cereal.  Lots of cereal. Plus granola bars and protein bars.  I cant do that anymore.
Most morning, I wake up to a bowl of oatmeal with some flax seeds.  Sometimes its plain oatmeal, sometimes its the quaker kind with cinnamon and sugar or apple.  I like to grind the flax seeds, but lately I havent had time to grind a batch.  Lunch is usually sushi salmon roll and california roll.  As long as there are no weird sauces or tempura, I can eat it.  I havent had a problem with the artificial crab meat in california rolls may contain wheat.  I do, however, have to buy my own, organic wheat free soya sauce. Yes, regular soya sauce has wheat in it.  I'm glad I can buy cheap, quick sushi take out from Fujiya (on !st and Clarke).  If not sushi, then lunch is mom's korean cookin'.  Usually some soup made from rice dough.  Dinner is again mom's korean cooking I really need to learn how to cook korean food, or any food for that matter! Occasionally Pho makes an appearance for lunch or dinner.  That's usually how the meals go.  For snacks, ill grab a handful of almonds.  I literally have to drive with a little tupperware container with mixed nuts so I dont get hunger pains while driving to or from a workout, school or work.


And my treat, since I cant indulge with chocolates, or ice-cream or cookies.....dried mangos!! mmmm!!!! buy me dried mango and im a happy camper.