Let's Get Wet

This past week has been pretty awesome because I have jumped back on the training train! OHMAHGAWD...do you know how happy I am to have a consistent schedule for ME once again? If you have been reading my sporadic posts over the last few months, you will see that things have been pretty up and down this past year. Lots of professional and personal things sucking up my time and sadly, training took a back seat. 

BUT IM BACK and ready to tackle new goals for 2015. 

NEW GOALS AND NEW CHALLENGES!!

I am super excited for what's on the race schedule for this coming season and my heart is filled with joy and excitement to return to what I LOVE to do!!

I really enjoy swimming in open water and I am kind of a pool pansy. I will swim as many yards...heck MILES as needed in the lakes, ponds, oceans but give me a big swim workout in the pool and I get all "meh" about swimming. I don't know why but...do you know how awesome it is to actually FEEL EXCITED to be swimming again?? IN THE POOL? 

Ever the optimist, I am looking at this break as just what I needed to recharge the old batteries! 

I got in the pool very willingly 3x this past week and it was rather slow and my endurance definitely took a hit in the months off but by the end of the week, I was already seeing some progress and banged out a 500 warm up like it was nothing. A very slow nothing but...and Im planning on another 3 swim sessions this week. I even have a pool date with my local swim Coach, Andy on Sunday.

So today is a 4 mile run with a few short intervals followed by this swim set:

2800 yards total

WARM UP

400 swim

300 pull

200 as 25 drill/25 swim x4

100 kick

MS: 4x100 Free (pick your interval and stick with it. Allow :10-:15 seconds rest between each 100)

50 easy

300 steady 

3x100 Free (on the same interval as 4x100)

50 easy

200 steady

100 easy

100 hard effort

COOLDOWN 300 mix of stroke

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

So Im back to having my "regular" bag of gym/training essentials and now my "swimbag" is back...and that makes me smile. 

So what's in that very cool bag? Oh, just some pool essentials in my swim bag-

The Waves Microtowel 

I cannot say enough about these towels. Small, portable and they are like little water vacuums. LOVE Perfect for the pool and the beach. Amazing...

A regular towel vs 3 stacked Waves towels

Foggies

Ummm, yeah...I don't swim without these EVER. I also use them on my cycling glasses. THEY WORK simple as that...keep my goggles clear and clean. BOOM!

and speaking of goggles, THESE

TYR Special Ops 2.0 Polarized Goggles

Scott, always in Beaver gear

My friend, Scott, sent me a pair of these for my birthday 2 years ago and I have been in love with them since (even though he sent me UWisconsin Badgers red white and black ones), I have not looked back. I have small set eyes and these never dig, hurt, leak...and they are perfect for pool and open water. They last a long time too!!

I usually find the best prices on these at SwimOutlet.com, which is the link I provided. I have used my swim team affiliate link to support the YMCA Manta Ray Swim Team. 

and of course...MY TEAM REV3 SHIMMER SUIT FROM SPLISH!!!

Peaks to Portland 2.4 mile Swim rocking the SHIMMER

So cheers to a return to what I love...and I am forever grateful that I get to do this and help others find their health and joy.