Cross Training Day

Technically today was "Stretch & Strengthen" on my training calendar. I went to Zumba with my friend Kim for a 90 minute class at 9am which was a REALLY good class. I don't know if I'm getting old, but the music was BLASTING! Weird to walk outside at 10:30am with bright sky's and have my ears ringing. I felt like I should have been at a club all night! :)

We left the class and headed over to the pool where we met Jen for some swimming. I got in a full mile again. I felt really good. Someone in the next lane told me that I swim really fast and she was trying to keep up with me but couldn't. Funny how everyone sees things so differently. There I was thinking I was struggling, and she thought I was fast! I was trying to keep pace with Jen. But I can't. I need to stop between laps and catch my breath for a minute. Jen just keeps on going and going!

I really like swimming as cross training. I feel good, I feel like I am making progress and I just get into a zone and go.

Before running, I had never experienced that "Zone" before that so many people would talk about it. I never knew what they meant. Now I do. Almost like a sitting meditation, where you are supposed to just quiet your mind. (Yeah right!)

I have never done well with a sitting meditation. My mind is ALWAYS going. But with exercise, I am able to be in the moment, focus only on what I am doing and just hit that zone. I have it in running, yoga and now swimming. I'm not thinking of anything else, I'm just going.

Today I was trying to do the math and figure out how many lengths I had done, knowing that 65 is a mile. I couldn't do the math! I was so into just swimming, and moving my arms for the strokes and breathing, that I couldn't do math! When I hit the end of the pool, I stopped and figured out where I was at, but while I'm swimming it is just, "one, two, three, breathe. One, two, three, breathe" and that's how I get through the pool.

Now I'm heading up to mom and dad's for dinner before coming home to relax before a crazy week. Only 3 1/2 working days this week, but still 5 days worth of work! Hopefully after all the exercise this morning, I'll sleep well tonight and be off that kick of not sleeping from last week.

Tomorrow is running. I can't remember the training schedule but it is around 4 miles. We might be getting snow tonight into tomorrow, so I'll hit the gym for it. Tuesday is a 2 mile run, and depends on the weather and if we have snow on the ground for where I run. Then I'm meeting friends at the pool again. Hopefully I'll get in another mile. Wednesday is another 4 miles, and Thursday cross training, so back at the pool for a 3rd time this week!

Friday is supposed to be rest day and Saturday is supposed to be 6 miles. Saturday is Christmas. I'm not going to be out running on Saturday. I KNOW that no matter what intentions I have, it just won't happen. SO, I'll just get the run in on Friday instead and keep Saturday as a rest day. Not sure yet what I'll be doing next Sunday and if the pool will even be open or not. I'll have to find out this week.

And I'm avoiding talking about the big elephant in the room. Hopefully tomorrow I will find out if I have been accepted to the team (or not). I'm nervous, but hopeful. And then I can just push forward. Fingers crossed!!!