Sunday, November 11, 2007

Todd's Road Reunion

Yesterday there was a reunion with one of my running groups, Todd's Road Stumblers. This meant I got to go out and socialize with everybody I hadn't seen in two months, without having to destroy my hip! Woohoo!

It was great to see everybody. A few people, apparently, had been talking about me and wondered if I fell off the face of the Earth. Nope, I'm still around! Just need to wait for this hip to give me the go ahead (Wednesday?).

Everybody was asking me about the race, but it almost seemed weird to claim the attention. Sure, I ran 3:21 over a month ago, but have barely ran since. I don't even feel like a runner anymore, but I guess I was a month ago huh? Its hard to remember! Right now the most I run is across the street if the cross walk timer is running out.

Swimming is starting to get quite a bit easier now. I went and swam about 30 minutes yesterday, and did 90 minutes of drills today. Yesterday I started paying attention to my heart rate when I swim and noticed something peculiar. Swimming 25 yards (one length of the pool) gets my heart rate up to around 170, which is similar to my heart rate if I run a 6:30 mile. And believe you me, I'm not swimming anything close to equivalent to a 6:30 mile!

Drills are getting much easier now. I can breathe without gagging (most the time), no longer kick like I'm trying to run across the pool while laying horizontal, and my stroke is starting to look halfway decent. Maybe Susan will have me doing actual swimming sometime this week?

Also, I've had water in my ear for the past two days. It sucks. Anybody have a good way to get it out? Sitting here giving myself whip lash by swinging my head around isn't working, its just scrambling my brains. I really don't want to try and use a plunger, but it might come down to it. Update: There is a God. I got the water out of my ear.

And since I'm procrastinating, some responses to comments left recently.

Marcy: Hmm, I don't know about letting stuff hang out. Maybe I should just get some trunks that aren't black, like these bike shorts: http://iwannagetphysical.blogspot.com/2007/02/why-bike-shorts-are-black.html

Amy: Actually, that first swim wasn't too much fun. But its getting a lot better. I can see myself getting really into it. As if I already haven't... I've swam three times in the last four days!

Jess: Go for it! If running isn't doing it for you lately, maybe try mixing it up a bit? I'm liking the variety. Seeing improvement every time really helps with motivation.

Nancy: Yeah. You would definitely kick my butt in the pool. Not to compare you to an old man, but I'm about to. Yesterday I was swimming laps, minding my own business, when an older guy got in the lane next to me. It didn't look like he was going that fast, so I decided to start one of my laps right when he did. He smoked me, bad! And made it look easy!

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

One thing that works for me and the kids to get water out of the ear is a drop of rubbing alcohol. Oh yeah, and ear plugs...ok, I couldn't resist.

Jess said...

Look at you with all the groupie readers! So many ladies.

Nancy said...

I'm used to the old men at the back of the pack!! Actually, if he smoked you, I don't mind being compared. Glad it is getting easier for you.

Marcy said...

ROFLMAO!!! OMG dude that you totally need some of those!!

Awesome job on the swimming homie!!
Are you going to go the tri route on us? Have you even thought about it? Admit it, you have right? :P

Marcy said...

Oops scratch the "that" I need some more coffee LOL

Bill Carter said...

Like Jess I have noticed that you do seem to attract a much greater proportion of the ladies to your site than the guys. What is the secret??.. said the happily married guy to the young single guy.

Hey BTW, great finish line picture. You look pumped and you should be after what that race put you and everybody else through. Get that hip better and lets get you out of the pool and go running!

Steve Stenzel said...

Congrats on getting the water out!

And thanks for the link!!