MAKE IT HAPPEN

Eh. I don't really have a post topic today. I have a lot of random thoughts running through my head. To fix that problem, I just poured a glass of wine.

My swim...
I honestly love to swim. I think it is fun, and I feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I swim. As an adult that had to learn to swim more than 25 yards straight without stopping, it feels great to be able to swim 1 mile...2 miles...etc. I don't take it for granted.

Exit at MIM swim

I am not a strong swimmer. Like most other sports, I can swim at an even pace for a long time. Hello slow twitch fibers! I have never been known for strength or speed, even in soccer. So, I just have not developed a lot of speed in my past few years of swimming. But...it is getting better. It is just a slow, slow process.

From time to time I still have mild panic attacks in the water. Like Sunday at MIM, when I back stroked, tarzan stroked, breast stroked, tread water, etc. My inner voice sounded something like this for the first half mile: "I am withdrawing from my Ironman. I don't want to die. When I finish this swim, I am never racing again. I don't ever want to do another triathlon. This just isn't worth it." I promise you, I said all of those things. That is where I was on Sunday. It doesn't matter that I attend master's class religiously, or that I have had my stroke analyzed by 2 Olympic swimmers (why say I look good, BTW), or that I have been doing triathlons now for 5 years...I still have some tough times in the water.

I have another opportunity to practice open water racing next weekend at a half iron distance race. I am stating my goal right now: I will swim freestyle the entire way with no panic on my back. I'll let you know how it goes.

Here is a good picture of me riding in my flat at Memphis in May last weekend. If you click on the pic, you can probably see the rear flat. I am standing up on my bike, thanks to Jen Harrison, I think. As I was riding in, I remembered (or at least I thought I remembered) that Jen caught a flat several years ago towards the end of a race. I seemed to recall that she stood up to ride in to get the weight off of her rear rim. This actually makes a ton of sense to me as a former equestrian. You always displace your weight to the front of the horse for jumping, racing, well...so many things...but the point is, you get your weight off of their haunches by sitting forward. Once I remembered this, I stood up on my bike for the rest of the ride.

We really do learn things from people by reading blogs!

And, I can't believe I am smiling in the bike picture. Attitude truly is a choice.