"Git 'Er Done!" The Tri-Bloggers Swim Challenge

Earlier in the week when talking to my coach I opened my big mouth and highlighted the Tri-Bloggers Swim Challenge on Pedergraham’s blog (http://pedergraham.blogspot.com/). It’s a 4,000 yard swim made up of (40) 100 yard intervals that seem easy enough in the beginning. The intervals are written to accommodate the swimmer’s speed and skills. For example, mine were written as follows:

1st 10: 4@2.25; 3@2.20; 2@2.15; 1@2.10
2nd 10: 1@2.20; 4@2.15; 3@2.10; 2@2.15
3rd 10: 2@2.20; 1@2.15; 4@2.10; 3@2.05
4th 10: 3@2.20; 2@2.15; 1@2.10; 4@2.00

This means for the 1st set of (10) 100s, 4 of them were leaving at the 2.25 minute mark, the next 3 at the 2.20, and so on. If I finished at 1.50 that meant 35 seconds of rest on the first 4, 30 seconds on the next 3, etc. The opposite could hold true too – if I loafed and finished at 2.10, that meant only 15 seconds rest on the first 4, 10 seconds on the next 3, etc.

After being “challenged” by Jen (see “Me and My Big Mouth”), I really had no choice but to accept and put this on my calendar. So last Thursday night I’m getting my gear together and I have to admit I was positively excited about doing this. Frankly, I LOVE a challenge. The idea of putting myself to the test both terrifies and exhilarates me at the same time. Yes, I might fail but that possibility alone is enough to drive me in the direction of success. The feeling of glorious fulfillment that waits on the other side is an equally prevailing force.

Friday driving to the pool, my heart was already beating faster. I’m thinking “C’mon, you swam this distance several times last summer when training for Ironman! What is going on here?! You can do this – and do it well!” It was a rollercoaster of fear and confident excitement all rolled into one big ride.

In the locker room, I pulled on my swim cap and grabbed my towel, goggles, and baggie with the outlined intervals in it. Of all the preparation I’d done, I’d actually managed to forget my watch! “Sassafrassarassa!!”…(Muttley-style, from one of my favorite childhood cartoons Stop the Pigeon).

This meant I’d have to read the pool clock, which is not a big deal; it just meant one more thing I’d have to manage – remembering where I finished, what interval I was on, when I’d have to leave again. Always a learning experience!

I stepped into the pool area and surveyed the lanes. Hmmm…Slow, Medium, or Fast…people in all of them. Suddenly the swimmer in the Fast lane said she was finished and getting out – sweet!

I jumped in, plastered my baggie onto the end of the lane, waited for the second hand on the pool clock to cross over 60, and started right in.

The following is a rehash of each set of 10:

1st 10: Okay, the first 7 feel a bit “stiff” – this is a warmup of course…but is that 1.45 I’m seeing on the pool clock??? Awesome!!

The next 3 intervals are right on 1.45-1.48 and I’m in disbelief. I’ve never swum this fast, except the week before when I blew it out at 1.39.

2nd 10: Alright, I’m warmed up now!! And cruising, flip-turning my heart out…I’m almost halfway!! This is so easy...maybe Jen should've rewritten some of the intervals...

3rd 10: Okay, feeling a bit tired, but still strong – I’m still coming in at 1.48!! This is so great!

After the 33rd 100…

Ooooo, where did all the fun go? Man, will this EVER be over?? 7 more to go…sheesh!

I take a peek at my baggie at the remaining 7 intervals…my times are now inching closer to 1.50.

3 more at 2.10 and THEN 4 MORE AT 2.00??? Can’t the time pass any faster? I’m bored…

3 intervals later…4 more to go. The war between body and mind is raging at full tilt.

Wow, that hurt…I needed nearly every bit of that rest…I could use a buffet about now…ooo, look at those tiles on the bottom of the pool…can I have some chocolate?...and why is France so far away?

The LAST 4…

Good grief, only 5 seconds rest!! Huh?? Sassafrassarassa!! No WAY I’m NOT finishing, I don’t care if they (my arms, but I hardly had the strength to think the words) fall off!! I can pick ‘em up on the way back!

I bulldoze my way through the remaining intervals and gratefully touch the wall at the end. My smile was broad enough to reach both sides of the pool – I DID IT.

It made a 200 cooldown swim seem like NOTHING. Some other unexpected side benefits: reading the pool clock and flip turns have now become second nature. The amazing part is that I still met one of my goals for this season, which is to be in flip turns full time by March 1st, despite having septum surgery and being out of the pool for 2 weeks.

As Larry the Cable Guy says (ad nauseum): “Git ‘Er Done!”