Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Monday, April 25, 2011
Training for St. John again
I'm actually doing it! I'll do the swim again May 29. Mom and I are going to St. John to take my dad's ashes since it was his favorite national park he worked in. I can't believe this blog is still here- thanks, Blogger.
I started swimming again in early March after not doing much all winter, in fact, I've been a slacker for a couple of years compared to what I used to do. Hard to get to the pool in the winter anyway. But in March, it was either start swimming again or start taking Prozac. My girlfriends, when I told them Mom and I were going to St. John, said, "are you doing the swim again?" To which I replied- NOO! But it got under my skin and I returned to the pool that afternoon. And within the throes of my swimmer's high with endorphins raging, I decided, yeah! I'll do it. And a few days later I thought "I must be crazy!" I could only do 100 yards and had to stop and pant. Actually I'm crazy if I don't swim, so this is therapy for me.
So- I've increased yardage and sets over the weeks. I'm up to doing 500 repeats now and it is going ok... doing about 2000 to 2500 yd each workout, 3 days per week usually. With this short amount of preparation time I'm opting for the intermediate version of the Beach to Beach Power Swim, just 2 1/4 miles as opposed to the 3.5 mi. long course. I keep worrying that my competitive side will regret this choice; but to be practical I need to stick to the shorter course.
Mom and I are staying at Maho Bay Camps, will visit with our friend Merry again, and see our former home and haunts. Our friend Ellen and her husband have raised money for a bench to be placed at L'esperance, our house site, which is now an astronomy viewing platform. The bench honors my dad, Don Adams, who was park ranger there from 1972 - 1978.
I started swimming again in early March after not doing much all winter, in fact, I've been a slacker for a couple of years compared to what I used to do. Hard to get to the pool in the winter anyway. But in March, it was either start swimming again or start taking Prozac. My girlfriends, when I told them Mom and I were going to St. John, said, "are you doing the swim again?" To which I replied- NOO! But it got under my skin and I returned to the pool that afternoon. And within the throes of my swimmer's high with endorphins raging, I decided, yeah! I'll do it. And a few days later I thought "I must be crazy!" I could only do 100 yards and had to stop and pant. Actually I'm crazy if I don't swim, so this is therapy for me.
So- I've increased yardage and sets over the weeks. I'm up to doing 500 repeats now and it is going ok... doing about 2000 to 2500 yd each workout, 3 days per week usually. With this short amount of preparation time I'm opting for the intermediate version of the Beach to Beach Power Swim, just 2 1/4 miles as opposed to the 3.5 mi. long course. I keep worrying that my competitive side will regret this choice; but to be practical I need to stick to the shorter course.
Mom and I are staying at Maho Bay Camps, will visit with our friend Merry again, and see our former home and haunts. Our friend Ellen and her husband have raised money for a bench to be placed at L'esperance, our house site, which is now an astronomy viewing platform. The bench honors my dad, Don Adams, who was park ranger there from 1972 - 1978.
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