Wednesday, March 4, 2009

My Greens & My Weakest Link

I can't stand wheatgrass shots. I despise the smell of fresh cut grass (gag!) and that's what I associate wheatgrass with. Yuk. So when a friend of mine introduced me to Greens Plus, I was like, "Can I just puke on you now and save you your green-crap?" But he, and "research," insisted this powder substance is a major superfood. And I like healthy things. A lot. So, I sucked it up and tried it mixed with water. Ew, did I make a bitter face. Tasted like freakin wheatgrass! So, what did I do? I bought myself I tub. (Sometimes I question my logic.) I honestly tried to like it for nutrition's sake, but it wasn't happening so on my vitamin shelf it sat. Last weekend, after hearing the spiel on Juice Plus, I recalled the Greens+ that cost me like $30 something. That's a lot of money in my world just to go to waste, so I decided to give it another try before it expired. And I found the answer: smoothie! I just loaded a ton of crap in our Magic Bullet Blender--yogurt, fruit, ice--and wow! It tasted pretty damn good. Now I'm gettin my greens, maybe it will make me faster. I could use some help :) And on that note.....

Weakest Link

Sometimes I go through the motions of training without really letting it sink in. Don't get me wrong, I watch my times, paces, heart rate, speed, etc., like a hawk and get home and log it all, but sometimes I forget to look at the bigger picture: my progress over time. This is, after all, about improving and getting faster, right?

Point is, my weakest link was brutally clear to me this morning: I suck at swimming! I felt like an anchor. It's so frustrating. It gets even more frustrating when I swim with someone who "never swims" and they kick my ass.


But, putting in perspective: I've really only been swimming since September '08; my "swimming" before that consisted of half-ass, technique-less, 1000-yd-max, lane-splashing at 24 Hour Fitness or the Arc at SDSU. (The first time I got in a pool to swim and not just float around was Feb. 2007.) I did enough to squeak by in triathlons, but definitely not enough to improve.


So last September I went outside my comfort zone and joined a 6 a.m. class. It's one of the best decisions I've ever made, thanks to my excellent coach. I went from not knowing what 15x50 @ 1:00 even meant and having no clue how to flip-turn to feeling what it's actually like to "sweat" in the pool... and be in it for more than 30 min. I've come a long way, my coach points that out to me, but now I'm itching to get to that next level and it's just not coming.

I swim 5,000-8,000 yards a week, I can do a sub-9 min 500 and my pace for 100s is 1:40-1:50--none of that is something to brag about, just pointing out. My endurance has built--dude, I used to get the worst session-ending calf or toe cramps in the pool!--but my speed is at a plateau. And today, I felt even slower. Granted, my ankle is jacked up so that affects things.

But, honestly, by now I'm ready to graduate to a faster lane!


I'll just keep working at it.

6 comments:

  1. I LOVE the magic bullet! You can make anything with it! Smart move on making the Greens Plus into a smoothie. Sounds like a great suppliment...I might have to look into it!! :)

    Congrats on the swimming! This is an awesome accomplishment and something you should totally brag on! I remember in swimteam how exciting/nervous I felt when I 'moved up a lane'!! Keep up the great swimming!

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  2. the good news is that swimming is the weakest link for like 90% of triathletes! You'll get there. Just remember, although it sucks to be out of the water not being at the front, it is WAY more fun to bike & run people down!

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  3. I totally know what you mean about not looking at the big picture, and times 2 on what Ryan Denner said about coming out of the water last.

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  4. I read this post and then I read this on ZenHabits blog:

    Tap into your own curiosity and make fitness enjoyable. Challenge yourself to new levels of fitness. Go beyond what you think you can do.

    “If you always put limits on everything you do, physical or anything else, it will spread into your work and into your life. There are no limits. There are only plateaus, and you must not stay there, you must go beyond them.” - Bruce Lee

    Probably means you're due for a breakthrough soon. Hang in there!

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  5. congratulations, I have to do the same with my swimming, jeje. I upload your page on my blog, I try to larn english... ;) from Spain.

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  6. seek your inner mermaid.
    and what 623 said.

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