Posts tagged nations

Today was my first day tackling a swim. I don’t think I’ve swam in a swim cap and goggles since my sophomore year of college. I oddly wasn’t nervous at all despite everyone saying to me “I can’t believe you’re doing a triathlon, I’d be most worried about swimming!!”

I mean, after all- my memories of swimming were at pool parties at the Pro Club, and summers on the lake in Washington, and I love the water so how hard could it be? Well, let me tell you… I discovered a couple things:

1. I suck at tiling my head for air. Instead, by the end of my lap I am taking my entire head out of the water.

What you should look like:

What I probably look like:

      2. I’m not the best at swimming on my side, which apparently is the “more efficient” way of swimming because it conserves energy so that you are able to complete the biking and running portion of the triathlon. AKA I SWIM ON MY STOMACH = NOT GOOD.

I didn’t realize there was so much… technique in swimming. I thought that I’d just swim and that would be it. I sat there in the middle of practice (this was the moment I got a severe toe cramp and the coach told me to get out of the pool and advised I drink a Gatorade before coming to practice next time) massaging my middle toes wishing I could get Michael Phelps to coach me. A. Because Michael Phelps is a hottie, and B. Because the technique is probably second nature to him so he’s half fish and just swims without worrying what side he should breath on. (Hence - he is the best person to make me into a mermaid come September 9th!!) It’s just too bad he’s in London right now. 

Though, I have to say - other than the toe cramp and epiphany that I am not an awesome swimmer, it was so much fun!! I think I’ll be adding on one more swim day to my schedule of training. It’s a great workout, and unlike running or biking, you can’t really stop. While swimming, I am unaware of what muscles I am using (which is pretty much ALL of them) to propel me forward and swim harder and faster. I know my technique isn’t perfect, but the coaches are great and told me they have full confidence that I’ll be ready by race day. I swim at a decent speed, so if I can just swim more “efficiently,” I think I’ll be okay!!

My next formal swim practice with the coaches is next Monday, so I’ll keep you updated on how my swimming technique goes and if I’m still belly floating across the pool or actually lapping it and breathing on my side like a pro!

To make a donation in support of my efforts with Team In Training and the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help advance the research for cures, donate here! 

As many of you know, I’m participating in the Nations triathlon. I’m super excited and also a bit nervous since I was never a big athlete in high school or in college (I played a little bit of volleyball and basketball, but in my case you can sort of count it as playing recreationally). 

It’s my first triathlon, and really first endurance sport-activity. I’ve never done an organized 5K, marathon or century. I know how to swim, but I’ve never done it competitively. So signing up for this is a bit of an ambitious undertaking for the summer considering I’ll be swimming 0.9 mile, biking 25 miles and running 6.2 miles. 

Therefore, I’m doing it with Team in Training. It’s a great organization that was started by a man named Bruce Cleland of Rye, NY. He formed a team, raised funds and trained to run the New York City Marathon in honor of his daughter Georgia, a leukemia survivor. It is amazing how much money Team in Training (TNT) has raised for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Because of TNT, so many lives have been saved and now, the rate of survival from Leukemia is 90%. It’s really moved me to train with this organization because no matter how hard a run, bike ride, or swim is, they make me realize that it is no way harder than battling cancer. 

It makes me realize how much my world would change if tomorrow I went for a check up and was told I had cancer. How devastating it would be if a family member of mine or a child of mine in the future was diagnosed. It can honestly happen to anyone. So really, I am blessed to be healthy and able to swim, bike and run this triathlon.

I’ve committed to this cause so I’m really excited to train and condition my body for this. All I have to do now is fundraise! If you’d like to donate to my triathlon, you can see my TNT fundraising page here or by click the widget below. If you’re unable donate, but know someone else who is able to, I would be very appreciative if you could let them know about what I’m doing!

Additionally, if you have ANY advice about swimming, running, biking or anything related (i.e. fundraising, preparing for the race, buying a bike, etc!), I would love to hear from you.

On the George Washington Bridge, biking 25 miles