Long Weekend

     Lets just start off this blog by mentioning I'm a guy with a lot of faults.... I have a huge problem with pushing limits. I end up looking for an extreme and push 100% towards that extreme til I either attain the goal or more likely fail in a huge flaming ball of shame. Hence enter my 1st coached swim session. I went in to it thinking it was going to be an hour of me and the swim pro (Autumn) having me do some light swimming and trying to give me some pointers and then I would shower go home and do my long run like any other normal Saturday, but it didn't go down like that. I would like to say I'm in better then average shape so as I entered the pool I told myself that once the speedo was on I was going to max out this hour with energy to spare...I was horribly wrong. At the starting I felt great the water was cool she was being super helpful with great pointers. After we worked on form and body position which by the way I swim like a tired old man, was a lot to think about. So she would have me do short drills to work on shoulder roll (which I still can't figure out) but before that she had me do a drill on kicking or head water level position or stroke position. However she didn't know that since I am me I would always try to work on all five at once which lead to a total failure to complete any of the above steps. There was 1 lap where I was to tired to think and I made it about a half of a lap with perfect form but by then I was spent. Towards the end this was our conversation.

I put my arms on the side of the pool to listen to how the lap just went

Autumn - how did it feel

My Answer - Ok except half way I realized I was kicking all over the place and when I fixed that I forget to stroke properly

In My Head - It feels like my left arm quit 3 laps ago and I'm not sure if it is still attached, No matter what I can last an hour just keep moving.

Autumn - It was ok but lets try it again and just focus on one or two things like your kicking and hip roll

In My Head - Come on old man !!! she just wants another lap from you the hour has to be almost over, alright one more lap

My answer - Ok

After the lap she said you lost your form maybe your tired. How about we save the rest for next time.

In My Head - Thank you my body is done, Wow that was a rough hour you are an old man

My answer - Cool you gave me a lot to work on.

Autumn was awesome she kept offering me breaks and saying you can start the lap when ever your ready. So she was super nice. and offered me a million outs... Its just not how I am so like always on the 1st day of a new workout I left got in my car beat.....But then started my car reached for my phone and realized I had been swimming for 2 hours... Yes I was dazed and confused I pushed it an entire hour longer then I thought so maybe I wasn't as out of shape as I thought.

----I'm not sure if Autumn reads my blog but if so Sorry I just have a rough time with admitting I'm too tired to go on.---

I spent the rest of Saturday taking it as easy as a Dad can with 2 young Boys can. I skipped my long run and then woke up Sunday went to church went shopping then decided to try and kill my long run before the Super Bowl. About a Mile into my 8 mile run I saw about a half mile in front of me a neon green shirt of a runner so once again just like typical Chris style I decided I was going to catch them so I pushed it (Hard) for the next 2.5ish miles I went all out til eventually I passed A women with a neon green running tee a long sleeve white under shirt and black tights who was running around or right under a 10 minute pace. (If by chance your are said women and reading this Blog...THANK YOU I ran a awesome workout because you decided to run Sunday) after about 4 miles our paths went different ways so I finished my run and made it home 1 minute into the start of the Super Bowl. I had a long weekend starting with Friday nights hard as I could go 25 mile bike ride ending with my pre super bowl run and some very beat legs...

I train alone because I like to be the one to force myself past my limits, but this weekend I got swimming lessons and chased down a runner and after it is all said and done sometimes its nice to have someone else do the pushing for a day or two....

Thanks to anyone and everyone who helps push another....Sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered...

How I Enjoyed the Super Bowl