This morning was my third time participating in Tour de LaPorte. I love this race for a lot of reasons.
1. It supports an awesome foundation and an awesome organization.
2. It's a fun race to run with friends and visit with others
3. It's usually a beautiful day (today was no exception!)
4. It's fun to be able to compare my time to previous years
Last year's race was a good one for me. This year's was better!
Dan and I started and stayed together for the first mile and a half or so. I had a pretty good clip going and was really excited to be running and not have my hip talking to me. When Dan started to speed up after the water station, I told him to go, and continued at my own pace. There were about five of us all pacing together, and I even got encouragement from another runner when I slowed down for a walk. I wasn't timing myself, but knew I was booking it. So when I crossed the finish line, I felt really great (in that death-like way). I grabbed a water, found Dan, walked around, and waited for results to go up.
And there it was: my PR. The best time I've ever run a 5K. And that 26:25 time had me grinning from ear to ear. :D I came in second place in my age division, and Dan came in second place in his.
There's something so exciting about nailing a time you've been trying to nail. For YEARS, I've been trying to do a 5K in under 27 minutes. I even put it on my summer bucket list. So to actually do it feels really, really awesome.
It was a good run. And maybe the next one will be even better.
A PR story
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
All is well in the world of school right now. Students are good, classes are going smoothly, and I laugh and smile often. I adore the time I'm getting to spend with my coworkers and am actually really exciting about assigning my students their first paper (famous last words, I know).
After school today, I went to Kesling Park to go for a run. I settled on four miles and BEASTED the first one (7:44!). I was feeling incredibly proud of my time. That's when the children showed up. I'm guessing they were middle schoolers, because, well, they came from the direction of KMS and looked small. And that would be when the majority of the children reminded me about my REAL running speed and blew me away. For approximately 30 seconds, I thought, "Hey! I can keep up with them! Look how short their legs are!" I then attempted to match their speed. Hence why 30 seconds later, I rethought my stance and slowed back down to a more comfortable pace.
I think this was a good reminder for me. I'm never too old to get schooled. :)
After school today, I went to Kesling Park to go for a run. I settled on four miles and BEASTED the first one (7:44!). I was feeling incredibly proud of my time. That's when the children showed up. I'm guessing they were middle schoolers, because, well, they came from the direction of KMS and looked small. And that would be when the majority of the children reminded me about my REAL running speed and blew me away. For approximately 30 seconds, I thought, "Hey! I can keep up with them! Look how short their legs are!" I then attempted to match their speed. Hence why 30 seconds later, I rethought my stance and slowed back down to a more comfortable pace.
I think this was a good reminder for me. I'm never too old to get schooled. :)
Sunday, August 19, 2012
The school year kicked off with students on Tuesday. My 100ish sophomores, juniors, and seniors paraded through my classroom introducing themselves to me and asking questions about everything (What do we do in here? When do we get to do something fun? What time is lunch? Are you any fun? The list goes on...). So far, so good. I have really great classes this year and I think first trimester will invoke a lot of thoughtful discussion and hard work from my students. At least, I hope.
My stress level, however, I'm not entirely optimistic about. My back and shoulders feel like someone has surgically implanted a ton of knots in them on purpose. I'm exhausted in the evenings (I forgot how hard it is to be peppy around high school students all day). And, I've been extra emotional due to lack of sleep and the magnificent weight on my shoulders (I take teaching the youth of America pretty seriously!). Case in point, the other night, I attempted to have ice cream for dinner, and when Dan pointed out to me that it wasn't the most nutritionally sound meal, I lost it and cried like a baby. Yeah, that's STRESS talking, people! Additionally, we had a semi-frustrating union meeting on Friday, and learned that with the new teacher evaluation model the state of Indiana has come up with, it could essentially ensure that teachers in our state never get a raise again. So, there's that.
And then there's the whole issue of balance. I know I've written about this a lot, so I won't go into a lot of detail. But between school, a couple of writing gigs in the works, spending time with Dan, my family, and friends, and just trying to stay on top of life, it has been a long and exhausting week. I feel like a lot of the people I'm closest to are going through some really tough things right now, and I just hope I'm doing enough to support them.
The shining light in all of this is that it's a beautiful day today, I've barely been sitting still between school and work outs, I got in some decent runs without too much bursitis hip pain, and I have 100ish really great students that I'm getting to know. (On that note, I miss my morning crew from last year so much, and hope you're all settling in well at college!!!) It's a good life... even with all the stress. :)
My stress level, however, I'm not entirely optimistic about. My back and shoulders feel like someone has surgically implanted a ton of knots in them on purpose. I'm exhausted in the evenings (I forgot how hard it is to be peppy around high school students all day). And, I've been extra emotional due to lack of sleep and the magnificent weight on my shoulders (I take teaching the youth of America pretty seriously!). Case in point, the other night, I attempted to have ice cream for dinner, and when Dan pointed out to me that it wasn't the most nutritionally sound meal, I lost it and cried like a baby. Yeah, that's STRESS talking, people! Additionally, we had a semi-frustrating union meeting on Friday, and learned that with the new teacher evaluation model the state of Indiana has come up with, it could essentially ensure that teachers in our state never get a raise again. So, there's that.
And then there's the whole issue of balance. I know I've written about this a lot, so I won't go into a lot of detail. But between school, a couple of writing gigs in the works, spending time with Dan, my family, and friends, and just trying to stay on top of life, it has been a long and exhausting week. I feel like a lot of the people I'm closest to are going through some really tough things right now, and I just hope I'm doing enough to support them.
The shining light in all of this is that it's a beautiful day today, I've barely been sitting still between school and work outs, I got in some decent runs without too much bursitis hip pain, and I have 100ish really great students that I'm getting to know. (On that note, I miss my morning crew from last year so much, and hope you're all settling in well at college!!!) It's a good life... even with all the stress. :)
Monday, August 13, 2012
As of tomorrow, I will be the teacher to 100ish students. I wish I could say I felt 100% prepared. But that would be a giant lie. Even now, starting my eighth year of teaching, I still don't feel fully prepared.
I've tried to explain the start of school many times over the years. Here's the best example I can come up with. Imagine a natural disaster, say, a hurricane is coming toward you. (Note: This example doesn't really work with other natural disasters. Don't try.) (Note #2: I'm not saying the start of the school year is a disaster. It's just an example, people.) You know it's coming. You stock up on the necessary supplies. You ready your surroundings. You prepare the best you can. But no one can say for certain what will happen when said hurricane shows up. That's sort of like the start of school. You sort of know what to prepare for, but it might be a whole different ball game once the day arrives.
*Getting on a soapbox now* Contrary to (perhaps) popular belief, teachers do not work 7.5 hours a day for 180 days a year. I don't know ANY teacher that only puts in 7.5 hours a day. Every teacher I talked to today worked on something (or 100 things) over the summer. Most of us came in over the summer to work in our classrooms. And most of us put in at least a kajillion extra hours during the school year too. I'm not telling you this so you tell us how awesome we are. I'm simply telling you this because it's important to understand the level of dedication and commitment of teachers. We want what's best for our students. We want to teach them how to think and learn and make change. We're in charge of their education. And that's a HUGE responsibility.
So, tonight, I will work on my lesson plans, pack my lunch, and prepare for my 100ish students to arrive. I'm just enjoying the calm before the storm. :)
I've tried to explain the start of school many times over the years. Here's the best example I can come up with. Imagine a natural disaster, say, a hurricane is coming toward you. (Note: This example doesn't really work with other natural disasters. Don't try.) (Note #2: I'm not saying the start of the school year is a disaster. It's just an example, people.) You know it's coming. You stock up on the necessary supplies. You ready your surroundings. You prepare the best you can. But no one can say for certain what will happen when said hurricane shows up. That's sort of like the start of school. You sort of know what to prepare for, but it might be a whole different ball game once the day arrives.
*Getting on a soapbox now* Contrary to (perhaps) popular belief, teachers do not work 7.5 hours a day for 180 days a year. I don't know ANY teacher that only puts in 7.5 hours a day. Every teacher I talked to today worked on something (or 100 things) over the summer. Most of us came in over the summer to work in our classrooms. And most of us put in at least a kajillion extra hours during the school year too. I'm not telling you this so you tell us how awesome we are. I'm simply telling you this because it's important to understand the level of dedication and commitment of teachers. We want what's best for our students. We want to teach them how to think and learn and make change. We're in charge of their education. And that's a HUGE responsibility.
So, tonight, I will work on my lesson plans, pack my lunch, and prepare for my 100ish students to arrive. I'm just enjoying the calm before the storm. :)
Sunday, August 12, 2012
In some sort of logical order:
- Watched the graduates of LaPorte High School class of 2012 go out to make the world a better place
- Went to Madison, Wisconsin, to see my best friend from fourth grade marry her love
- Hosted a bridal shower for my best friend, Shannon
- Visited family in Detroit (twice)
- Celebrated Amanda and Jacob's engagement
- Went to Mackinac Island and Traverse City for my first vacation with Dan
- Bought GOBS of wine
- Watched the sunset on the beach and a ferry
- Saw fireworks in Lake Orion, Baroda, and over Lake Michigan on a boat in St. Joe
- Introduced the Putt and Saoud parents
- Watched my dear friend Annie marry her love, Josh
- Spent three days at Silver Lake with Dan and his friends
- Rode a dune buggy
- DROVE a four wheeler
- Became the MOH for Shannon
- Celebrated the marriage of Shannon and Ben... 13 years in the making
- Road tripped with Erica to The Cactus at Purdue
- Had drinks on the rooftop with T, Dave, E, and Lis
- Gchatted with Lynny
- Lollapalooza-ed it up with Dan, including a major rain out and some seriously muddy flip flops after the Red Hot Chili Peppers performed
- Slept in
- Ran a ton
- Got Bursitis
- Kept on running
- Volunteered at Camp Del Ja-Ri
- Laughed hard as Kathleen Madigan performed stand-up comedy at the Blue Chip casino
- Cooked more dinners than I ever have in one summer
- Organized closets, drawers, cabinets
- Moved furniture
- Spent time lunching, coffeeing, and ice creaming with friends
- Got flip flop tan lines
- Read three really awesome books
- Hung out with my super awesome parents
- Watched a TON of Olympics
- Fell even more in love <3
Thursday, August 9, 2012
As I write, I'm currently on the couch, glued to the Olympic coverage on NBC this afternoon. This is pretty much no different than any other day for the past few weeks. I can officially say I'm obsessed with all things Olympics.
I ADORE the summer Olympics, mostly because I get to watch almost all the coverage since I'm home in the summer. I love seeing the stories of the athletes. I love seeing people shine after working so hard for four years (or, in some cases, their entire lives).
Something just happens to me when the Olympics are on. For some reason, my witty repertoire and sarcastic comments are silenced by Olympic bliss, even during the most asinine events. Synchronized swimming? Normally I'd have SOMETHING to say about the plastered on faces and giant smiles even in the face of drowning, but I have nothing! Instead, I just think the performances are pretty. Right now? I'm watching rhythmic gymnastics. I didn't even know this was a sport! Water polo? Holy violence, Batman. Track and Field? Yes! Swimming for six miles? YES! I'm hooked!
The other night, Dan told me he was kind of getting tired of the Olmpics. I went silent out of fear of saying something I couldn't take back later. He went to wash dishes while I sat on the couch like a lump and watched Gabby Douglas fall off the balance beam (Sad!).
There's something so... wrong... about sitting on my tail end watching these elite athletes accomplish amazing feats of strength and skill. Every time the USA wins a gold medal, I'm tempted to trot into the kitchen to find celebratory cookies. See what I mean? Wrong!
Regardless, it's been a nice way to get some brain down time before summer ends. In four days, I'll be back in my own marathon-of-sorts to educate my kiddos and make it to Summer 2013. :)
I ADORE the summer Olympics, mostly because I get to watch almost all the coverage since I'm home in the summer. I love seeing the stories of the athletes. I love seeing people shine after working so hard for four years (or, in some cases, their entire lives).
Something just happens to me when the Olympics are on. For some reason, my witty repertoire and sarcastic comments are silenced by Olympic bliss, even during the most asinine events. Synchronized swimming? Normally I'd have SOMETHING to say about the plastered on faces and giant smiles even in the face of drowning, but I have nothing! Instead, I just think the performances are pretty. Right now? I'm watching rhythmic gymnastics. I didn't even know this was a sport! Water polo? Holy violence, Batman. Track and Field? Yes! Swimming for six miles? YES! I'm hooked!
The other night, Dan told me he was kind of getting tired of the Olmpics. I went silent out of fear of saying something I couldn't take back later. He went to wash dishes while I sat on the couch like a lump and watched Gabby Douglas fall off the balance beam (Sad!).
There's something so... wrong... about sitting on my tail end watching these elite athletes accomplish amazing feats of strength and skill. Every time the USA wins a gold medal, I'm tempted to trot into the kitchen to find celebratory cookies. See what I mean? Wrong!
Regardless, it's been a nice way to get some brain down time before summer ends. In four days, I'll be back in my own marathon-of-sorts to educate my kiddos and make it to Summer 2013. :)
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Today, I had the awesome opportunity to go to Camp Del-Ja-Ri at Camp Mack to spend the day with kids with arthritis. It's cool on so many levels; all the kids immediately have something to bond over, there's a doctor from Riley Children's Hospital on hand to take care of kiddos and dispense medicine, and the kids get a real camp experience without the embarrassment of having needs that other kids probably don't have.
I got to camp around 9 today and was immediately greeted with a hug by my little friend Payton (age 5ish). She's a doll and always has a smile on her face, even when she feels crummy. My other little buddy, Caleb, wasn't feeling well and was sidelined on the couch. But I was happy to see him (and holy cow, kids grow a LOT in a year!). Upon my arrival, we were off to make candles before heading back to camp to put together care packages for the troops overseas. After that, we went inside to do some Jazzercise, and Caleb even got in on the act with some arm movements from the couch. It was awesome to see the kids have fun, marching around the room, laughing, and giggling at the moves (even though they loved them). We went to lunch, and then it was nappy time for the kiddos, so I let them rest and came home.
I LOVE having this experience every year because it reminds me just how tough kids with arthritis are. They may appear fragile, especially during a flare up, but emotionally, they're toughies. The put on brave faces, stay as active as they can, and don't lament the cards they've been dealt. They're just toughies!
I think there's so much we can learn from kids. I remember when I was going through my diagnosis, I was at Riley for a body scan. I had to drink these TERRIBLE tasting RADIOACTIVE medicine drinks every 30 minutes. And no, cutting them with Kool-Aid did little to make them taste better. I was miserable. I was so tired. I hurt everywhere. My patience were non-existent. And then, going past me on the shoulders of his father, there was an adorable little boy. He had lost all of his hair -- he was obviously going through chemo -- and he gave me the toothiest, biggest grin. I smiled back and vowed right then to suck it up and not complain about my lot in life.
The kids I saw today remind me of the boy with the toothy grin. They're happy. They're strong. They're optimistic. And they should be. It's a beautiful life they're living, and they don't forget it for a second. They're the toughies.
I got to camp around 9 today and was immediately greeted with a hug by my little friend Payton (age 5ish). She's a doll and always has a smile on her face, even when she feels crummy. My other little buddy, Caleb, wasn't feeling well and was sidelined on the couch. But I was happy to see him (and holy cow, kids grow a LOT in a year!). Upon my arrival, we were off to make candles before heading back to camp to put together care packages for the troops overseas. After that, we went inside to do some Jazzercise, and Caleb even got in on the act with some arm movements from the couch. It was awesome to see the kids have fun, marching around the room, laughing, and giggling at the moves (even though they loved them). We went to lunch, and then it was nappy time for the kiddos, so I let them rest and came home.
I LOVE having this experience every year because it reminds me just how tough kids with arthritis are. They may appear fragile, especially during a flare up, but emotionally, they're toughies. The put on brave faces, stay as active as they can, and don't lament the cards they've been dealt. They're just toughies!
I think there's so much we can learn from kids. I remember when I was going through my diagnosis, I was at Riley for a body scan. I had to drink these TERRIBLE tasting RADIOACTIVE medicine drinks every 30 minutes. And no, cutting them with Kool-Aid did little to make them taste better. I was miserable. I was so tired. I hurt everywhere. My patience were non-existent. And then, going past me on the shoulders of his father, there was an adorable little boy. He had lost all of his hair -- he was obviously going through chemo -- and he gave me the toothiest, biggest grin. I smiled back and vowed right then to suck it up and not complain about my lot in life.
The kids I saw today remind me of the boy with the toothy grin. They're happy. They're strong. They're optimistic. And they should be. It's a beautiful life they're living, and they don't forget it for a second. They're the toughies.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Greetings, all! It's a completely B-E-A-UTIFUL Monday in South Bend! I'll get to that in a minute, though. First, a weekend recap.
On Friday, Dan and I headed in to Chicago to go to dinner with Teresa and Dave and drinks with Erica and Lisa. It was a wonderfully hot evening of catching up, laughing, eating, and drinking. We made it back to T's around 11 (after stopping so the boys could pick up crappy Philly Cheese Steak sandwiches, of course) and promptly went to bed. At 6 a.m., Teresa and Dave got up to run 10 miles. They're both marathon training and are doing AWESOME on their pursuits. When they returned a few hours later, Dan and I were still being lazy and sleeping. We'd contemplated working out but decided against it. This actually proved to be a smart decision.
So, we set off on our day, starting with brunch with E and Lisa. We went to an awesome little cafe and then walked down to the museum campus to see some sights. It was, approximately, a billion degrees, and I completely sweat through my tank top. By the time we walked back to Teresa's, I had to change into a different shirt. Then we coated ourselves in sunscreen and walked to Grant Park for Lollapalooza. Did I mention the walking? There was a LOT of it. More on that in a minute.
At the end of the night, we battled the crowd (quite literally, almost) to get out of Grant Park and walk back to Teresa's. We estimated we went about 8 miles throughout the course of the day. Between that and standing the entire time, I'm totally counting that as a work out. We got back to Michigan City around 2:30 and immediately fell asleep... until 11 a.m. on Sunday! I don't even know the last time I slept that late... it's been years!
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| D and me at dinner |
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| Rooftop drinks with the SMC girls (minus Lynny!) |
Upon getting in to Grant Park, we found Dan's friends and hunkered down in some shade. It was HOT. But, wanting to explore, we separated from the group so Dan could show me the sights and sounds of Lolla. We hadn't been there for more than an hour when all of the sudden, everyone started swimming upstream away from the stages. Finally, we stopped someone to ask what was going on, and that's when my handy dandy iPhone Lolla app informed us that severe weather was about to hit Grant Park and everyone was to immediately evacuate. Well. S$#&. The wonderful Lolla people had predesignated places to go, but upon realizing they were underground parking garages, we went rogue and stepped into a Barnes and Noble on Depaul's campus. So, we waited. Then we sat in a hall and waited. Then we went in a Sbarro (which, mind you, had completely run out of pizza since it was so busy) and waited. And finally, one chocolate frosted cake donut and cheese bagel twist later, we were in Dunkin Donuts... still waiting. Against all odds, the severity of the storm hadn't managed to mess up the concert venues, and we were allowed back in Lolla! So, we walked all the way back. Thankfully, the rain killed the heat a bit, which was huge and needed.
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| Dan's sad face... but it got happy later! |
The fun kicked off with watching FUN perform, then heading over to Franz Ferdinand, then going to Calvin Harris, and finishing up the night with Truffle Mac and Cheese and the Red Hot Chili Peppers concert. I've literally never seen Dan so excited about anything in his life. He was completely over the moon excited. He sang, he danced, he sang and danced. Our feet were covered in mud from the earlier downpour, but seeing him so happy made me forget the dirt, grime, and insanity around us. I took an awesome video of him, but he won't let me post it. I'm contemplating doing it anyway.
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| Calvin Harris... "I feel so close to you right now" |
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| Red Hot Chili Peppers, "How long, how long will I slide..." |
Today was the end of my week-o-rest. I thought about waiting one more day just to be safe, but when I woke up, the temperature was 55 degrees, and I just couldn't pass up a cool morning run (FINALLY). I ran two miles. I ran them slowly. I thought about my form the entire time. And, my hip feels pretty okay! I think not sleeping on it has helped tremendously. I'm going to keep stretching and doing everything anti-inflammatory I know how to do. But, I'm hoping I've avoided anything terrible. I think I'll try again tomorrow! There's only one more week of summer, and I want to embrace every minute of it. :)
Friday, August 3, 2012
It's official. I'm getting old. Yesterday, I went to see my Rheumatologist, Dr. Balog. I adore Dr. Balog because she's proactive about my RA, listens to me, and encourages me to keep moving (and running, even!). I started telling her about my hip issues. I told her about the pain, the gravely/grinding feeling, the tenderness if I roll on it/off it at night.
She pressed on the trigger point and said, "I think you have bursitis." See what I mean? I'm getting old.
So, Dr. B gave me some stretches I can do, recommended low impact exercise at least until Monday, and said if it doesn't get better soon, we'll talk to a Sports Medicine doctor about physical therapy and/or ways I can fix this problemo.
On the bright side, she said it probably isn't from running and is more from just living. So, that's encouraging that I didn't totally jack up my hip because of a bad run.
It certainly didn't stop me from dancing like a mad woman last night with Erica, Kaveh, and Kelly at The Cactus in West Lafayette. So, so fun! And it definitely won't stop me from having a whirlwind weekend in Chicago -- dinner, drinks, and brunch with some of my favorite girls and boys and, tomorrow, Lollapalooza with Dan. (See all the new things I'm trying with this man? Good stuff.)
She pressed on the trigger point and said, "I think you have bursitis." See what I mean? I'm getting old.
So, Dr. B gave me some stretches I can do, recommended low impact exercise at least until Monday, and said if it doesn't get better soon, we'll talk to a Sports Medicine doctor about physical therapy and/or ways I can fix this problemo.
On the bright side, she said it probably isn't from running and is more from just living. So, that's encouraging that I didn't totally jack up my hip because of a bad run.
It certainly didn't stop me from dancing like a mad woman last night with Erica, Kaveh, and Kelly at The Cactus in West Lafayette. So, so fun! And it definitely won't stop me from having a whirlwind weekend in Chicago -- dinner, drinks, and brunch with some of my favorite girls and boys and, tomorrow, Lollapalooza with Dan. (See all the new things I'm trying with this man? Good stuff.)
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Clever title, eh?
So, after doing some very scientific research (i.e. reading three articles online and watching one YouTube video), I decided to try the Epsom salt bath. This reminded me why I don't like to take baths. I get bored! I can only sit there for so long! Regardless, I sat, and tried to let the Epsom salt work its magic. I have no idea if it made any difference since I'm off of running right now anyway, but it definitely didn't hurt. Supposedly, three baths a week is supposed to help. Why not, right?
Today I decided to take a drive to the Varsity Club to go for a swim. My parents own a time share through them (helpful when vacationing!) and therefore, we get access to the pool. I hadn't been there in ages, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I checked in at the front desk, was given a key card, and asked about towels. That's when I was told that the Varsity Club no longer gives out towels. Mmmmk. I came unprepared (which left to literally toweling off with paper towel after the swim).
At that point, I decided I would try not to get my hair wet so I wouldn't have to paper towel it too. This led to an interesting swimming technique... I'll get to that later.
Upon entering the pool, there was another woman swimming laps. I had planned to run under water, but felt like an idiot, so instead I swam laps too. This is when I realized I FORGOT HOW HARD SWIMMING IS. Holy total body workout, Batman! My muscles certainly felt the burn... especially my arms. When my swimming buddy left, I started running laps, but still felt like an idiot, so I rotated swimming, running, and various leg lifts and kicks.
I have never been a strong swimmer. As a kid, I learned to swim in a hotel pool, with the doggy paddle. I maintain that this is still my best stroke, since I absolutely HATE being under water without holding my nose. I've often thought about doing some sort of sprint triathlon, but I'm such a bad swimmer, I'm afraid I would get kicked in the head and drown in the swim, never making it to the other two events.
I stayed about 40 minutes and felt pretty good when I got out of the water. I can never tell if I've worked hard, though, since I can't gauge it on sweat. Regardless, I'm making the most of my week off of running and trying some new things. So far, so good!
So, after doing some very scientific research (i.e. reading three articles online and watching one YouTube video), I decided to try the Epsom salt bath. This reminded me why I don't like to take baths. I get bored! I can only sit there for so long! Regardless, I sat, and tried to let the Epsom salt work its magic. I have no idea if it made any difference since I'm off of running right now anyway, but it definitely didn't hurt. Supposedly, three baths a week is supposed to help. Why not, right?
Today I decided to take a drive to the Varsity Club to go for a swim. My parents own a time share through them (helpful when vacationing!) and therefore, we get access to the pool. I hadn't been there in ages, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I checked in at the front desk, was given a key card, and asked about towels. That's when I was told that the Varsity Club no longer gives out towels. Mmmmk. I came unprepared (which left to literally toweling off with paper towel after the swim).
At that point, I decided I would try not to get my hair wet so I wouldn't have to paper towel it too. This led to an interesting swimming technique... I'll get to that later.
Upon entering the pool, there was another woman swimming laps. I had planned to run under water, but felt like an idiot, so instead I swam laps too. This is when I realized I FORGOT HOW HARD SWIMMING IS. Holy total body workout, Batman! My muscles certainly felt the burn... especially my arms. When my swimming buddy left, I started running laps, but still felt like an idiot, so I rotated swimming, running, and various leg lifts and kicks.
I have never been a strong swimmer. As a kid, I learned to swim in a hotel pool, with the doggy paddle. I maintain that this is still my best stroke, since I absolutely HATE being under water without holding my nose. I've often thought about doing some sort of sprint triathlon, but I'm such a bad swimmer, I'm afraid I would get kicked in the head and drown in the swim, never making it to the other two events.
I stayed about 40 minutes and felt pretty good when I got out of the water. I can never tell if I've worked hard, though, since I can't gauge it on sweat. Regardless, I'm making the most of my week off of running and trying some new things. So far, so good!
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