Tuesday: I Nerded Out

I guess I am tapering this week, but I am just winging it. Boston Marathon recovery coupled with registering for the wrong race (thought I registered for the Half-Iron distance at the REV 3, but actually registered for the olympic), added to that fact that I really should not have registered for a competitive event this soon after finishing the Boston Marathon seems to have me puzzled. If I am honest, I need to also take into account that my regular workouts have been disrupted by epic amounts of rain over the past weekend. When I look at the whole sequence of events leading up to this weekend's triathlon, I am sort of clueless about how I am handling the whole deal.

I know a few things:

• I know that I am going to Knoxville on Friday
• I am attending the practice swim in whatever body of water we will be swimming
• The water in this lake (river, pond, puddle, who knows!) is 65 degrees. I know this because Jill Mongene told me.
• I should study the race web site tonight, but I received the InStyle Hair issue in the mail today, and I plan to study it cover to cover as if for an exam. HAIR!!!!
• I am going to Yogurt World tonight.

Whatever, I will make it to Knoxville, I will make it to the start line, I will swim my pants off, shame myself on the bike, and run it in like a champ. I was prepared for the Boston Marathon this year, and that is one race more than I have ever been prepared for in my life. Things are on the up!!

I did do a very noble act of preparation today, for which I cannot stop patting myself on the back. I hauled myself over to Prairie Life this morning after calling to check that the water temperature of their outdoor pool was 65 degrees. I shimmied into my wetsuit got on my goggles and cap and DID IT!!!

Now, Prairie Life is probably the nicest most state of the art gym in Franklin, and they let me use a guest pass to swim today. It is a great gym; unlike the rec center (where I usually swim) they have showers that stay on for the duration of your shower and not 30 second intervals. Also, there is soap and lotion available, and towels. TOWELS!!!!

It is unfortunate, however, that the one time I go to the cool gym in Franklin, I have to nerd out in a wet suit, monster goggles and my swim cap. All the cool girls were in Lululemon with matching headbands, and I was lurching about like swamp thing in a sketchy looking wetsuit and a tinted goggle mask.

As I was gearing up to get in the water, a guy stepped outside and said, "You like like a superhero?". Honestly, he said it with question inflection in his voice. So here is what I know happened. He saw me in my wetsuit through the tinted windows and thought I looked kind of cool, then he opened the door, came outside into the daylight, and I turned around and looked at him. He was unprepared for how ridiculous I looked head on. The back of me through tinted, hazy gym windows looked ambiguously cool. The front of me in broad daylight stopped him in his tracks. His cool line, became a confused question. Poor you, gym guy.

"I do have some very cool qualities", I wanted to reassure him in some way. "I look cool in regular clothes. Its just that this whole ensemble doesn't do much for me physically."
Anyway, other than that weird experience, I had a nice swim. 65 degrees is cold, but it didn't take my breath away. It was pleasant. I swam about 2000 yards. My wetsuit performed well. I am excited to think that my swim won't be miserable, and I can do this cold water thing!!! Alcatraz is in my future!!