The day actually started with a 7AM run with ARRC... 5 miles on a 1/2 interval schedule... yeah, that is super slow but I created a schedule for myself to become a runner this schedule, and as slow as that seems, it is one of the steps... and so there you have it. Shari actually agreed to do these intervals with me as she had done 2/1's with Nelda the week before and wanted to slow down a bit.. worked out perfectly! Having Shari with me made me do the walk intervals faster than I would have, and so even with the slow intervals, we managed about a 15 min/mi, which is faster than most of my shorter runs.. huh. Anyway, but I digress.
I went straight from Arlington out to Reston for the swim clinic.. the clinic actually started much earlier so I only got there for the tail end question and answer session. I sat down at the Team Z tent and hung out until it was time to get ready for the swim. I saw a couple buoys out in the water, but wasn't sure I was seeing the entire mile, so there must be another one further out that I couldn't yet see. Lined up in the waves for the start... the water was WARM and nice.. and off I was..
Got to that first buoy that I had seen from shore and was all set to make my way to that 2nd buoy, which was still the furthest out I had seen... and then we made a right turn.. THERE were the rest of the buoys... UGH. I felt like I was going soooo slow.. wasn't wearing a wetsuit (by choice b/c that's where I need the work). Sun was up on my right so I was forced to breathe mainly on the left.. this swim seemed long.. we kept rounding corners, and I was thinking that eventually the current would be going in my direction... nope. Finally I turned and started swimming back to shore.. this was really a painful swim. I finished in 47:25, which I think is on par with what I did in Florida, but geez..
Got out, handed in my number (which they had us store under our swim cap), and was met with some Team Z cheerers.. everyone was so nice even though I barely know anyone from the team yet. Definitely glad I decided to join.. nice to have people to talk to after an event, even ones I don't take my own cheer squad to!
The rest of Saturday was exhausting as Mom came over to help me put in plants in my front yard... all those hours in the hot sun, I went to bed at 9:30.. woke up at 5:00 AM and decided I just didn't have it in me. Turned off my alarm clock and rolled over until 10:30... went for a short run and to the Nationals Game.. no regrets for skipping the actual swim event.
