I love the saying, “Be careful what you ask for” because it always comes back to bite us in the ass.

Just an update on my swimming progress as I try to get my butt back in shape to swim at the State meet next month.  The 400IM is my new challenge for 2012.  I was getting bored swimming the standard 500, 1000 and 1650 at our State Swim meets…and my times vary by 5-10” every year.  So, unless I give up running and cycling – they are not moving that dramatically any more.

So, enter the new challenge:  400IM.  No matter what people think, I am really not a “real” swimmer.  I did not swim in college or all of High school…and all I did was freestyle, really.  I just have worked really hard these years….I mean, really, really hard.

I had someone say to me last weekend, “For such a good swimmer you have really small feet.”  (my feet are size 7 ½ and I am 5’8”).  I said, “Yes, they are, but I just figured out how to swim efficiently with small feet!”

Enter 2012.  I was going to Masters and trying to get back into shape after time off after IM Arizona…and I was like, “what in the heck am I going to do at State?”  It is the focus of the masters team I swim on and I swim with some pretty amazing swimmers.

So, decided to challenge myself with the 400IM and urge my friend, Elizabeth to join me – maybe she was thinking about it before, but I definitely threw that challenge out there.  Misery loves company.

I am a huge fan of swimming different strokes in practice – and quite frankly, the better swimmers can swim the other strokes smoothly.  They just have that better feel and presence in the water.

I have been working hard.  Most weeks I am swimming 4x/week, which for me, is plenty..but definitely 4500-5000 a pop….so not like I swim 4x/week at 2k….I have been working on my turns and my form…which means I must slow down.

Here is where the problem is and where I had a moment in the pool this AM.   Sunday mornings are my favorite swims because I am not swimming at 8pm at night (our other practices, which I dislike), so I do not feel totally trashed.  Then, I throw myself in a lane where I am working hard – we have 2 fast lanes:  Male/Female – not because we are sexist, it is just where the cards fly in our pool – and here is the fact:  I can swim freestyle and I beg for harder, longer sets in my lane..but with the stroke I get my ASS handed to me and I am at max speed for all my stroke. They are doing drill work = I am swimming full stroke to keep up.

Today’s swim – honestly, I felt like it was 5000 with maybe 1000 of freestyle.  Ok, let’s be honest, 5000 is a long way to swim but put in STROKE for most of it and I had a moment in the pool.

After about 3500 the set was:  4 x 300 stroke.  OK….so 300s are fine and dandy….but please let me swim freestyle..better yet, let me pull..but where does that get me?  NO WHERE….b/c that is what I am good at…so this was the lane:   300 FLY, 300 Back, 300 Breast, 300 Free on 10” rest.  Yep, 10” – maybe it was 15” but it doesn’t matter, it is all short.

At about the 300 breast, the masters coach pulled me aside and said the timing of my breast was OFF and I was not doing a good job with the pull and I was rushing my stroke.

I felt myself getting frustrated…not at her – she was doing her job…but at myself.  Before I could save myself, I said, “I am in the wrong lane for stroke work…I am at max effort and these gals are gliding along – I am just swimming like SHIT lately trying to keep up!”  It is so lopsided b/c my free is fine but my stroke sucks.  And, I told her all I cared about was my 500 and 1000 at State and I am going to get hammered in that stuff because I spend my time getting my ass smacked doing 300 Fly with these girls that will WIN 200 fly or 200 breast at the State meet (think:  200 fly in less than 2:15)…..And I felt myself getting choked up and wanting to cry…and I just put my goggles on and swam away from the coach and told her I needed a moment.

WHO DOES THAT?  See, a taste of my own medicine!

But, as I finished my breaststroke and did the freestyle (where I can think) I thought – THIS is exactly what I wanted and needed.  I asked for a new challenge.  I asked for something different and something HARD.  Every year I swim State for the 500 or 1650 – there has not been a massive challenge in my age group (this year there is (Krista!))…and winning never gets old, but I NEED this and I pulled my bad self together and finished the workout and immediately went up to the coach and apologized.

I told her that I hate when Triathletes tell me that they cannot do other swim strokes – or at least will not try.  And, I am not a beginner swimmer, so shame on me.  I just told her that I don’t want my freestyle to suffer at the expense of the 400IM (that will last 6 minutes)…but she is JUST doing her job…just doing what I asked her to do…get me ready to meet my goal in 1 month at the State meet.

So, shame on me.  Shame on me for swimming away….but I thought about it for 3 minutes and immediately knew I was wrong and fixed it.  Honestly, not much free swim, bike or run really throws me on my heels anymore – I have done it all – but this stroke work with swimming is just what I needed and I am so challenged, it is SO refreshing albeit very humbling.

One more month until I swim this 400IM and I swear I will do my best to win this event at State…and I swear, if I win this event at State….I am going to Disneyland.  (ha….)