When it's your first length of the pool three and a half weeks after breaking your elbow and a week and a half out from your first Ironman. That's when.
At the pool yesterday, I got in the newbie lane, complete with slow pokes (who will SOON pass me - Janet, Rich!) and the true beginners who accidentally flip themselves over on their backs when they breathe and who two weeks ago were unable to get their heads in the water. Unfortunately that meant that I had to watch out for crooked swimmers, but at least I wasn't bothering any of the folks training in the other lanes.
I dipped down and kicked off from the wall and stretched out. I stroked for the opposite wall and found that my arms hadn't forgotten what to do. It even almost felt like gliding. Then I found that my goggles were leaking, dammit. From the inside, no less. At the end of the 25 yards, I stood up in the shallow end, walked to the corner, put my head in my hands and wept. Those 25 yards seemed to represent such a long journey over the past few weeks, between illness, work and a broken elbow.
So that was yesterday. Today's challenges required a longer effort. I unexpectedly found myself with some time in the afternoon after a very very very upsetting day, so I headed to the beautiful brand spanking new school pool. I just jumped in the clean, warm water and swam until I found that I'd swum 1.2 miles - have the distance of the race and probably the first time I'd done that since Mooseman way back in early June. My arm never bothered me at all, although I could tell it was more doggy paddling by the end than pulling. All in all, I was abolutely delighted.
The other good news of the day is that the bib number for the race have been posted. I am #2274, for what that's worth. I'll post soon about how you all can keep track of me on the day.
G'night. I've had two G&Ts and got 90 minutes of the Tour to watch before I fall asleep.
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