While Sarah was getting her suntan on in El Salvador, I scored space on my favourite blogger’s site — sarahontheroad.com.
Friendly WARNING: Following Sarah’s adventures in Nunavut (Canada’s Arctic North) is crazy addictive 🙂
Early A.M. Swim Practice at -13F/-25C: {Guest Post}
3 years ago I made the move to Colorado & left my NYC career.
That year I set a goal to hike a different hike all 52 weeks. What an amazing year – saw so much of my newly adopted home state! Next in 2013, I ran a full marathon in Anchorage, Alaska.
All the while I continued to follow Sarah in Pang. Northern lights, harbor icebergs, Mt Duval, SNOW, last year’s all-girl Yukon adventure, ice fishing for Arctic Char – yeah, I’m a HUGE fan of sarahontheroad.com.
Ironman Boulder
We are now 6 months out from the inaugural Ironman Boulder! Who is getting excited?
Yep, this year’s goal — complete my first Ironman. Sure I’ve never competed in a triathlon, haven’t biked since I was 9 – yet I plan to swim/bike/run 140.6 miles on August 3rd.
My friend & coach, M is a swimmer.
I am a dreamer. I’m a goal setter. I’m an adventurer…but I’m not a swimmer.
-13 degrees F, light snow & on the road at 4:45am headed to my gym Colorado Athletic Club in Boulder – to swim. Crazy cold.
Heated outdoor pool but I punk’d out this day – chose to fight the mobs & use the smaller indoor pool (only 6 lanes).
Hot tubbed for 5 minutes to boost my body temp, then started today’s swim. Only 3 of us in the pool this early on such a bitter cold day. By 630 though, was no longer lapping up-n-back but forced to circle to permit add’l swimmers in the pool.
Kinda overwhelming with so many faster swimmers. I’ve hit my Ironman distance 5 times already (90 laps up-n-back) so I know I can hang with the endurance athletes but the sprinters – no possible way. I watch them play with their watches and stare endlessly at the water. Suddenly they dart up-n-back once, sometimes 2 times & the routine starts again. Check the watch, stare at the water, scope out the pool, stare….then zing they take off. Like flashy schools of sardines.
And me? Slow & steady – 2 strokes, head up, breathe to the right. Lap back — 2 strokes, head up, breathe to the left.
Can’t say I love swimming but I’m efficient. Breathing technique is similar to running – slow steady deep breathing.
By endurance, we conquer – Sir Ernest Shackleton
6 more months ‘til Ironman. Absolutely anything is possible.
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