I remembered how nice everyone was at the Y when I started swimming regularly. They met for breakfast on Saturdays. I didn’t even consider myself a real swimmer yet, and I was invited.

The ladies in the locker room struck up a pleasant conversation this week when I went swimming. I had thought I don’t go often enough for anyone to notice, but no, that wasn’t true.

I met a woman swimming through her second pregnancy. I remember being the pregnant woman in the pool. She lamented that she’s already slowing down. I remember that, too. How you sometimes must let go that ideal number of laps you wanted to swim, or resign yourself to the fact that it will take longer.

But, what are you swimming for anyway? A number? Love of the water? Or your health?

This week I had a set time I would swim. I wanted to be home before the kids woke up. So I swam for 20 minutes, ending up with 500 yards. In another two weeks, maybe I can get there earlier and put in more yards. If not, I will have still got my swim in.

Do you make or take the time to exercise? It doesn’t have to take long.

Conversely, when I swim freestyle faster, I also panic more about being out of breath, and get too scared to swim more freestyle laps. I must resolve this issue. I’m pretty sure it’s all in my head, but I must take a leap of faith in order to be sure.

After my swim, I went for a 3.8 mile walk with a friend. I later hopped on my bike to go pick up my daughter from Girls on the Run. We walked and rode home, for a total of 2.8 miles.

I know, it’s not pure or anything, but I convinced myself I could handle that last ride because I’d have to do that much and more in a triathlon. That was good to keep in mind.

Just in case a walk doesn’t count in the big scheme of things? I ran on the treadmill yesterday. So a two-day span is still a smaller gap in my discipline than I’ve done before. (not counting the little mini backwards triathlon I attempted back in ’05, when I first started swimming regularly).

Baby steps, people.

I was in a funk because I’d been working out pretty hard and had plateaued on my weight loss. Working out was increasingly feeling like having a mouth full of gravel. I was beginning to wonder ‘what’s the point?’

But then a few things happened (not necessarily in this order):

I finished Jillian Michael’s 30 Day Shred. This took MUCH longer than 30 days for me, because I was not doing it everyday. In the end, it was a month between Jillian’s workouts, what with all the lovely warm weather we’ve been having and all. But, I finished it, and I do notice more tone and strength in my body. I am thinking about either starting it over, 10 days per level, or to just do level 3 once or twice a week.

I also changed my diet and broke through my plateau. That is beyond a relief, even with another of my children’s birthdays (and cake!) upon us.

I got my bike fixed! My good friend bike, companion since 1993, had been down since the summer. Which is not a huge deal, considering Michigan winter. But, with my bike down, as well as the other large bikes in the family, let’s just say that had more to do with my taking up running than almost anything else.

So there was some good in that.

But with my bike back, I don’t have to depend on getting to the gym to get my mileage in. As I rode my running path today, overjoyed at how much faster I can cover the same path with a bike, I worked out a way to get 10 miles in on the bike. The goal is to get up to riding 10 miles 3 days a week. I thought I’d start with one day a week.

In 4 weeks, I’ve ridden 10 miles, 13 miles, 9 miles, and 3 miles. Those first three rides were on the recumbent and stationary bikes at the gym. Today I rode the 3 miles on my bike. It was all I could do to keep it at 3. Time was of the essence, and it is my daughter’s birthday.

What does any of this have to do with a triathlon? Well, with today’s ride, I’ve done 3 miles running, 900 yards swimming, and 3 miles riding a bike.

With a few accomplishments under my belt, I am re-energized,and excited to improve. I did swim much more freestyle this week than the last time I’d swum, but I still swim on my back for the majority of the time. I don’t see anybody bumping along on their back in a triathlon, do you?

But when I took my bike on the trail? I was just riding my bike. On the street.

After a certain point, all this triathlon stuff is starting to look like a workout. An INTENSE workout, but a workout, nevertheless.

I guess it had to happen sometime, that as I actually worked on the skills to do a triathlon, it would strip the wonder and mystery from the whole experience.

So, this week so far, I’ve ridden a stationary bike 13.3 miles, swum 500 yards, and run 3 miles. That’s a small triathlon, no?

And on this end of it, it’s been a lot of exercise.

I still don’t feel ready to compete in a triathlon. I plan on running a 5k with my daughters this spring, and I want this to be the year I ride my bike to Lake Michigan. I am in the pool more often than I’ve been over the last couple of years, so maybe I’m looking at a short triathlon next year.

It had to become more routine for me to even imagine it, I guess. But the thrill is gone.

I went swimming for the first time in months last Wednesday. Again, I can feel a difference when I’m better fit.

I’ve been running all winter, and what with the beautiful mild weather, I did most of my running outdoors.

Wednesday was in the middle of an unprecedented March Michigan heatwave, with temperatures already in the 60s at 6:30 AM when I hit the pool.

Worried as always about my breathing, I decided to backstroke until I felt warm enough to swim freestyle. As it turned out, I swam 550 of my 800 yards on my back. I only swam 50 free in total, and made up the rest with 200 breast.

Aerobically, I could have kept going. I could feel what running has done for my swimming. But I had to stop because my shoulders got tired.

And it will take me a while to build up my stamina for freestyle, unfortunately. Swimming every other week (as opposed to every three months!) should help.

Has Spring called you back to the pool?

No matter I’ve been working out 6 days a week. No matter that I completed the 100 pushup challenge, the 200 squat challenge, and have finished 4 weeks of couch to 5k training.

When I hit the water, my body let me know it’s been a long time since I’d seriously swum. I managed 500 yards in 20 or so minutes. I think I swim too fast for me to be able to sustain my pace in freestyle. I did most of my laps on my back. I decided not to beat myself up about it this time. It must have been about a year since I’d done any lap swimming.

But I’ll be back. Sooner, rather than later. Is it me, or is swimming the most strenuous sport out there?

The children earn a lunch out when they get 100% in all their subjects all week. My 11 and 9 year olds earned a 100% week last week, and they invited the 3 y/o to join them. Yesterday was the lunch day.
The little children always choose McDonald’s.

Do you understand the restraint it takes to go to McDonald’s and order those stupid grilled chicken snack wraps, and no fries?

I used to substitute a smoothie and or a frappe for the fries, but I nixed those yesterday.

The 9 year old invited the 3 year old, because she likes to play with happy meal toys with a partner. The 7 year old, who earned the most 100% weeks last year is having a dry spell in the 2nd grade, so she couldn’t invite him.

The 3 y/o was tickled pink to get to hang out with the big girls.

There was something different about those Happy Meals. First of all, do the fries look tiny in those little cardboard boxes, or is it me?

Secondly, each Happy Meal also came with a bag of apples. The children tasted their apples, but didn’t want them. I ate them, glad to have something with my wraps.

And I thought, McDonald’s would make a fortune if they sold those apples to women. How less torturous a trip to the Golden Arches while dieting?

I mean, I tried their salad, and it was a minefield for my South Beach (diet) days, not to mention less than fresh.

But the apples? Crisp and tasty, despite the fact that they’re peeled.
So here’s my adult Happy Meal: 2 grilled chicken snack wraps ( I prefer the chipotle barbecue sauce, though I suspect it’s evil), a medium-large bag of apples, (with peel) and a bottle of water. You get your lunch and dessert all together, and you haven’t jeopardized your diet too much. Are you listening, Mickey Dee’s?

Natalie Coughlin had another great day as well. Here’s the day 2 scoreboard.

I was on pins and needles to find out how he did. I found out that Jones and other American swimmers participated in an International Swim Meeting in Bolzano, Italy.

Then I read this mysterious tweet: “It’s coming around 48.9 after heavy lift yesterday … I’ll take it…#beatenup”

Here’s the rest of the story, as I found on Swimming World

Italy’s Marco Orsi won the men’s 100 free in 48.92, while USA’s Cullen Jones finished second in 48.95. Italy’s Federico Bocchia earned third in 48.95.

Good for Cullen! I’ll be on the lookout for his other performances at this meet over the weekend.