I've been a bad mad swimmer

Well...the truth of it is...I haven't swam much lately. It's been about 3 1/2 weeks since my open water swim in Sarasota...and I've probably been in the water twice since then??

I swam on Oct 24th with TBAC...it was super cold outside but at least daylight savings hadn't kicked in yet so it was mostly light out during practice. The pool heater didn't seem to be working real great and the air was cold. I cramped up 1/2 way thorough practice. I had just pushed off the wall and my calf cramped up...it hurt so bad I couldn't kick with that leg...so I had to one leg it back to the wall. Normally pulling isn't such a problem for me...I'm not a heavy kicker anyhow...but apparently the giant knot in my calf weighed a ton...because my leg kept sinking. It was quite annoying.

I managed to finish that practice...but it wasn't real pretty.

Anyhow...Thursday I woke up with a kink in my neck. I spent most of the day at work unable to turn my head and TRYING to stretch the kink out...and by 5:30 pm I gave up and decided not to go to practice. It's kinda hard to breath when you can't turn your neck!

That weekend I had a costume party on Saturday and a bunch of errands on Sunday...so I never quite made it to the pool for my distance swim. I did however make a fabulously cool Stingray costume and had a ball at the halloween party with my friends. One of them even dressed up as an angelic Steve Irwin for me...seen as Dave was unable to attend the party. Everybody loved our costume and only one person told me "it's too early" to which I replied..."it's never too early!"

Anyhow...Monday I wake up sick as a dog...spent the whole week sucking down Dayquil and Nyquil and anything else that would help me get through work and back home to my couch. I obviously did not jump in any freezing cold water that week! I managed to recover in time for a friend's wedding in St. Augustine that weekend! Dave and I and several friends celebrated with Henry and Marti after they tied the knot in what must be the smallest church in the United States! It was very, very cute. It was so small that only immediate family was invited to the catholic ceremony (oh darn! :>) and the rest of us just met up at the Cuban-Colombian reception! Muy Fantastico!

I managed to get my butt back in the water on Tues Nov 7th...fortunately the heater had kicked in a little bit. But it had rained the whole day so it was yucky and cold outside and practice was basically just miserable. I sucked it up and finished and only cramped up a little during practice. Thursday I missed practice again...I really don't remember why. I'm sure it had something to do with crappy weather and a crappy day at work. I was camping this past weekend so went one more weekend without any distance work.

So aside from a few 3 miles runs and several long dog walks I've been a big non-swimming slacker! It's gonna be really, really hard to get through these winter months. I know...winter in Florida compared to winter up north...but still...when the temp is hitting 40-anything you don't want to be swimming in an outdoor pool! It's dark by 6:30 which is when practice starts. Throw in all the craziness during the holiday season and it's just so easy to talk yourself out of practice!

I actually have practice tonight...it looks all sunshiney and pretty outside but I already know it's cold out. We have a cold front moving through tonight...supposed to be in those 40-something temps. I may have to get a wetsuit to get through the winter months...even though I have plenty of my own insulation!

Technically I still have 6 1/2 months of training ahead of me. I'm still confident that I can do this swim in June. I just have to battan down the hatches or pull myself up by my bootstraps or some such nonsense to not be a slacker for the next three winter months.

I'll be sure to check in with any exciting news...and I promise not to drown in June. I talked to Dad the other day and reminded him that the swim is the weekend of Father's Day. I told him he definitely wouldn't be getting a home cooked meal like the last few Father Day weekends. I did promise to finish the swim. He said that and a special "My Daughter Swam through 12 miles of Jelly Fish" t-shirt would be more than enough. Guess I'll have to work on that t-shirt design!

love to all...