Due to the calf injury I'm stuck with cycling and swimming for the time being. And yep, the PT said I can't pick the one I prefer (cycling - obviously), I'll have to stick to both. So, I'm spending the hours I used to spend on the road (on 'in between training cycle weeks' or 'slow weeks'), on a bicycle or in the water now. 6 fun hours of cross training a week...and 2 hours of strength training to get those muscles going.
I'm okay with the bicycle. I'm Dutch. I was practically born on a bicycle. Cycling on one of those bikes at the gym, working it out at 100 rpm, and reading a book / watching TV while I'm doing that, is perfectly fine with me. No biggie there.
But this girl does not like to swim! Never has. Don't get me wrong. I can swim. But in my opinion, swimming is something you do to keep yourself from drowning, not something you do for fun. Honestly, I don't even like going down one of those slides at the pool. Getting water into my ears...Yeugh (okay...in my defense, I did have serious medical ear problems when I was little, and to this very day getting water into my ears still hurts).
Well, to make a long story short and not to bore the heck out of you, I decided to put on my big girls pants and just get into that pool - last Wednesday. And although I suck at the cool crawling thing you see at triathlons (I'm taking swimming lessons to learn to get the speed in for the next couple of weeks - apparently my crawling would suit an 8 year-old...thanks swim instructor...), it wasn't that bad. At all! Only down point...I was wearing a two-piece (I don't own a bathing suit), and let's just say that that wasn't the best of ideas.
So, since I'm dedicated to come out of this torn calf injury thing stronger than I could have imagined before, I will hit the shops for this beauty:
Yep, it's a Speedo...gross! And I will look like a hippo in it...gross!And one of those (the water/ear thing will continue to be an issue):
I know...old-fashioned. This girl likes her gear 'retro' - get over it.Plus one of these (chloride and contacts - not the best combo...):
Yep, that's how dedicated I am: I'd even wear a Speedo! ;) Anyone up for pictures? ;)
Did you ever have to stick to swimming/cycling due to an injury? If so, did you bounce back stronger than you could've imagined?
14 comments:
Sounds like you are one step closer to another addiction called triathlons. You thought running was addictive. Just wait. Pretty soon the blog will be called SillyGirlSwimmingBikingAndRunning!! :-) Mark my words it's coming!!
Kevin
http://halftriing.blogspot.com
Good luck! I'm also trying to foster a love for swimming. Love the swim cap!
@ Kevin: Well...I wouldn't bet on it! ;) I seriously don't see me falling in love with swimming anytime soon. And even on the bicycle I kept thinking about me pounding the pavement...Yeah...it feels like runner's rehab...
@ Pretend this is real: Ain't it cool? I love these retro swim caps, but might have to go for a 'normal' one with extra room on top, since I carry an excessive amount of hair on my head...
I am not a swimmer at all. I CAN swim... I just don't like to.
I learned how to swim in college when I got a stress fracture and couldn't run. It was me, in the pool, learning how to put my face in the water. And then gradually working up to holding on to the wall and learning to kick. And then a kickboard. Etc. You get my drift.
I still hate swimming, even though in theory I can do it now. It's just not natural and comfortable for me. Best of luck to you...
No swimming here! One or two strokes in the pool and I'm winded. LOL I'm cycling my butt off and strength training like crazy though!
I've been reading "Shut Up and Run"s blog and she's been doing pool running. Maybe you could work that in instead of swimming? Totally understand the "swimming is something you do to keep from drowning" - I feel the same way! Good luck as you continue to recover!
I began as a triathlete, so I still incorporate both the bike and swimming into my training. And here's the thing--I think swimming benefits my running more than anything. It is so good at loosening you up when you're tight. Get to like it and you may never drop it! Oh, and Splish has REALLY great suit designs, so go check them out--may make it less painful!
I second the Splish suits! Having a wide assortment of cute suits to wear keeps me going to the pool! And you can design your own if you want. Like maybe a plaid or argyle...
kom maar op met die foto's! I bet you look astonishing in your high cutout speedo :)
Embrace that cross training! You'll come back stronger!
I am biking and strength training. I feel your pain but slowly I am getting A LOT better. Good luck and keep us updated.
i swim regularly, i'm not in love with it but i do like it. I like the mundane back and forth. I'm extremely disciplined so it's not hard once i get started but sometimes getting into the pool can be tough. Water hurts my ears too!! sometimes i do flip turns but sometimes it hurts too much. good luck. hang in there!
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