Three weeks ago, I joined the gym. Why? Because my "free" gym membership as a student expired. But the truth is, I rarely went to the gym to workout as a student so why was I joining a gym now?
I wanted access to the pool. The pool was going to be my cross-training for my non-running days. I had very high hopes for cross-training; swim one day, go to trapeze class the next. Both of these are great ways to strengthen your arms and stretch out your lungs without actually pounding the pavement. Let's count how many times I've been in the pool since I started training: ONE. And the trapeze classes? ZERO.
So, my cross-training isn't all that I hoped it to be. But at least I can say that I started and more importantly, that it feels good. It's that adrenaline rush (or even the pain that comes with exercise) that makes me crave the workout. That and when someone tells me, "NO."
The ultimate goal in getting back into the pool is to train for my next sprint triathlon. If I can learn to swim in open water (even though I'm training in a pool) for a longer distance, say 800 - 1000m, maybe I'll consider training for the olympic distance. And for that, I have started training early. The triathlon season is winding down in the northeast and it won't start up again until next spring. So...if all goes well, I will have about 6 months of training under my belt - at least for the swim. But the run will be a breeze and I'll rely on my gear shifters to make biking that much easier.
If you don't know me already, I'm not vying for the top spot - just as long as I finish, I'll be happy.
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