Day 302: New Goggles!

Apparently it was the goggles, not me! Yesterday evening, I squeezed in a few minutes between yoga and soccer to try on a bunch of different goggles at my favourite swim store -- and found a pair that fit. Finally. When I wore them in the pool this morning, they suctioned on effortlessly and stayed on til I pulled them off my face at the end of the swim. They are clear and I can see as I swim. (My others were tinted, which I hadn't even noticed). All the brightness and clarity underwater is a bit unnerving. But I think it will be useful to see during the race.

I swam confidently for the full hour, stopping only to let my lane partner pass me at the ends. (I never timed it quite right -- I would let her pass, and then the very next lap, she would let me pass so she could use the flutterboard; this happened almost every time I let her pass). I did not count lengths, but I know it was a strong swim. I feel more balanced in the water, and my shoulders seem to be rotating more smoothly and strongly.

This week, I've enjoyed two yoga classes, including a strength-building vinyasa class yesterday. I also ran on Wednesday morning. My friend and I went a little farther than usual, and then I extended my run afterward with my two eldest kids joining me! We went another two kilometres, so I ran a total of 10.

Today, I ran after my swim. I forgot that on swim/run combo days, which are usually on Mondays, I only swim for fifty minutes, so as to get home at a reasonable hour. So I decided to shorten my run slightly, and go as fast as I possibly could. In the duathlon, I ran the first 4km at 4:30/km, and that was my goal for this morning's run. It was really really hard, but I kept my legs churning as fast as they would go, and finished 4km in 17 minutes. That's 4:25/km. That gives me a good idea of how hard it is to run that fast.

I like running fast. I would like to build endurance and speed, and be able to run faster, gradually, over longer distances. I wanted to go one more kilometre this morning, but I was pretty tired, and I knew a hard day at work was waiting me at home.

Which I'm not doing right now because instead I'm blogging! Agh!

So ... back to work. Here's a link to my latest chatelaine.com post, on the cost of triathlon training and racing.