Friday, January 15, 2010

Week Five, Day Six: 40 Minute Swim (1500 Meters)


This is not a picture of the pool at my gym - not even close really. However, this picture is an accurate representation of the amount of swimmers usually at the pool.  Yes, I am the only person who ever uses it.  When I hand the girl at the front desk my swip card she always asks me if I am going to "my pool?"  She thinks she if funny and is pretty correct.  Aside from the crazy old dude that does the water running thing and calls me, "Young Buck" I am usually the only person there. 

So today when another guy got in the lane next to me and started swimming laps I was kinda shocked!  I mean what the hell was this dude doing in my pool?  Then after another lap or so I noticed he was trying to race me.  Now I am a slow swimmer, but as a type-A competitive asshole I could not pretend this was not happening.  So the next lap when he was hanging at the wall waiting for me I did my turn and hammered it.  It was Go Time! He knew what was going on but he couldn't keep up.  I beat him by 3 or 4 lengths and turned and hammered it back. I slowed after that and continued my workout and noticed the other guy was already done.  He did maybe 200 meters and called it a day? It was at this point I realized my victory was rather hollow because this guy was not a swimmer AND maybe he wasn't waiting for me to race but rather hanging at the wall because he was winded.  Whatever, I smoked him!

Tomorrow is supposed to be my off day but since work and travel got in the way on Tuesday and I missed a 30 minute run I am going to make it up in the morning. 

Thanks for Reading,

Jeff

6 comments:

  1. I can see it now...that guy had a New Years resolution to do a triathlon, so he goes to the pool just to see if he can still swim, gets trashed by some young buck, and now he's back in his recliner watching hunting shows.

    It's funny that he was hanging on the wall waiting for you. Was that Izzy Mandelbaum in the other lane? Did he chant "Mandelbaum, Mandelbaum?" Did he challenge you to lift a TV set? :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. LOL ... I love the Mandelbaum episodes. "you think you are better than me" ... "Its Go Time"

    He may or may not have been trying to race. At first i thought so but then when he finished so quick I thought maybe not.

    ReplyDelete
  3. that is great! i totally understand that feeling. haven't been challenged like that in the pool yet but sometimes when running in my hood, i'll see someone running on the other side of the road and can tell from the corner of my eye that they are trying to either stay with me or run ahead of me. game on! i smoke em' everytime. i'm sure one day i'll meet my match but until them...bring it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. this is the same thing with my pool, When I arrive the lights are still off and sometimes they never even turn it on for me :(. Every once in a while they look in to make sure I am alive. IT could be the opposite though and you sharing lanes and waiting for a lane. At least when you practice drills you can look as silly as you want :). Also one time I even recorded my swim because nobody is there if you want to try that and see how you swim...eye opening for me (in a bad way).

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have been super busy with our football team and all our events that I haven't been able to catch up with my reading. It was nice reading your swim today. I know all too well about swimming laps with another person next to me. Actually I like it because it gives me someone to pace and "beat". Of course, I come across those who smoke me.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jason - I have been thinking about bringing a camera to video my swim. I am a little afraid to do it. Their is also a Tri specific store in Houston that offers a video swim lesson. They take an hour and video your swim stroke in one of those endless pools and then give you feedback. They offer one lesson for $85 or 3 for $200. I am seriuosly considering this!

    ReplyDelete