Blog

So many things fell apart for me in March of 2020. This blog was certainly one of them. March 14 was the last time I wrote a blog post, although I didn’t upload it. From March 14 to July 4, I wrote nothing at all. On July 4th, I wrote the summary below. I then started blogging to myself again, although not posting – excerpts from those posts are below as well.

Pics and video from my last weekend of open water swimming (March 14/15) in the spring of 2020, and a heartbreaking description written in the before time:

Paul’s thermometer read 61 when we got in. The temperature went up and down more than I’ve ever felt it do. We started from Bob’s and swam to Coast Guard. I believe the internet tale of 57 degrees as an average. The warm spots felt amazing.

It was awesome. I kept saying how happy I was. Like, to the point I worried I was becoming annoying. But I felt great in the water and at that temperature and like I could swim forever.

It was great to have a big group – me, Liz, Paul, Mike, Burak, Shawn, Bob, Kevin – met up with other Kevin, Bean, Lindsey and Ashley

The chop was satisfying – plenty of it and I handled it well, with the exception of not expecting it in the beginning and failing to close my mouth. The back of my throat is a little raw from injections of salt water.

I wish the swim could have been longer – we’re planning for a longer one tomorrow morning. Other than that it was just perfect. Beautiful sun, 65 degrees, perfect water temperature, and great people.

Great dinner at kBueno Mexican restaurant. The Mexican street corn was awesome and came out blessedly quickly, and the fish taco bowl was delicious. Next time I want to try the shrimp quesadilla, which also sounded amazing.

The (stream-of-consciouness) summary of the time from March to July 4:

I don’t really know how to sum up the last few months, but maybe it was –

March – Things are going great! Whoa, holy shit! Scramble, scramble, scramble.

April – I’m keeping in shape (drylands, bike trainer, riding with kids, yoga, pilates, running, etc.) so that I can come back at it when I can come back at it.

May – There is not going to be any coming back at it any time soon. Sad.

June – I unexpectedly CAN swim again. Yay!!! But it gets interrupted by this, that, and the other thing. Boo!!! Must buy my own pool for the garage to swim tethered so that doesn’t happen. Oh wait, everyone else already did that so there are none left. Sad. And then coughing, muscle aches, headache. Quarantine while waiting for test results. Negative. Sitting inside my room for 3 days doing nothing (BLM Netflix) actually gave me some perspective and rest from this whole thing. At the end of June I got my act back together.

July – Full implementation of doubles workouts (swimming most nights, rotating yoga, bike, run, HIIT most mornings). It’s July 4th and I’m tired and sore, but I’m going to keep doing exactly what I’m doing for a bit and see if it gets results. If I have to miss a workout, I’ll sub another workout. For the times I can’t do that, I won’t worry about it. I’m getting in 4-5000 a night. Times are all over the place. It’s really hot.

My Channel swim? Who knows? Nobody has gone yet this year… waiting. waiting. waiting.

Excerpts from posts between July 4 and October 2020

There were common themes here that I can spare you the repetition of – the heat killed me, Katie Hoff workouts killed me, Covid/brown fat weight was very slow to come off, and, more than anything, all plans are Schrodinger’s Plans now.

The overriding theme may actually have been “thunder.” I left some of those bits in. I need to achieve the karma of my Masters team – they were NEVER thundered out, whereas the universe had my thunder number.

Mid-July

Getting some good training and cross training in, though beset by thunder.

The swim team committee is not filling me with confidence about this endeavor today – a bunch of angry-seeming emails flying about. I’ve checked out for now. Everything is fraught right now, and everybody is tired and sick of living like this. But let’s not take it out on each other.

On the bright side, CHANNEL SWIMS HAVE STARTED AGAIN!!! Here’s hoping that the world can keep itself under control and that the US can get itself under control.

Saturday 18 July 2020

As of Thursday’s bike ride I really started feeling better. I was thundered out Monday and didn’t swim Tuesday – that may have had something to do with it. Of course, my ride was also partially adrenaline-fueled after finding out that morning that two of my swimmers (husband and wife) had tested positive for Covid. And had been at the pool. Where I am a board member. That took some work. So far they are feeling OK – thoughts are with them.

Headed off to WV now – gotta go pack. I’m going to continue my dryland (and perhaps add some), and should be back in the water on Wednesday, thunder permitting.

Monday 27 July 2020

I continue to feel better athletically. Thunder has given me some days off that I went ahead a took (instead of hopping on the bike trainer, etc.), which I think was wise. It is beastly hot out there – on my run this morning, I felt like my heart was going to pop out of my chest and that I was going to vomit – but I’m happy with my “go after it and do what I can” attitude. If I can suffer the heat, suffering the cold will be no problem mentally.

I ordered a pool for the garage. It is backordered until September 20, but hopefully I’ve got something to count on. My plan is to head to the beach once the water cools down. I’ll sleep in my van and not touch anything. Who knows if my swim will happen next July. Schrodinger strikes again.

But I’m happy with my current regime, and have a least a little confidence that I will be able to create a good winter regime. And that’s a lot better than I could say 2 months ago.

Early August

Training is going well – I had a week of not getting thundered out and I am tired but pleased. Katie Hoff (plus a hike with friends and several hours spent socializing outdoors in the August heat) was still kicking my butt (literally) on Saturday, but I’m embracing it as targeting serious weaknesses. I did my 5000 that night (only 5000 instead of 5500 or more because I was late due to ALMOST getting thundered out) as 10×500 alternating no equipment, paddles, and fins. I was absolutely tanked by the end of that very long day. But that’s exactly what I need if I’m going to convince my body to swim continuously for 12 hours. One of my concerns with the Covid life is that my life is 1% as physically demanding as it normally is, even with double workouts every day.

My run this morning went better than any since the spring. I was helped out by some clouds preceding our imminent tropical storm, but I also feel like I’m getting back into shape.

I guess my big news is that it looks like I will fold my programs under Wave’s umbrella and become a Wave coach. It solves a lot of problems, so hopefully will be a win/win. It is disappointing to turn over what I’ve built, but the right decision for the moment

** That was my last positive training post until August 22. I felt tired, sluggish, and generally unmotivated. Classically overtrained Laura **

Other notes from August:

“But the English Channel awaits and I’ll probably do what I’ve gotta do.”

“Wave had 2 coaches (and maybe a third) test positive… and now they are not swimming until September 8th. Which screws me over a bit. But I may finally be getting the hang of Covid, because I had virtually no emotional reaction. I just moved on with my life. I will swim when I can (still some with lap swimmers and on the weekends), I will substitute when I can’t, and I just won’t worry about it too much. My pool comes at the end of September. I hope.”

So, some mental victories in August if not athletic ones.

Late August / Early September

This was a whirlwind of getting everything transferred over and set up to coach with Wave. It is largely a blur of answering a gazillion emails.

31 August: “I’m going longer and slower now to try to rebuild some base – I think that may have been lacking. It’s tough (as a 42-year-old) not to swim for 3 months and then to come back only to fear that each workout will be your last for awhile. It gives you an intensity not always commensurate with type of training you *should* be doing.”

Now that I’ve got late October hindsight, yes, base-building was a good idea.

I got in a couple of really long (13,000+) pool swims while the pool was still open on weekends in September. There was a lot of wondering on my part about if and when I’d be able to swim, but I took the uncertainty in stride.

I also started to focus on deciding (yet again) what to be when I grew up.

Motto of the pandemic: “Here’s to having things operate the same way for more than 1 week in a row.”

Thursday 10 September

I’m sitting here, having done 3000 yards but having a swimmer who was signed up not show up, so I can’t do my 1000 for time yet. Swimmers should be coming at 9:30, so I can resume my planned 6000 yard workout then… having sat getting tight for an hour in the middle.

I think that this is excellent training. 

I’m going to be the most adaptable f***ing b**ch in the business. Except that we are all going to have that distinction by the end of this pandemic. But I am embracing the uncertainty and the need for adaptation. I’ll be physically tough as nails and mentally as well. Or I’ll have a psychotic episode.

I’m hoping for the former.

Sunday 13 September

I just spent the last 45 minutes trying to get myself organized to coach a packed pool of adults and kids simultaneously. I feel better now that I’m more together, but I’m still nervous to shepherd these newbies through swimming 3 to a lane. Must stay calm. Very unlikely world will end.

Mid-September

More admin, more yards (6-7000 on the days I got to swim, which were still sporadic), more learning Spanish… email avalanche finally starting to subside.

17 September 

Today I’m holding 1:20s fairly easily again. I think it may take practicing with a team to get me down to 1:15. But as always now, I’m just glad to be in the water.

Dryland is going better, but Katie Hoff still seems to instantly overtrain me. But I ran 4 miles on Monday for the first time in a couple of months (since I got overtrained/heated/whatever), did decent yoga Tuesday and Katie Hoff (+Katie Ledecky) last night. Tonight is supposed to be cycling… Hurricane Sally will probably dictate the trainer. I’m still not doing any dryland on weekends – and ramping it up slowly seems to be treating me better.

Sunday 20 September

I was very pleased with the execution of my Friday plan – I started swimming at 4 when the pool opened, hopped out for 25 minute sanitization at 5:50, and then swam until 9 PM. 13,000 yards done and dusted. And I felt pretty good.

I am a bit sad to not be where I was speed-wise. I need people to swim with.

Tuesday 22 September

I feel like I am finally finding a workable routine… which means that it will all come crashing down any moment 🙂

I didn’t swim yesterday, but after the 7000/13,000 yards back to back over the weekend, I didn’t mind. I had a good run, and I swam 7000 this morning and did yoga when I came home.

My shoulder continues to be weird, and maybe worse after I swim. I realized I have my yearly checkup in a few weeks – worth waiting until then unless it gets worse, I think.

I feel very busy. My plan to keep 8 hours free 3 days a week is working so-so. 

Thursday 24 September

So tired. I always think I’m getting used to a new schedule and then I get really tired. Luckily, then I usually adapt.

I just got a text that the person I’m supposed to swim with isn’t feeling well, so possibly swimming a lot less this morning. And I realized that the Environmental Consulting seminar I want to go to tomorrow will interfere with my 14,000 yard plans. Sigh. But if I’m this tired, maybe this is the universe trying to protect me 🙂

It’s looking good to swim at the beach October 10th and 11th. I’m psyched.

Off to answer more emails…always more emails.

Sunday 27 September

The universe has definitely been saving me from myself. I only swam 2500 on Thursday because my partner didn’t feel well. I got there late on Friday because of the seminar scheduling, and then it thundered after 7250. I rested Saturday as I have been doing and I felt much better. Some yoga this morning, and I plan to swim tonight since it looks like I won’t be swimming tomorrow.

The Katie Hoff dryland continues to kick my ass… and for days afterwards. The Wednesday session with Rebecca Soni was just evil. My hips and butt were so sore. Pilates on Friday seemed so hard.

So I’m hoping that as I continue to adapt to those, the universe will no longer need to save me, and I’ll be able to consistently go 30,000/week. We’ll see.

Oh, I almost forgot! The pool arrived! We cleaned out the garage yesterday, and it says you can set it up in an hour, so I should be ready to take to the tethered water on a moment’s notice anytime the pool thing stops panning out. Well, after we make a run to the dump to get all of the crap out of our garage. Which requires a run to Dorcas to get all of the stuff out of our van. 🙂

Tuesday 29 September

I am feeling a lot better, although I keep having trouble sleeping the nights before I need to be at the pool at 6:15 AM. I don’t feel like I’m worried about making it, but my subconscious seems to be. And then of course it make it worse cause I always end up so tired on Tuesdays and Thursdays and that stresses me out for the next time. Not sure what to do about it.

I am waiting to talk to Paul Foreman about postponing until 2022.

Thursday 1 October

The universe is very protective. No masters swimmers showed up last night, so I got to go home at 8:30. And no swimming today. I’m having trouble being sad about that, so it’s probably a good thing.

Katie Hoff still felt really hard last night. I don’t seem to be adapting to dryland at all. Definitely thinking about doing it with Wave so that there is some coaching aspect to it.

I talked to Paul Foreman last night – I moved my swim to 2022. Of course, I still have Eddie Spelling in 2021… Until November 1st, when I don’t pay the deposit (I got his email today). I have to pay another holding fee of 300 pounds for the new 2022 slot (July 12-19). But I just feel way more comfortable moving it than trying to put something together for this summer.

So taking a few days off seems great for now.

Tuesday 6 October

Well, a week without swimming felt pretty good, but now I’m getting antsy. I put the call out to the universe for swim partners, talked to coach John and I’ve always got Eric on the back burner, so I’ll figure something out. But I’m foreseeing that I’ll be assembling the garage pool soon.

I’ve been continuing with my cross-training workouts (for the most part). I feel pretty good.

Still worried about the shoulder – Ironically, now I’m worried that I won’t have been swimming enough for it to be apparent to the doctor when I go next week. Oy.

Thursday 8 October

My call out to the universe was seemingly successful, and I’m a bit more hopeful today about finding times to swim (i.e., people to swim with). Roy may want to swim consistently, at least on warmish days. And he’s willing to stay and watch me swim, which would be awesome. Eric is coming today at 10 so that I can hopefully get two hours in (with the lap swim folks who are coming) And Fridays I can get in an hour and a half with Macon’s group. So still holding of on putting the pool together (mainly cause I’ll be training at the beach this weekend – yay!). 

Speaking of, freaking out over the beach. Where will I use the bathroom? What will I eat? I’m sure I’ll get it figured out – I’m always most stressed at the beginning of the packing process.

And then

I pick it up from there in my published posts.