Never a Swammer

Once a swimmer, always a swimmer.

From the time I was born, something was very apparent to my parents- I LOVED the water.  One time when I was a baby, I had an ear infection while we were traveling on a plane, so my mom brought me to the bathroom to play with the water in the sink.  It was the only thing that would make me stop crying!  

My love affair with water continued as I took learn to swim lessons at a young age (although a bit apprehensive about entering the water when I would ask the instructor if the water was COLD…and I knew it would be COLD!). When I was five, my dad told someone that I was going to be a swimmer-because my personality was very "swimmer-like" (it takes a certain personality to stare at a black line for hours every day haha!).  And he was right! My parents never mentioned competitive swimming, but at the age of nine, I would ask to join the summer swim team. 

During summer swim team, I spent all day at the pool.  Mom would drop me off for morning summer swim team practice.  I was the only one to wear a watch to practice and everyone in my lane would ask me what time it was…even at a young age we were counting down the minutes haha!  When practice ended, my friends and I would have the rest of the day to stay at the pool and play together.  And believe me, we came up with some pretty craaazzzy  games-including “swim cap bowling”  in which we used shampoo bottles as pins and filled swim caps with water as the ball.  Sometimes we’d have a little too much fun and parents would send in lifeguards to find us.

In junior high I began swimming on a local club team.  It was a lot more intense than summer swimming, and I struggled to get through practice.  I went to high school swimming not even knowing what an “interval” was-because in club I never made them.  I just kept swimming and getting lapped and would stop when everyone stopped.  I remember 2 practices in these 2 years that I did not get lapped, and I was THRILLED! Obviously I was SHOOTING FOR THE STARS haha!

Oh, high school swimming.  You were my “golden years.”  By this time I had a solid group of swimmer friends and started to understand what the sport and being a part of a team was all about.  It’s crazy how close and how much fun a group of 85 girls could be!  These girls were the only ones who understood what we were all going through and how hard it was.  Yes, being in a lane with 13 people definitely didn’t help my stroke lengthen out, but it made me appreciate lanes with 3-4 people in college.  I did 3 events every meet-50 FR in the medley, 50 FR in the individual, and 50 FR in the FR relay.  Yes, the 50 FR was my clearly my event!

The college years of swimming are a bit tough to write about to be honest-they did not go the “way I thought they were supposed to.”  The wounds are still fresh-even 2 years later.  Being a girl who swam three 50 FRs in high school to swimming the 1650 was a HARD transition my first year.  But what I learned from being on a team with 85 people, IT IS NOT ABOUT YOU…IT’S ABOUT THE TEAM, and that’s where the team needed me to be.  I did well my first year, but after that my body struggled like never before (which is a WHOLE other story that would need a post of its own).  I would lie awake at night feeling my muscles “eating” themselves-the pain was so deep.  But even though my college swimming years were not “successful” in terms of performance, God used this to completely break me and my identity and forced me to find my identity in something so much bigger than MYSELF and MY abilities: JESUS.  For this reason I thank him for the failure, and I thank him for the pain.  It does NOT define me. My athletic accomplishments do not enhance or weaken my confidence if my hope is found in the ONE that has already overcome. 

When I swam my last event in college, I cried tears of relief to know the pain was finally over.  No part of me wanted to return to the sport that I had loved but had come to betray me in its final years.  I was physically done and emotionally spent.  It was time to throw in the towel…or so I thought. 

Sure I took a break.  I planned to continue the sport of triathlon after college-eh maybe a little marathon thrown in there (jury’s still out if that one is going to continue haha!).  Swimming is obviously a part of triathlon, so I found myself in the pool a few times a week (about 6,000 yds a week-basically 1 day of what practice used to be).  I swam with a Master’s (USMS) team while tri training the past few years and a few weeks ago, I did something I didn’t think I would ever do again.  

I SIGNED up for a USMS swim meet!!!

My expectations were low-I mean, I swim 6,000 yds a WEEK (basically nothing for a former competitive swimmer), and I’m training pretty hard right now for triathlon (I mean, a 15 mile run 2 days before a meet probably isn’t your best move if you want your legs to show up during the 100 FR). 

But you know what? I don’t care if I’m not the swimmer I used to be.  I don’t care if I’m not “fast.”  That’s NOT why I became a swimmer and that’s NOT why I stuck it out my final year in college.  I swim because it’s what I LOVE to do.  I swim because I enjoy being on a team and building relationships with others.  I swim because when I race, I choose to use the body that God has gifted me with to the best of my abilities and live the life He gave me to the fullest. It is really a celebration of HIM.

So this past weekend, I swam in my first LCM meet on the master’s swim team!  Was I “fast?” NO!  (BUT they were all automatic PR’s since I’ve never swam long course meters before…AND club records because the record board is blank for my age group haha!)  I had fun and it was definitely a different experience compared to all the swim meets I have been to in the past.  For one thing, you CHOOSE your events…Which means you can CHOOSE which ones you “accidently” miss haha!  And, you know how awesome it is to have a 71 year old come up to you after your race and tell you good job?!  Pretty cool!  I’m not the most competitive person you’ll ever meet, but it was fun to just dive off the block with zero pressure to JUST RACE.  It brings me back to the time when I just loved being in the water. Whether or not I swim more meets in the future, something about staring at that black line at the bottom will always be therapeutic.  If I get in the water every day or rarely, it will always feel like I'm "home." 

And that's why I will ALWAYS be a swimmer.  

  And now I leave you with some advice. If swimming is what you love, then it's really very simple:

The Wipeout

Does anyone remember the show that used to be on ABC called “Wipeout.”  I used to LOVE that show and wanted to be in it (I also remember calling my swim coach “the motivator”-who on Wipeout would start to walk behind the contestants so they would continue on the course and not wait so long! hahaha)

Well, I guess I didn’t need to be on the show because I got to have my very own wipeout this past weekend while riding my bike Lu (short for Lucy).

It all started on Friday night when Dad’s biking buddy canceled after having a biking accident of his own.  He’s been wanting to bike around lake Okeechobee and mom (not wanting him to be alone) decided that she would drive the van as his support vehicle.  Reluctantly I agreed to join the family adventure…not knowing what I was getting myself into. 

At 6:15 AM (ON A SATURDAY PEOPLE!), my alarm went off and I quickly got my jersey and shorts on.  I headed to the fridge and pulled out my bottles with infinit that I had prepared the night before.  Soon I was ready to go. 

At 7:30, we arrived at our starting point, and quickly mounted the bikes to begin.  I told dad that my effort needed to be light and relaxed (but consistent), so I was to go first and set pace.  Before 7:37 I would be on the ground.

A little more than a mile into the ride, I started finding my rhythm.  A couple gear shifts to get the cadence where it needed to be, but that’s about it.  Then I looked up and saw 2 railroad tracks that would be intercepting our path on the road.  In about five seconds I was crossing the first one and just about to cross the second ooneee…

BAM

About two seconds of realizing my tires were stuck in the tracks was followed by hitting the ground and sliding on the concrete.  Once I stopped, I just lay there on my left side…looking down at the fresh cuts as the blood started to stream down my leg.

 Stunned for a few seconds….

“That’s so NOT pretty,” I thought.  Hahaha typical Kim and her vanity that always creeps into her triathlon endeavors ;)

I slowly got up assessing how I felt and checked for Lu’s injuries.  Fortunately she was ok too.  I knew that we would not see mom for about 2 more hours (about 40 miles from now), so I just hopped back on and rode. Some of the battle scars:

I mean, it was hurting…especially when the salty sweat dripped into the fresh wounds…but it was tolerable.  The real pain/soreness came the next few days as I woke up and struggled to bend down and such.  I FEEL SO OLD haha! 

To “finish it off,” Sunday I got a Tdap shot to ensure that I would not get sick from anything that could have entered the wounds-especially since I fell on the road with lots of debris and such.  At least now I can get stronger and keep healing, so hopefully I’ll feel and look brand new soon! (I know I look normal when people stop asking “what happened?”  which HAS NOT happened yet.  Maybe when I stop wearing bandages everywhere. 

Moral of the wipeout:  Perpendicular…Always ride perpendicular to the railroad tracks. 

Surviving the Long Run in Florida

 Alternate post title: “Surviving Death”

...Dad and I ALWAYS do a "How do we FEEL?!" picture post race.  Tradition haha!  

First of all, Happy National Running Day!  Even though I am not primarily a "runner," triathlon does include a run leg, so I do my fair share of training to associate with the running community. This week coach had me run 14 miles at a "comfy effort."  Afterwards I said, "well, it was certainly a strong consistent effort...but I wouldn't call it "comfy."  I don't think it's possible to run in this heat/humidity and be "comfy" haha! 

(I mean, nothing is going to feel good after my recent "wipeout" this past weekend-click here)

Whenever I train (competive swimming, triathlons, etc.) my reaction to discomfort/pain goes like this: 1-get really angry at whoever decided I should do this, followed by 2-get really sad and cry because I’m in so much pain and being angry takes too much energy from whatever I have left. 

No matter what I do, it is going to be hard to run in these conditions (I know it's getting pretty hot/sticky up north too), but there are some things that make it slightly less miserable…slightly…

1)  Music

A good playlist is SO important.  It's really what I look forward to the most.  I create a playlist before whatever distance I’m doing and add songs that I’m currently into-usually a mix of genres.  Really as long as it has a beat or is sung by Enrique, I’m good to go.  I try to make sure that there are enough songs to last the entire run.  Around the 3 hour mark in my marathon, I started to hear songs repeating since I didn't have enough in the playlist-I was like, reeeeaaaallllly?! Not cool.  Not making that mistake again!! Here’s  a sample of a playlist I recently created for a long run.

I'm Born to Run-American Authors
On and On- The Score
Deeper-Meredith Andrews
The Pheonix-Fall Out Boy
Red-Taylor Swift
Raging Fire-Phillip Phillips
The Fighter-Keith Urban
Nothing Is Impossible-Planetshakers
Relentless-Hillsong
Kryptonite-3 Doors Down
Move Along-The All American Rejects
House Party-Sam Hunt
Between the Raindrops-Lifehouse
Snow (Hey Oh)-Red Hot Chili Peppers
Burn-Ellie Goulding
Clocks-Coldplay
Stronger-Kelly Clarkson
Bailando-Enrique
All In-Lifehouse
Drag Me Down-One Direction
Stitches-Shawn Mendes
God's Great Dance Floor-Chris Tomlin
Brand New- Ben Rector (even when I shuffle the playlist to be random, this song always manages to be played during the final mile...oh the IRONY!!)

2) Water...WITH Electrolytes

In the past, I would NEVER dare stop for a sip of water…and you can IMAGINE  how awful this made it! What used to be something I NEVER included in my runs, this has become absolutely essential to me now.  It’s also always exciting to find some sprinklers along the route.  I usually need to refill a 20 oz bottle once every 5 miles (40-45 minutes).  BUUUUTTT DO NOT forget to add some electroytes to the water since you will loose so much through sweat. Gatorade of choice: Blue Frost (it's refreshing and mild unlike the lime which I think is a wee bit too strong for my liking and kind of makes me want to gag). This is the bottle carrier I use (I hate things around my waist, so this is works well for me): 

3) Shorts WITH a Drawstring

Don’t even THINK about wearing shorts without a drawstring when running here.  My shorts become plastered to my legs and start falling down because they are that drenched in sweat.  After running 12 miles with the final  3 miles done holding onto my shorts, I was NEVER going to wear the wrong shorts again.  Lesson LEARNED.

4)  Hat

I’m still too vain to wear sunglasses during training haha.  My tan lines are bad enough without having “raccoon eyes” to boot, but a hat gives just enough shade annnddd keeps some of the sweat from dripping in your eyes.  Soooo it basically kills 2 birds with one stone. 

 

5) Size Up Your Shoes

You may or may not have heard that your feet swell when you run.  I’ve found this extra true while running in the heat.  I LOVE Mizuno Wave Inspire shoes (I have 4 pairs right now!).  They are great for narrow feet with a close yet comfortable fit.  I usually run in my size 9.5 if it is colder outside, but down here I only wear my size 10 shoes since I notice more swelling when I run due to the heat.  So far I have had no blister or toe nail issues, and I think this is probably helping.  Pictured below: Dad's shoes next to mine!   I call his the "clown shoes" since they are huge and overloaded with cushion! His feet are not thaaattt much bigger than mine, so it always cracks me (and mom) up hehe!

6) NEVER Put Energy Chew Packets in Your Sports Bra...EVER
This isn't just a FL running specific thing-it's just a bad life choice wherever you are.  One day I wore shorts that didn't have any pockets-Sooo a sports bra is the next best thing, right?!  WRONG, SO WRONG.  The little "harmless" baggie RIPPED my chest apart as if a cat had clawed and scratched me until I bled. Side note: Biking with fuel in the bra works ok-I've had countless power bars stored there and it's super convenient compared to reaching behind you where cycling jersey pockets are located.  Your upper body stays pretty still while in aero position, so this works fine...BUT not gonna lie, you kind of have to get over the "I'm sure I look crazy sticking my hand down my shirt every 15 min!"  

7) Chamois Butt'R Cream
Even though this is a anti-chaf cream made specifically for cyclists, I use this pretty much all day every day.  You would be really surprised what areas will start chafing when you run for long periods of time.  I can go an hour without much rubbing,  but beyond that, NO!  My HR strap does the most damage, so I like to slather on a lot under it. Plus, it SMELLS SOOO good!  It's like a super pleasant smelling sunscreen-speaking of suncreen!!! USE IT!  Even when it is cloudy.  SPF of choice for me is 110!

8) SLOW Down and SMILE J

Yes it’s hard and yes it hurts and yes you will have to slow down.  Honestly it totally comes down to ATTITUDE.  It won't be hard to allow a run in the heat/humidity to become a major suffer-fest, but just because it's hard doesn't mean it's impossible.  Your pace will NOT be anything CLOSE to what you would hold in “perfect” conditions.  I get in my head all the time with “why are you going SO SLOW right now?!”  BUT I’ve run enough to know that my slow paces here are equal to a faster pace somewhere else.  I’m usually a good minute off my ideal perfect condition race pace.  For example, when I run in Chicago in the early spring, I can hold a 7:30 pace for 10 miles.   Two weeks later I hold about and 8:45 pace for 10 miles in FL.  You just need to take your focus off the numbers and appreciate that you are likely training in MUCH harder conditions than you will be racing (which is way better than the other way around in my opinion).  Staying positive and putting a smile on your face will keep you going.  If you are in pain, think of something that doesn’t hurt at the moment….anything…like your thumbs.  If they don’t hurt, focus on those. Just let your mind go to its "happy place" and don't allow negativity to creep in.  Thoughts of quitting WILL come, so be prepared to shut them down instantly. 

Now that you are done with your run, BECOME BFFs with you FOAM ROLLER (use it before your run as well if you feel a little extra tight-which is most the time for me haha!

It’s definitely hard to run here-especially in the summer-especially when you don’t get up at the butt-crack-of-dawn to do it (which is not worth it-85 degrees vs. 90 degrees isn’t worth getting up a good 3 hours earlier-just my opinion though).  BUT, by doing these things, I have found running in these conditions much more tolerable, and sometimes even enjoyable.  Don't fear the heat...just deal with it appropriately! What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right ;)