A Turning Point

The last few months of my training could be described as mediocre at best. I've made it to the pool a few times a week, but I find that when I arrive, I lack motivation to work hard. There have been changes in my work and personal life which have attributed to these changes. The fact remains that I let these changes occur, and my training has suffered. It started with simply taking a week off after Masters Long Course Nationals in mid August. One week turned into two, which was followed by an ankle sprain injury which has only recently felt mostly healed. The work and sleep schedule I chose made it literally impossible to train, but it was a choice. Over the past few months I've watched myself gain 13lbs on the scale. Although I can't really see the weight gain, I notice my muscle definition is pretty much gone. I'm perhaps in the worst swimming shape in recent years. I'm done feeling like this. Yesterday I chose to make changes that will bring me back to a normal training schedule. I will become faster in the pool, get on a normal sleep schedule, be more effective at work and lose weight.

Yesterday I drove over an hour for the single purpose of training at EMU. For me, the pool at EMU represents "time for some serious training". I always seem to push myself harder when I'm there. It was the catalyst I needed to jumpstart my training. I had just sat in a car that long for one thing only... to swim hard. I did a 3,600 yard practice, sadly, the longest practice I had done in months. I worked really hard, pushed myself, and I felt the pain. The feeling afterward was fantastic. I did some light dryland training and called it a day. This morning I woke up early, went for a brief jog and jumped in the pool for a 3,000 yard practice. I feel great and I'm gonna keep it up, I've let my health and training slip over the last three months. I'm 179.4lbs and I won't let myself hit 180.0lbs unless I'm training hard when it happens.

During practice yesterday I finished up with some swimming with fins. After 3,400 yards, I put some fins on and kicked a :49 second 100 yards. I took two minutes off and then swam a 100 back with fins in :48 seconds. I just wanted to see how it felt to go fast again.

It felt good. I'm on my way.