Learning some new things

Today ended this swim class that I was taking at a DC Public pool. It was really good for me in that it taught me some basics that I need to know. I can Freestyle swim, but I needed some "oh darn, I'm tired of swimming in this nasty lake/river and I have too much to live for to drown" stokes. We were taught to backstroke (which I don't feel is a recovery stroke AT ALL), breast stroke (which takes a whole lot of coordination), how to tread water, introduced to deeper water (10 feet) and today we learned to dive! While it was cool to dive (minus my goggles coming off twice and becoming very... familiar with my right eyeball, which hurts like hell and probably will  look nasty by morning), it won't help me for my race. It was really about increasing our comfort in deep water and testing out our ability to tread water. I am so confident in my freestyle that I was like, "hell, if I get in trouble, I will just freestyle or blow bubbles till I get to the top". I found that I treaded water with ease once I had to.

I have been practicing the drills that I have been learning in my Total Immersion swim lessons. I am ready to pick it up with that instructor, but he is very careful to make sure that I have the basics down pat. He swears that I will be ready to do my "test race" and not tire easily because he will have me swimming more efficiently.

I am MOST excited about this open water swim coach availability to take me out into a lake on May 1st and 4th in advance of my "test race" on May 9th. She swears that I will be ready!!

Also, I FINALLY met my DC Tri  Club New Triathlon Program mentor Tania.  We have been emailing over the last few weeks and she is just as cool in person as her personality is over email! She has committed to tackling some hills with me starting next week, because apparently, my "test race" is quite hilly.

Things are really starting to come together for this race. I will go running again tomorrow and try to go 3 miles without stopping. I will also commit to swimming laps again soon to build my endurance. I'm getting excited again!!