The Swimming
I finally renewed my membership to the RBAC so I can feel comfortable swimming on my own. For the longest time I was trying to convince myself to go the 24 fitness gym because I already have a membership there. It took weeks for me to finally go and when i went, it was too crowded. Anyways, we started swimming at a new pool, Yosemite Pool in Eagle Rock. I missed the first practice at the pool because of family stuff. So at the second practice, I walked over and the first thing I noticed was that the lanes are set-up the LONG way, not the short way we were used to swimming in. *minor freak-out* and then, I was talking to some teammates and they had mentioned our warm-up called the "snake". I thought, it's a special drill on how to move your body. But I was wrong =( The snake warm up is swimming up and down ALL lanes till you reach the end of the pool. That's a total of 8 lengths, 4 laps, THE LONG WAY! So practice starts and I let everyone go ahead of me because I'm slow, I start swimming and it sucks. I tire out at every end of the lane. The middle of the lane is 11 ft deep so it's a little freaky when you see the floor dip that low. I was so slow that they didn't even want me to finish all the lanes. I think I had 2 more to go. So they separate us in the distances we're doing for our event. Most people are doing the Olympic with about 3 of us doing the sprint. The sprint has to do 400 meters and the Olympic 800 meters. Boy I was so happy I stuck with the Sprint distance....haha! They want us to keep swimming without any stops because we won't be able to stop in the middle of the ocean on race day! 
We are allowed to turn over on our backs if we need to rest. They also tell us that they will be pulling some people out to video tape them and their technique. So we're off and we start swimming. I was pretty tired but it was do-able. No doubt I was slow but knowing that I wasn't able to stop I just tried to find a rhythm and keep moving. Of course, my coaches pull me aside to video tape me and boy that was nerve racking. I'm interested to see what i look like =) Anyways, by the end of practice, Coach Ludo tells me to kick more so my feet are closer to the surface of the water. I was swimming with my feet dragging. Once he told me that, I definitely felt a difference and now I am more aware of my feet and try to really keep that horizontal position during my swim. I've been swimming more in the mornings and am concentrating on keeping my feet up, rotating my body more to extend my arm as far as possible and trying to breath on both sides. Still unsuccessful with the last one but there's still time to work on it.The Bike
The bike is getting better. The seat is less painful and I'm comfortable on flat and going downhill. NOT UPHILL though =( The first time we had our hour long bike ride was very nerve racking for me. Coach Ludo rode with Irene and I. First we went on the River path and then we went onto the street to do a loop around the park. When we first got on the street I was so nervous. I had to get on my bike and cross the street. Cars were waiting and I kept losing my footing to get on the bike. Finally I got on the bike and thankfully the cars were very patient and waited. So I'm riding along side Ludo and he's telling me what I need to know about riding on the street. He said don't care about the cars that are driving, they are more afraid of you. The thing you must be careful about is a parked car opening their door in front of you! He warns me about the hill coming up. He says it's about 3/4 of a mile long and that I just need to go slow. It's a pretty big hill but reiterates that I just need to go slow. So we go up an incline and I ask, is this the start of the hill? and he says "no" it's still further up. Now I'm starting to freak out because I was tired going up that small incline! We finally get to the hill and I"m like, OMG. Go slow .... go slow. Unfortunately, I didn't have to tell my body that for very long because it WAS going slow on it's own. I was breathing heavy, well I was out of breath, and barely moving. I kept wining, I can't I can't, I need to stop, and Ludo told me, "no keep going" and so I try. I eventually have to stop, I couldn't do it. So we stopped, I got a drink, and caught my breath. Ludo patiently waits for me and is nervous about me getting on the bike up hill. I finally get on and it's still hard. Seeing how much trouble I was having, Ludo decides to take it in his own hands, LITERALLY. He keeps one bike on his hand and the other hand on my back and is PHYSICALLY pushing me up hill! I was amazed with his skill and power and felt, soooo bad and also relieved at the same time =) For a split second he let go to change his gears and I felt how much work he was really doing. I kept apologizing and he said "it's ok Jane, let's go. Just keep your bike straight because if you fall we both fall" We finally make it up the hill and I'm glad it's over and am completely thankful for the help from my coach.
With the uphill, there's a downhill. I cruise downhill, a little afraid but at the same time enjoying the ride. I brake regularly and am just happy that the tough part is over. The next week we went the opposite direction on the hill and it was a little easier. I didn't have Coach Ludo there to push me up and I did stop and walk a little. Coach Joy made me get back on the bike and keep going. She's tough but in a good way. It's not like boot camp tough, it's like, the person that believes in you more than you believe in yourself kind of tough. With lots of heavy breathing and slow pedaling, I get up and still am cursing the hill. Ale, my mentor, and I cruise downhill and finish our ride on the river trail. The next week we go back up the more steeper side and I make a few stops again. Ludo pushes me AGAIN but not as long as the last time. Hopefully this weekend I can make it up there on my own without stopping. I am not going to get pedals and clips for my race. My coach thinks it's too late to try to start learning them. Which I kinda knew and agree. Last thing I need to do is to try learning something new when I can't even make it up the hill on my own. I'll be fine and at least it will cut back my transition time between the bike and run =)The Run
From now on we will be doing what they call "brick" workouts. Which is 2 back to back workouts. Typically it is the bike and run. Our first brick workout was an 1 hour bike ride and a 15 minute run. That was the workout for the sprint. So that day, I'm pretty sure I rode for an hour and 15 and then still had to do my run. When we were coming up to the parking lot, Ale was riding with me and she was telling me to spin my legs. I asked "why" and she had mentioned something about moving the lactic acid around. So we get to the parking lot and I drop off my bike and get my water bottle for the run. Immediately, I feel very sluggish. I try to briskly walk but in my head I know that my legs can't move that fast. My watch beeps for me to do a run break and I'm barely moving. Thank God my run is only 15 minutes long! I broke down the time in my head, I like to do math while I'm walking, it wastes time. So I figured that I only have 2 run breaks in my 7.5 minutes out before I turn back. That means I only have 4 run breaks during this part. (intervals are 3 walk 1 run) That makes me happy =) The 15 minutes couldn't have ended any sooner and I was so happy to return to the parking lot where everyone was already back. From now on, all of our workouts will be bricks. It's cutting down to the wire and the weeks are flying by much faster than I would like to!
3 weekends from now, my team and I will be camping out in Lake Castaic. At first I thought it was a fun team bonding weekend until I found out that we're going to be doing our first mock-tri in the lake. *GULP* I had a baby shower to go to that day but when I found out it was a mock tri, there was no way I was going to miss it. I need all the practices I can get! The week after that will be our first Ocean Swim at Malibu....*BIG GULP* And then following that, Coach Joy will be hosting unofficial trainings at Zuma Beach for swimming and biking.
This is it kids, no joke, it's really happening and it's in full gear.....yikes!
I will have Alice organize the cheering crew if you're interested in coming out to my event. It's not like a marathon where you can run or ride your bike with me. It's actually against the rules and I can get disqualified if I have any kind of help, I think. But it sure would be nice to see some familiar faces =)
One funny story, I was at one of my teammates fundraisers and so was Coach Ludo. I bought him a beer to thank him for pushing me up the hill. After a few drinks we had this conversation:
Jane: Ludo, will you push me up the hill during my race too?? (jokingly)
Ludo: **with French accent** No Jane, I will just be sitting waiting on the side and when I see you I'll just say "JANE, MOVE YOUR ASS!" hahah
Sounds better when I tell you it in person because i do the French accent too =)
