Bike Diva

Swim - Bike Diva - Swim

The other day I posted up some observations from my first swim training on my journey to become a triathlete: Bike Diva's First Swim. On Monday night my husband and I went back to the YMCA for our second swim training. My husband just had bladder cancer surgery on December 15, so he hung out in the family pool, while I attempted a few laps in the lap pool.

There were a couple a of young girls (midget children) in the lane next to me taking a swim lesson. They looked like pros compared to my attempt at swimming. I was happy to find out that member's can take swim lessons at the Y for a reduced rate. They even teach adults. Unfortunately the one instructor I saw looked to be about as old as my son.

Does anyone teach old ladies, that have delusions of becoming a triathlete, but ZERO swim ability how to swim. Uh yeah, I think I can see all the swim coaches looking in the opposite directions. Come on people, don't you like a challenge?

Why Try a Tri?

Everyone's probably wondering why the girl that said she would never ever never ever do a tri because she doesn't swim is suddenly saying she wants to triathlon? Well, I like challenges, and I'm sick and tired of being chicken shit about swimming. I only compete against me myself and I and want to kick that whimpy anti swim part of my personality into the gutter. So there.

One of the scariest parts of joining the YMCA to start swimming in their lap pool? Walking into the locker room after your workout and seeing wall-to-wall naked, wrinkly, old ladies. And I'm not talking about seeing myself in the mirror! Thought I went temporarily blind last night after walking into the women's locker room almost smack dab into some old chickie poo, dang girl, cover that SH*T up! I know I'm not exactly cover model material, but I don't go around flaunting my nakeness. Maybe I'm just getting a bit conservative in my old age. I'm sure my husband is running around naked in the men's lockeroom. He likes to flash the full moon at every opportunity. Oh joy, hope he doesn't get us kicked out of the gym!

It's Fun to Swim at the YMCA

We don't actually belong to the YMCA. We took a tour of our local YMCA last Friday. They said we could visit a couple of times before joining. So after our second swim trial, we decided we wanted to get a family membership to the gym. But the zero membership enrollment fee doesn't start until January 1st. If we joined now, in December, it would be about $100 enrollment fee. We are going up north for the holidays, so we'll wait until we get back on January 3rd to join, but that still leaves me without an indoor pool to use for 4 days, bummer.

Our local Y has a masters swim program, but it costs $30 per month for members, on top of our monthly gym membership fee. I am thinking about participating in the masters swim program, because unlike my husband, I have just about zero swim ability. The masters swim program meets from 6 to 7 AM and 12 to 1 PM Monday through Friday. They also meet Saturday mornings, as long as there isn't a swim meet going on.

But those times don't work out for my husband, he usually has to be to work by 7 or 7:30 and doesn't get home until 5 or 6. I might sign up for masters swim for one month, to see how I like it. I think only 2 of the 6 lap pool lanes are dedicated to masters swim, so I don't know what the benefit is if anyone can use the pool at the same time as the masters swim program.

Swim Diva

We have an indoor pool at our house, but it's outside and TINY. The thought of doing 4 laps to equal one lap pool lap sounds BORING. And, although we live in south Florida, it has been rather cold here the past few weeks. So our pool is a bit cold. We turned the pool heater on, but it still felt like ice water when I stuck my toe in the water yesterday. And being an outdoor pool, even putting the pool cover on/off we still end up with a lot of dirt, debris and dead BUGS in the pool - YUCK, that kind of grosses me out.

Swim Deadline

After 5 years of participating in century bike rides with our local Team in Training chapter, my husband and I have decided to start training for our very first triathlon. Although we have raced in a few duathlons (run-bike-run) over the past couple of years, the FAU Wellness Triathlon will be our first ever triathlon.

FAU takes place at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton, Florida and is just a few miles from our house. FAU, which occurs on April 17, has an open water swim, so we are joining our local YMCA, so we can workout in their lap pool, to get a jump on our swim training. I am keeping track of my journey to become a triathlete on the Bike Diva blog: bikediva.net.

Team in Training is the largest fundraising program for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Each member of TNT pledges to raise a certain amount of $$ for the society, to help find a cure and new treatments for various blood cancers. Please consider making a donation to the society, in our name: Rob & Lynn Smythe's Team in Training Fundraising Page.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva