Taper week

The big 70.3 "race" - and I shouldn't call it that, because, let's face it, I am not racing, but rather just attempting to finish....running - is on Sunday, and this whole week has been a very mellow week of exercise. It's almost more painful to do the little bits the plan requires than to not do anything at all. Just when the endorphins kick in, you have to back off, ease up, and shortly after, the work out/ muscle warming is over. You realize just how hard you go, or like to go, when you are forced to take it easy.

Open water swimming began 2 days before I signed up. What a disaster. The wetsuit situation is a cause for an anxiety attack with the pressure it creates on your chest. When you get in that cold water, it takes your breath away to put your face in to swim! I popped over to a lake with a few friends and got in, shaking like a leaf on a tree, and did a few strokes, in over my head - literally -and had to swim back to shore. I decided to swim in between some buoys marking the "swim area" and couldn't even do that for long. The idea was to get in, get wet with the wetsuit on, get used to the feeling of it all. But I kind of thought I'd be able to swim right away because my swimming in the pool has gotten so much better. (Thanks James!)

I was more than discouraged after that. I was frustrated, sad, feeling overwhelmed and pretty much depressed about the first swim. How did I do it last year?!

The next day I ventured over to our friend Ted and Lauren's in the backyard. They have access to a swimming hole. Ted kayaked along side us and that was so reassuring, so thoughtful and it made a world of difference in terms of the panic I feel when realizing I'm somewhere, in the middle of a body of water, with no where to go if there's a problem. We stopped at the end for the first leg, the 1/4 mile mark, and there is a point where two rocks meet and there is a shelf of rocks to sit on. So Lauren and Amy climbed up to sit, to soak it all in, I got there and did the same.

And then Amy screamed!

It was a leech on her hand -- not attached, but sort of letting her know it was there!!! Are you kidding me?! She jumped back in the water to head back. That was not what I wanted to hear was in the water, because I was making a very strong effort not to open my eyes under water with each stroke, but to close them, forcing myself out of a habit that had become second nature. On the way back all I wanted to do was open m eyes to make sure I wasn't swimming into another creature! Turtles, leeches and snakes, oh my!!!

(The turtles probably don't look as lovely and serene as this one, but I like to have this visual!)

We swam an "out and back" pretty much from one side of the water to another, a quick half a mile. I felt a rhythm on the way back, arm over arm, breath........ arm over arm, breathe... Forcing critters and pond grass that occasionally swept across my hands out of mind.... focusing on breathing properly and trying to relax. The more relaxed your body, the faster you glide through the water.

I have to admit, it wasn't bad. The worst part was the muck you have to step on to get out IN the water, and the shallower parts in the middle (which I'm glad are there because it gives me comfort in case I panic and need to stand, knowing I can) where your hand meets some grasses flowing about. Ugh.

I went again this week with a bigger group of us, and we swam just shy of a mile. Almost the distance for Sunday's event, which is 1.2 miles. It's better and easier each time.

Arm over arm, breathe.....

I need to work on relaxing my body. I find I'm a little slower in the open water, and I know it's because I am rigid and not fluid.

Turtles, leeches & snakes, oh MY!!!

I took today off completely, but I am aching to do something. I'm loading up on carbs this week in preparation of Sunday-storing up some goodies for my body to rely on for the distance it needs to carry me. By the time the week is over, I will have consumed more bagels, fig newtons (thanks Chris!) rice, chicken & pasta than I care to think of.

I guess that's the point- on race day, to feel like you have to more, your body is begging you to burn it all off.

As much as I like to eat, I think I prefer to eat a little "cleaner" with my binges in here and there. You know, oreos by the sleeve, cake by the sheet, reeses cups by the bag. This carb loading is for the birds. Sugar loading sounds more like it!!

3 days and counting. Packet pick up is Saturday. My bike had a race check and is good to go. I've mentally packed my bag. Got my hair and eyebrows done--you know, the essentials! I'm almost ready!