It's official, the training season has begun! It has been a great first week back teaching bootcamp - seeing all of the old (and new) faces sweating it out, laughing and feeling good about their workouts. I tried this week just to relax into my schedule of work and play - but I was anticipating the start of my own workouts in the water. 

I joined a Masters Swim class downtown at the YWCA last year after much coaxing from my swim partner - and am I ever GLAD I did! In 6 short months I took 3 minutes off of my original Oliver swim time and was stronger than I had ever been. The only downfall of this was that most of my tops got a little tight around the chest, shoulders and arms :) and people started commenting on how 'buff' I was looking wanting to know what it was I was doing differently. Swimming, just swimming. Pulling your body through water is tough, and after swimming an average of 137km's over a 6 month period training, the body was bound to change. 

Fast forward to 4:45am this morning when my alarm went off. Ugh - really??? Yup - time to get up. 
5:00am Walk the dog
5:25am Make coffee
5:40am Eat, feed the animals and check the swim bag (I once arrived at the pool sans towel...booo)
6:00am Drive to pool
6:25am Walk out on pool deck
6:30am Start warm-up
6:45am Drill-set - Are you KIDDING ME? My arms are tired already and I'm pretty sure my heart rate is WAY too high :)
7:05am Main-set - Ugh assessments.....GREAT...I wonder if this is how my class feels about assessments? LOL
7:15am Coach Martina sets me up for one of my fast 50 sets....which I complete in .50s...not bad! But I'm DYING. Haha
7:25am Cool-down...THANK GOD! My arms and upper back are SO tired, I feel like I'm melting.
7:30am Coach Martina writes the distances on the board...2,000m. Not bad for a first day, but I'm HURTING! 
7:31am Steam room please! Stretch....oh so tired....thank goodness I have the day off!

This is just day ONE, and I know it will get harder - but I'm looking forward to the training (remind me of this when the ocean swims get colder...brrr). Having a good coach (Martina is awesome!!) and the right environment to improve is imperative! Its good for me to be on the 'other side' of things as a participant. I hope it too makes me a better instructor.

K