SWIM TRAINING--MAKING IT COUNT.

Swim: 1 1/4 mile (50:29)

Today was another swim training day. My Olympic distance tri training schedule calls for twice a week workouts of up to an hour and 15 over the course of 8 weeks. As usual, I am behind on my training, but fortunately I am confident enough about my swimming to just use the time for building endurance and fine tuning form. Monday, I did a mile to see what kind of time I was at after not having done a mile swim in months: 41:08. Today: 40:40. Funny how this worked since my 1/2 mile time was the same as the other day: 20:13. I am hoping by the time of the race, and given that I will be using a wetsuit (most likely), that my time will be around 38 minutes for the 1.5k swim. Last year, at this race, first of the season, my time was 39 something; by the end of the season, it was 31 something.

It came as a suprise then when I read in the club newsletter that the pool would close for maintenance on June 23 until July 16! Right in the middle of the training season! The reason? The club manager figured more people would swim outside in their own pools rather than use the club pool.

This might be good thinking if I actually had a pool. Jan talked to the club manager, and he did say he could get us reciprocal use of another nearby club pool, but I have to say this definitely will put a cramp in my training. For one thing, the other pool, regardless of how close by, will not be as convenient as the one I use now. I have gotten spoiled, driving to work basically and hitting the club before work, then going right to work. No moving my car and driving to work after a workout. Now, it will mean more serious morning planning. When you have to plan a one+ hour swim, that means getting there as early as 6 am to be sure I can get my swim time in and then get to work. I realize 6 am isn't that early, but when starting swimming by 6 am means leaving the house by 5:15 am, it makes me a little weary thinking of it now. Thank goodness it is a short-term problem!

So I definitely need to make my swim training between now and my race count towards anything else I will be doing this summer.