Hawai'i Week! :D

Sooooo happy to be writing this from Hawai'i! :D This is our first true vacation (no marathons, no weddings, no obligations, more than just a weekend) in seven YEARS. With my PF tear, I have no real plans for this week, just get at least 10000 steps each day to stay active, and enjoy running easy for a little bit on Tuesday, Thursday, and then the 1mi "race" on Saturday. 


Monday
Did: a bit of walking, and a 1+ mile hike through Waimea Canyon
Not sure what I did on yesterday's 8mi hike of the Kalalau Trail, but my right calf is a little tight today :/ Wrapped it up in the ACE bandage and enjoyed the fact that today's activity was driving around the canyon where Jurassic Park was filmed. Did a short hike, and got the rest of my steps in with an evening walk

Kauai's Grand Canyon

Tuesday
Did: 10KTuesday... walking
This was supposed to be a comeback run. I'd planned on running a quarter mile each mile of the 10K, so that I'd wind up with just under 2mi run. Instead, I ended up running barely a mile, and cutting things super short because my calf seized up on me, and I'm pretty sure I have a strain. @#$%&!#.

Also, have I mentioned how much walking a 10K sucks?
This was another day where that silly little hashtag was my ONLY motivation for completing the distance.

Wednesday

Did: few miles of hiking through Volcanoes National Park My calf is now sore to touch, and I'm certain I've done something awful to it. At least I'm able to walk without any pain... Hiked through Volcanoes National Park with an ACE bandage on it, and enjoyed watching the sun set over an erupting volcano. 

climbing on lava

Thursday

Did: 4.25mi (ish) of kayaking, a little swimming, and few miles of walking

Kayaked for about two hours around a couple islands is the most calm, beautiful water I've ever seen. Being able to get a fun upper body workout in helped distract me from worrying about my calf. 

Ocean kayaking!

Friday
Did: 3.1mi in 30min on the elliptical, then an 8mi hike... and 30 flights of stairs
We hadn't planned on doing an 8mi hike when we set out, but that's what our jaunt from Waikiki to Diamond Head ended up being. We walked ~2.5mi from our lodgings to the park, hiked up to the top, took a few moments to look down on all of the switchbacks we'd just climbed up, and then headed back down. 

this picture (taken inside the crater) really doesn't make it look as cool as it is

Oh, and then, just as we were getting into bed for the evening, the fire alarm went off... and we had a very energized descent down 30 flights of stairs before being told everything was fine and that they were "working on the fire alarms"... at 7pm on a Friday. Totally legit, right? :P 

srsly? 

Saturday

Did: Kalakaua Merrie Mile in 7:26
and checked off State #15, Hawai'i

Sunday
Did: shoveled a snowy driveway, 10000 steps

we came home to this

Week-ending Thoughts:
This week has been a whirlwind of thoughts about my injuries, capped off with a better performance than I'd dreamt of at the Merrie Mile. I'm so grateful that my calf strain wasn't as bad as I'd feared, and that my foot held up so well through everything. I'm feeling strong and looking forward to building on this momentum to gradually get back to running consistently by the new year. 

Plantar Fascia Tear: Week 8

Week Beginning Thoughts:
I cannot wait for Thanksgiving. This having to interrupt my work day to get a run in and driving instead of using mass transit thing is completely stressing me out. 

Monday
Planned: 30min run on Alter-G
Did: 4.15mi in 30min @ 70% bodyweight on Alter-G
Too busy to jot any notes down after the run, and I've forgotten how this went... 

Tuesday
Planned: 10KTuesday on Alter-G
Did: 6.23 in 45:00 @ 70% bodyweight on the Alter-G
I remember this one feeling like SUCH a chore. I didn't want to run, but I wanted to have run. I played games with myself the whole time, doing little bursts of speed before the major milestones, trying to get certain times for various distances, and then, finally, realizing I had a shot at hitting a 45:00 10K and gunning the last half mile (we're talking sub-5:30/mi pace)

It felt really good to push that hard. I was exhausted, out of breath, with tired legs, and a HUGE smile on my face. Man, I cannot wait to get back on the track.

Wednesday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: bootcamp
Solid KB workout today. I'm really enjoying these workouts compared to the HIIT/bodyweight ones. I feel really challenged AND I don't have to worry about my foot at all because there's no real intensity... only strength-related struggles. This is a particularly good thing since my foot ached a little bit this morning- probably a result of running a 10K yesterday--- which is a good reminder that, whether I'm cleared to run this month or later, I can't go from zero to what I was doing pre-injury. :P 

18lb deadlift (hams are dead after 10KT) and pullover
12lb push press (sooooo hard)
35lb for most things
53lb for swings (#beast!)

Thursday
Planned: 1000m swim, PT
Did: 1.56 in 10:30 @ 83% bodyweight at PT, PT
Didn't feel like getting up after a late night of work to swim and then go to PT, so I slept in and "just" went to PT. Did a heavier weight than ever before on the AlterG, and it almost feels like I'm running un-assisted... which means it's going to be a real shocker whenever I'm back on the roads and having to support my entire bodyweight. :P 

Ran faster than ever before, though, and had no pain or aching during any activity. Hoping this means I'll still have some speed whenever I can get back.


Friday
Planned: bootcamp, 30min AlterG
Did: bootcamp, stretch
Our instructor sent this workout out the night before as a teaser, and I could not wait to do it! Bootcamp was a great start to another hectic day at the office, and I bailed on my AlterG run both due to work and the fact that I wanted to give my foot a bit of a break after putting it through 10mi on back-to-back M/T runs (not my brightest idea--- I'll probably only be doing 2-3 days a week for awhile). 





Saturday
Planned: cheer on Running Mama/10KTuesday friend in her first marathon
Did: 10000+ steps doing just that
This was amazing. There's really not much more to say that than. Being there for someone's first marathon is just a great experience, and our whole girls team there together was just the best.

#10KTuesday #team #marathonmama

Sunday
Planned: 1000m swim
Did: 1000m swim and a 10mi bike with trailer @ ~11mph
Had to sit through a gym membership spiel in order to activate my 14 day pass to a local gym. Man, I'm so glad I'm confident in myself and my fitness these days. I don't feel like I have to defend why I don't want to join right now, or why I won't use all the classes. I realized today that I know what's best for me and my body, and that the gym membership salespeople really don't have any interest in getting people fit; they just know the buzzwords they're supposed to say. lol.

I felt really comfortable in the pool, though I'm still not putting my face in the water to breathe. I know that, if I want to do that, I need to do a LOT more breathing drills before trying to add strokes to it, and I just don't want to invest the time right now. That said, I feel really good about my backstroke, and am definitely able to get all the workout I need/want from that right now. 

500yd backstroke with fins in 19:47
150yd easy kicks to take a breather
350yd backstroke without fins in 11:53

Hadn't planned on anything else, but ended up doing a 10mi bike ride with the family in the afternoon. Took it easy and did an ONB 10mi around 11mph.

Week-ending Thoughts:
Having felt some dull aches in my right heel this week, I'm no longer confident that I'll be released to run at my month-end appointment. I'm no longer confident I'll be running at all in December. This seems to be one of those injuries that you're supposed to let heal and then, once you don't feel any pain or aches, leave it be for another month... and then start back really slowly. Blergh. 

Plantar Fascia Tear: Week 7

Beginning of the Week Thoughts:
I hate being sick. Ain't nobody got time for this.

Monday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: ~1mi lunch walk
Sick. Slept in. Felt like such a bum when a friend asked what I was doing for cross-training that I made myself get out at lunch and walk, because any little thing I can do this next month+ will help me be stronger when I come back. Plus, it's 73 degrees in November. 


Tuesday
Planned: 1500m swim
Did: bootcamp
I had the munchkin from 6:30-9:30am for a variety of appointments, which meant no swimming (pool opens at 7am). I really did NOT want to go to bootcamp today. My throat was still a little scratchy. My bed was warm. It was a "long" (15min. lol) drive over there. All sorts of things were telling me to stay in bed and skip the workout.

...but I knew that I'd feel better going about the rest of the day, whatever it brought, if I had the knowledge I'd already worked out. So, I went.

I got to see the 10KTuesday crew start and finish, because I drove right by them. Even not being able to talk (since I lose my voice when I'm sick), it was still beautiful to reunite with them for a few minutes.

Bootcamp was also amazing, and I was glad to be there as soon as I arrived, as usual. 

3x45s/15s:
KB deadlift to high pull (35lb)
half get-ups with KB (12lb)
toe taps (didn't jump with these, only touches with at least one foot on the ground at all times)
reverse lunges with KB (35lb)
two-hand OH press with KB (35lb)
varying bodyweight exercise

and then 2x through:
20 rotational planks
25 elbow-to-knee sit-ups
fence walk

wee, bootcamp!

Also, by the time 11am rolled around I was INCREDIBLY stressed and really glad to have already worked out.




Wednesday
Planned: PT, 30min Alter G run
Did: 1.38mi in 10min @ 75% bodyweight at PT, PT, 3.5mi @ 7:24/mi @ 70% bodyweight on ATC Alter-G
I'm feeling more like myself these days, both in terms of not being sick (still can't sing much, but have a voice and feel OK) and getting active. My legs are sore. I'm hungry again. I'm proud of myself. :)

Still, it's so hard to claw my way back to a fit life. The first few weeks of an injury are hard because you're unable to do what you're used to doing. After that you're used to doing nothing, so changing your routine BACK to being active is tough.

I'm not just fighting inactivity, I'm also having to really modify my schedule and find time to workout. 

ATC's Alter-G 
It's great, but their hours suck for my schedule. 
1) they don't open until 8am, which means I can't start work at the office any earlier than 9am, and, if I want to get there at 8am, I'm fighting traffic
2) anywhere I go after ATC, I need to shower... and they don't have shower facilities available (fortunately, my office gym DOES)
3) I can't run at ATC after work, because their last appt is 4pm

So I can either shift my work hours or try to run during lunch and still fit in a shower. Running during lunch has been impossible due to a variety of company training sessions and other meetings. 

Swimming
The pool I joined also doesn't open until 7am, which means I can only use it on my WFH days, and timing is still tight. Joining one that has 5am openings would have cost too much.

Cycling 
Can only happen at lunch on WFH days OR on the weekends because I won't ride on the roads or while it's dark outside.

Bootcamp
This works in my schedule, well enough. It doesn't start until 5:30, though, and requires 30min of driving RT, which means I'm not home in time to help get the kiddo ready for the day, and have to rush a little myself to get to work on time. It's just not ideal to do 5 days a week, plus I only max for a max of 3. 



Thursday
Planned: bootcamp, 1000m swim
Did: bootcamp
Another morning where I had to talk myself into getting out of bed and going to bootcamp. I don't know why it's so hard for me to get up and go. I think the biggest challenge is still just getting up and having to drive somewhere. Second to that are: 1) bootcamp's timing means I'm not around to help with the kid, and 2) I don't have the same social pull with bootcamp as I do with my running group. 

Ultimately, I got up and got it done. I'm making "acquaintances" with more people at bootcamp, and I swear our instructor's friendliness and encouragement could not be better. And, just like always, I was glad to have done it.

Scrapped the swim because I haven't seen my kid in far too long, and wanted to have at least a few minutes at breakfast with him. Still got showered and out of the house before the pool would have even OPENED. Good choice. 



Friday
Planned: PT, 30min Alter G run
Did: 1.37mi @ 7:30/mi at 78% bodyweight, PT, 3.37mi @ 7:20/mi at 70% bodyweight on Alter-G
This was a rough day life-wise, and yet another day that showed me that when people say "I don't have time to work out", there might be a little truth to it. I had a 6am PT appointment, where I ran at 78% bodyweight (wooo, no pain or problems), and then had my butt kicked by around real workout. PT started off as pretty basic stuff six weeks ago, but, man, I really need to start counting this as a workout for the day. I'm sweating through my exercises and actually getting a bit of cardio in beyond the treadmill portion.

Some of the things I'm doing:

1. Calf stretches on an inclined board
2. 10min Alter-G run
3. Balancing on my "bad" foot on a trampoline while throwing balls at another (vertical) trampoline
4. BAPS board- stand on bad foot on an elliptical board with a small off-center hemisphere on the bottom, shift weight to get the perimeter of the board on the ground
5. Rocker board- slow touches back and forth
6. Eccentric calf raises
7. Steamboats
8. Various agility ladder exercises (where I'm told I definitely have a dance background because my arms don't move... lol) 
9. Lateral jumps between cones
10. Toe touches and shuffles on a step box
11. Plyo jumps on this guy:
12. Scar tissue massage
13. Ice

I had another day at work where I really wanted to skip the "second part" of my PT- a 30min run on the Alter-G, which was later in the day. I felt like I didn't have time for it, but I chose to go anyway, telling myself that it would only take an hour, and it would give me a much-needed break and mental reset before going back to the office. 

It did. I was able to think through a lot of my subsequent tasks while running, planning out a "mode of attack" for the afternoon. That said, I had a hard time focusing on the run, and really enjoying it. I hit a bit of a wall around the 3mi mark where I was done running and ready to get back to work. Running on a treadmill is like that- there's nothing to hold your interest, and, without the necessity of needing to run back to where you started, there's nothing to keep you from stopping when the first thought of "ehhhh, I'm done with this" strikes. 

Glad I went over and did it, though. This is the first week since September where I've logged double digit miles for the week. 

Saturday
Planned: ~20mi bike
Did: nada- family day
After not seeing much of my family for the past ~3 weeks due to work, I opted to scrap the morning bike ride and enjoy some snuggles with my baby and breakfast with all of us. 


Sunday
Planned: 2-3mi walk
Did: 500m (yd? idk) swim in ~20-25min 
It was cold and I wasn't meeting anyone, so the walk didn't happen this morning. I decided to make up for it by getting a short swim in this afternoon. I got a 14 day guest pass to the gym (with a pool!) a couple miles from my house, and its hours are actually conducive to my schedule (5am openings, Sunday hours too). 

I'd planned on trying for my normal ~1000m (or yards--- I know there IS a difference, but, honestly, I have no idea how to tell what each pool is measured in beyond that they're usually 25 or 50 units-of-some-variety long), but, when I was in the locker room, I realized I'd left my fins at home... Oops. 

They didn't have kickboards or anything at this gym, so I was totally on my own for my swim. I'm proud to say that I did the whole thing more-or-less without stopping (I'm backstroking and incapable of flip-turns, so I kind of HAD to stop at the walls to turn around). I had a few times where I got a little anxious because water got in my face, but I reminded myself that I know HOW to do this, and I just needed to focus up. 

I still have no idea how long it actually took me, or how many laps I actually did. I find it impossible to count while I'm swimming. By the time I get down to the other side (which takes me about a minute), I've forgotten which number I'm on. lol. 

Goggles, Swimcap, and Earplugs
I actually have swim "gear" now

Week-ending Thoughts

It is REALLY hard to fit in working out if I can't do it before 6am. I'm really hoping to get cleared at my November 30 appointment.... 

Plantar Fascia Tear: Week 6

Week-beginning Thoughts
(well, written on Wednesday)
It's been a helluva week. I can't do swimming or biking in the morning because my pool doesn't open until 7am, it's dark until 7am, and I don't feel safe biking on roads solo. I haven't been able to do bootcamp or alter-G running because of work + sickness. It's been a struggle to remind myself that I'm not training for anything right now, and giving my body all the sleep it can get is the best thing I can do when stress levels are high.


Monday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: nothing

Tuesday
Planned: PT or yoga
Did: nothing

Wednesday
Planned: swim or bootcamp
Did: nothing

Thursday
Planned: PT or yoga
Did: nothing

Friday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: 1000m swim in 25:47, 1.4mi on Alter G at PT in 10:00 @ 70% bodyweight, PT
I was able to swim at 5am today thanks to a trial pass from a nearby gym. While I loved being able to get a workout in before dawn, the location isn't really convenient for me... especially not for the cost (~$300 for two months, which is absurd considering the municipal rec center is less than $300 for an ENTIRE YEAR). Oh well. It was worth a shot.

I did a 1000m mix of kickboard kicking with fins, backstroke with fins, and backstroke sans fins. I still hate putting my head in the water because of a bad swimmer's ear infection as a kid (I get almost hysterical when there's water in my ears after I'm out of the pool). I found myself more anxious today about the swim than I have been before, and it definitely showed in my form, breathing, and general enjoyment of the swim.  

rocking my triathlon shirt, because I feel like I'm training for one again

Went right from the swim to PT, my first session in almost two weeks thanks to work madness. I had a good session, and ran with 70% of my bodyweight on the Alter G. PT thinks I'll be able to be cleared by the doc at my appointment at the literal end of the month.


Saturday
Planned: swim or 10mi bike
Did: 4.0mi @ 7:30/mi on Alter G at 70-50% bodyweight, 7.02mi on bike with trailer @ ~12mph
I had a chance to go use the Alter G this morning, so I swapped out a trip to the pool in favor of "running". I'd planned on/wanted to do an hour, but realized about 2mi in that that was probably stupid, considering I haven't run for more than 10min at a time in over a month. I started off at 70% bodyweight, which is what my PT recommended, but felt a small ache starting in my right heel (the broken one) after about a mile. The nice thing about the Alter G is that I didn't have to stop; I could just lighten the load. 

Not Running Sucks

I switched to 50% bodyweight and had no problems for the remainder of the run. While that in itself was encouraging, the fact that I felt the least bit of "still broken-ness" in my injured foot has me pretty down in the dumps. Seriously, foot, what have you been doing the past six weeks? HEAL, ALREADY, HEEL. HEAL. 

To combat my frustration, I spent about 30min doing some bootcamp-style strength work: squats, sit-ups, push-ups, tricep dips, planks, and hamstring work. And then, when I got home, I decided to go out and ride my bike. Since Jerry wanted to do a short run sans stroller, I had to take the munchkin... in my convertible... with a bike and a bike trailer... and still being able to fit in the front seat and drive safely.

Alright, BRING IT ON. 

I'M. GOING. TO. MAKE. THIS. WORK.
(PS: thank you, bungee cords)

My second time biking with the trailer was much more enjoyable than the first. First, I had all the necessary supplies (trailer, adapter, bike rack, women's bike adapter, small over-the-shoulder bag for essentials, books and snacks for kiddo) and, most importantly, a working knowledge of how to use all of these things. 

We did a little under 6mi to a coffee shop, treated ourselves to a snack, and then finished up with another ~mile to get back to the car. While I still think cycling (esp with a kid) is FAR more effort than it's worth, my options for being out, about, and active with my little one are incredibly limited these days, and I'm grateful for the option of cycling with a trailer.

café con este niño <3

Sunday
Planned: 2-3mi walk
Did: ~2mi walk with stroller @ ~20min/mi
It wasn't the normal Running Mamas Sunday Runday, but it was nice to get out and about with friends. Too bad we didn't get a pic of all of us with our strollers.

Unfortunately, about an hour after I got home, I started feeling really bad, and have spent the rest of the day in bed, sleeping, watching Netflix, and trying to get a little work done. Oh well. 





Week-ending Thoughts
I'm having a pretty hard time with this injury. I'd hoped to have a solid close to this year with some fast races, and that's just not going to happen. I've got other things on the calendar that might prevent me from training the way I want to next year, and my job is taking a giant swing towards "busybusybusy" again, which doesn't help. It's getting hard to focus on the fact that I will have a comeback when it seems like there are so many things between now and the time where life will allow me to do it. 

I miss running. I miss my friends. I miss getting up early, having a social hour, and then going into work feeling like I've already accomplished something for the day. I miss training and working hard for something I have yet to accomplish. I miss feeling fit. I miss feeling like myself.

I know that this, too, shall pass, and it'll be just a blip in my memory (just like my 2yr battle with ankle sprain complications, the broken foot that had me in a wheelchair at my wedding reception, the year of runner's knee trouble, the calf strain that had me booted for even longer than this, and whatever other things I'm totally forgetting about now because they don't matter). Right now, though, it sucks. 

Plantar Fascia Tear: Week 5

Beginning of Week Thoughts:
Wow. I can't believe this makes five weeks since I've been running. The last time I had to take this long of a "break" was in December 2013, when I strained my calf just before beginning my first marathon training. The good thing is that it doesn't seem like that long. I'm honestly amazed by this. 


Monday
Did: 10min on alter-g @ PT, PT
Up to 55% bodyweight on the anti-gravity treadmill. Did more plio jumps (laying down on machine), up to 5/6 on calf raises, finding it easier to do the BAPS and rocker boards. Also started doing something similar to "skaters" (horizontal "jumps"). It's not a true jump, more like a giant horizontal step, but I did have some airtime. This is the first time I've done anything like this at PT, so I'm calling it a win. 

Ice, Ice, Baby

Tuesday
Planned: swim for 10 minutes, core workout, yoga
Did: ~45min swimming, ~1000m? 
One of my running mama friends, S, is a lifelong swimmer (swam in college, made Olympic Trials, etc.). She's been offering to swim with me for awhile now, and I finally decided to take her up on it this week.... and spent most of last night and this morning super nervous about it. I don't know what I was really nervous about, other than putting myself in a new situation, but S made me feel right as ease as soon as I met her in the parking lot. 

The last time I swam was in 2014 for my first (and only) triathlon, Lake Lanier. I had about four or five years of swim lessons as a kid and can get myself from point A to point B, but I hate putting my face (or even my head) in the water, which makes me an incredibly inefficient swimmer. For Lanier, I'd gotten myself to the point where I could uncomfortably swim the requisite 400m (or yards, I don't remember), putting my face in the water for about half of it. 

Fortunately, I still had all my swim "gear" from that adventure, so, unlike biking last weekend, I didn't need to buy anything new for this; all I had to do was dig out my one-piece suit, goggles, and get myself to the Y on time. 

S was a phenomenal coach. She made sure we had fins and kickboards to help me focus more on form and less on staying afloat, explained and demoed things really well, and was a wonderfully encouraging and supportive person for me in the pool. I learned a few good drills to help me practice some of my "freestyle" skills (i.e. breathing, which is SO hard for me), and got some great times on hand positions and kick types. 

More than that, though, I had fun. I had fun doing cardio with a friend, which is something I really haven't had in a month. I had fun pushing myself to do something challenging, which is also something I haven't had in a month. This morning filled so many of the voids I've had since this injury happened, and I'm so glad I pushed myself out of my comfort zone to go. 

Wednesday
Planned: bootcamp
Did: yoga
I'd wanted to go to bootcamp this morning, but had a late night at work and opted to get at least five hours of sleep instead. :P Sat at my desk for about 10 hours, and then joined my sis for the last free yoga class for the year. It was pretty chilly for outdoor yoga (49, plus wind!), but a nice way to stretch and relax.

Thursday
Planned: PT, 1/2hr run on AlterG at ATC
Did: 1.3mi @ 7:30/mi on AlterG at PT
Had a good run and workout at PT this morning, but ATC was randomly closed without notice when I showed up for my halfhour timeslot on their AlterG at lunch. Grrr. 


Friday
Planned: bootcamp, 1/2hr run on AlterG
Did: bootcamp (ATC was closed today too, so no AlterG run)
Despite having done some things this week, today felt like the first time I really worked out all week. It was nice to have the camaraderie of our bootcamp class again, since that group environment is what I'm finding myself missing most about being injured. 

Replaced #4 with speed squats/plank with hip slaps and #5 with a variety of things (wipers, knee push-ups, various squats, leg raise with hip lift, etc)

Was supposed to have an hour on the AlterG today, but, again, the office was closed. At least I knew about it before I went over there today.


Saturday
Planned: swim
Did: 30 laps (~1500m?) in about an hour
So, this swimming thing is happening. I found an municipal aquatic center that offers super affordable drop-in and long-term rates near me. The only downside is that they're closed Sundays and don't open until 7am on weekdays, which means morning workouts can't really happen. Still, it's better than paying a $100 "initiation fee" for a gym plus whatever absurd monthly rate they want to charge me, and then dealing with the cancellation mess (which has happened to me EVERY SINGLE TIME I've ever joined a gym). 

I'd been planning this outing since my Tuesday swim with S, but, still, without fail, got up this morning with tons of negative self-talk in my head. 

What if I get there and the lanes are all full of super fast swimmers? 

What if they don't have kickboards? 

What if I look like a complete fool doing my awkward "drills" that aren't really swimming strokes and the lifeguard thinks I'm drowning? 

Y'know, the normal. :P

But, I'd told S I was going to swim this morning, AND I'd made a special trip to buy fins yesterday. I just needed to get myself there. 

Everything turned out great. There were only five people there when I arrived, two of whom were staff. I had a lane all to myself (and it was only 4'-6" deep, perfect for 5'-3 1/8" tall me). There were kickboards galore (though they were a different style than I was used to). 

I wanted to do at least 1000m, and ended up doing even more! (all with fins UNO)

• 3 laps of "warming up" with kickboard
• 7 laps of backstroke
• 3 more laps of kicking
• 2 laps of attempted freestyle with breathing practice (kind of gliding on my side to catch breath between face-in-water attempts)
• 2 laps of miscellaneous frog style/breaststroke hybrid
• 2 laps of head-out-of-water freestyle 
• 1 lap freestyle breathing practice with hands on kickboard-- realized my biggest struggle is getting the air OUT of my lungs under water so all I have to do with my mouth out of the water is INhale (problem not solved, but identified, sooooo progress?)
• 2 laps backstroke
• 3 laps backstroke no fins

Successes:

• confident in my backstroke and really enjoyed it-- so much that I added extra laps at the end! I almost didn't want to get out of the pool, but could feel fatigue taking its toll on my form (I kept hitting lane lines)
• definitely got a cardio workout!
• with no external prodding, I went swimming, put my face in the water, and had fun
• felt comfortable enough to swim without fins

Struggles:

• counting laps- OMG, this is seriously the hardest thing about swimming! 
• there were no flags at the end of the pool, so I jammed my fingers twice and hit my head once :/ 
• breathing OUT under water
• thrashing wildly and getting water down my ear canal every time I tried to freestyle
• fatiguing at the end and getting water in my nose, which I could tell shook my confidence and made the last few laps tough... until I calmed down and relaxed again

I bought a month pass to the center, and plan on trying to go a few times this week.

I have this sinking feeling in my stomach that I'm going to want to do another triathlon next fall... 

Sunday
Planned: 2-3mi walk
Did: ~4mi on bike @ ~6mph
Met up with my "team"'s lone marathoner (for this season) to accompany her on her last ~4mi of her 22 miler. Definitely NOT a workout at all, but SO nice to spend some time ""on the run" together. 

End of Week Thoughts:
Things I never thought I'd hear myself say: I'm doing OK without running. I don't like it, and I can't wait to be back, but I'm doing OK.