A Change of Plans at the Gym

I had an experience at the gym recently that I’m trying to hold on to as a teaching experience. Basically, things weren’t gong my way, but I turned things around, and I’m proud of myself for doing so. Here’s what went down:

I got a guest pass at a new (to me) gym a few weeks ago. I’m not really in the market to switch gyms, but it’s fun to try new facilities and switch things up a bit. The first time I went to the gym, I had a good, if not standard, workout. But I noticed the gym had a pool, which was very exciting news. I like swimming, but I’ve never had a gym with a pool, so I swim in public pools in various parks. I like the outdoor public pools I’ve discovered around town (including my favorite pool EVER), but the hours are crappy (they’re only open 3 hours each day on the weekend), so having an indoor pool available on an expanded schedule was very enticing. I made plans to bring my swimsuit next time I visited that gym, three days later.

Those three days couldn’t come fast enough. I started hyping up this workout in my head: “I can’t wait to get in the water. It’s been MONTHS since I went swimming. It’s gonna feel great, and I’m gonna feel great. Maybe I’ll start swimming every week! Maybe even EVERY DAY!”

Finally, the day arrived, and I went to the gym after work, changed into my swimsuit, grabbed my goggles, and headed to the pool deck. I was ready to go. And then, I started noticing things…

Counting My Successes

Last night I was all prepared to write another post where I was hard on myself. I overate on Saturday night and felt crappy the next morning. It was my cousin’s birthday, and we had a family party at my aunt and uncle’s house, and while there, I ate a giant piece of lasagna (it was probably 2 or 3 servings), plus 4 pieces of garlic bread plus cake and ice cream plus a ton of candy corn, because, you know, tis the season for candy corn. I ate some salad, too.

It is way too easy for me to be hard on myself. Maybe you’ve noticed that. It doesn’t take much for me to beat myself up, but I’m working on that. And so, to that end, I decided not to write the blog post that initially came to mind. I’m not going to dwell on some choices that I made during one evening that, for the record, was really fun. Instead, I’m going to count my successes for the week, because the rest of the week went really well.

1.2 Mile Distance Swim Challenge RECAP!

I had never been so nervous to be at the beach. It was 7:45am when we parked, and my heart was racing. It was a beautiful day – pretty clear (for southern California standards), hot, and still. We started off across the sand at Venice Beach, towards a collection of tents in the distance.

It started clicking in my brain as we crossed the warm sand: it’s finally here. I’ve been training all summer for this one event, and it’s finally here. I was going to be competing in the Distance Swim Challenge. No – scratch that – I am competing in the Distance Swim Challenge, and it’s happening right now, this morning, in an ocean that’s right there, laid out in front of me.

Less Than Two Weeks Away…

My next fitness event has really been sneaking up on me. Yesterday, while looking at my calendar, I realized it was less than two weeks away. Gulp.

In less than two weeks, I’ll be participating in my first open water swim. It’s 1.2 miles, off the coast of Venice Beach, and, on paper, I’m prepared. I’ve stuck to my training plan of swimming laps once a week since I registered, in addition to my other workouts. I’ve bought a wetsuit, and went to the ocean to try it out. I’ve done practice swims where I’ve built up to swimming over 1.2 miles without stopping. I should feel ready. And yet I don’t.

Creating My Own Olympic Memories

Check it out, I’m in LONDON!

Okay, Okay, I’m lying. I’m nowhere near London. But I did have a fantastic afternoon on Saturday that directly connects me to the events happening over in England. Everything about this post has me nerding out, so get ready, because I learned a ton putting it together, and hopefully you’ll learn something too.

There’s Always Room For…

…JELL-O!

I can’t remember the last time I had Jell-O. It’s been years. I used to make it with some frequency growing up. One time, my friends Jonathan, Jocelyn and I used it with great success in an 11th-grade physics project that involved designing a structure that would catch an egg dropped from 10 feet. We filled a pie plate with various squishy foodstuffs, like Jell-O and marshmallows, and ta-da! Our egg landed safely, without so much as a crack in its shell.

A few weeks ago, I was at my local GNC, stocking up on protein powder, when I saw this on one of the shelves. It’s not Jell-O brand, but close enough:

Olympic-Style Training

Yesterday morning I awoke at 6:30am to hit the pool before work. I barely felt awake by the time I arrived. In fact, I made it all the way into the locker room before realizing I brought my work bag in with me, and left my gym bag in the car, instead of the other way around. So, after walking all the way back across the park to my car and swapping bags, I finally changed and arrived poolside.

And I was greeted with a very pleasant surprise.

3,200 Yards + 555 Feet

I got home from the pool a little while ago, and I’m exhausted. I reek of chlorine. I think there’s still a little water trapped somewhere in my ear.

But I had a great workout!

Pool/Haul

Two topics today. Shall I start with the pool or the haul? I say pool.

1) Pool. The training continues for my upcoming open water swim in the Pacific Ocean. I had scheduled to go to the pool for a swim on Friday morning before work, but I ended up sleeping through that alarm and didn’t make it (I exercised after work, though, so it wasn’t an unplanned rest day).

So I headed to the pool on Saturday morning, with a brand new pair of goggles that were a recent purchase at Sport Chalet. It was the first time I’ve been goggle shopping in years, and I was completely overwhelmed at the selection. I vaguely remember, as a kid, having about 8 brands/types of goggles to choose from at MC Sporting Goods in suburban Detroit, but Sport Chalet stocked probably close to a hundred options:

Two New Workouts

I tried two new workouts back-to-back, and to be honest, I’m still a little sore.

1) Ocean Swimming! Ever since I committed myself to a charity swimming event in the Pacific Ocean (a commitment that still sends shudders down my spine), I’ve been tackling my pre-race checklist:

• Registration completed? Check.
• Wetsuit purchased? Check. (Wanna see me in a wetsuit? You know you do. Click here.)
• Keep up training by swimming laps in a pool? Check.
• Try swimming in the ocean? As of a few days ago… CHECK!

If I had to sum up my first ocean workout in one word, It’d be…