Phase two of the triathlon training, and the phase that I fear most, is swimming. I'm going to have to get my big ol' butt into a swimsuit and into the water to swim 400-500 yards. I am pretty sure that at this moment in time, I would be hard pressed to crawl stroke 20 yards without keeling over with a stomach cramp. I imagine myself going under and them having to retrieve me with some big hook, or swimming to safety with floaties, a life jacket, and a life ring attached to me.
Don't laugh. This is a real concern of mine! Seriously. Sniff, sniff.If you're running and get a cramp, you walk. If you're biking and your legs tire, you stop. If you swim and you become pooped, you sink like a rock to become fish food. Maybe I can have my four-year-old be my swimming partner. I'm pretty sure he could tow me if necessary, right?
In all seriousness, I am going to face this nonsensical fear of mine head on. I have my rubber cap, I have a swimsuit I can wear...with a tank top and shorts to cover it so that no small children are scarred in the process of the experience, goggles, and I'm testing a waterproof Ipad cover for music while I'm swimming. I read somewhere that a person increases their endurance by at least 20% if they're listening to music while working out. I can attest to that statistic because I work out much longer and harder/faster when I have a good beat to to concentrate on. When I first began training for a triathlon, 7 years ago, I purchased waterproof headphones and case off Bay. I used them a total of once before I got pregnant and fought morning sickness for the next couple months. I never did return to the pool. Now that I'm ready to get back onto the proverbial horse again, I have upgraded my phone a few times and the old case no longer works for me. The new one, however, fits like a charm. It seems to be made of sturdy construction, and has enough 'breathing room' that I won't have to invest a bunch of money in yet another waterproof cover in December when my 2 year cellphone contract is up in December and I upgrade. Overall Grade: A-
But that doesn't mean I'm not taking my running and biking seriously. I'm still cranking out the miles on the trails (in spite of the gnarly blisters), and I've installed LED bike lights on my bike so that I can ride when it's darker (and cooler). Now, I'm not saying I've invested a ton of money in a thin-tired road bike with the itty bitty bike seat that is hard as a rock and rides up your butt like the wedgie from Hades. No. I am a purely recreational biker at this point who ownes a thick-wheeled trail bike with a wide "granny" seat with foam padding, a wire basket in the front, and is heavy as sin. I prefer to think of my bike as more along the lines of "resistance training". But I digress...I had my son add some LED lights to my bike so I can ride when it's cooler. He said they were easy to install and 'TOTALLY' bright. He was pretty impressed. And with the red, it will cut through the dusk light and enable me to be much easier to see as I'm cutting through the darkness back to my home. Overall Grade: A*I received both these products for free in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion
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