This week, was an interesting part of the learning process. First off, I walked with Shaniqua Mystique (my walking coach extraordinaire) on Tuesday and discovered that my shins, at the pace I was walking at were paining me terribly. So, we slowed it down and still managed to get a couple of miles in. Wednesday we went to a local pool and I attempted to swim laps. I learned a couple of things.
Firstly, my body remembers what a good swimmer I am. It does all the right things and apparently my strokes are still gorgeous and impressive. HOWEVER, I can do about a length of free style and then, boom, I want to die. My heart rate is simply not in the target zone when I do crawl. After doing a sum total of maybe five lengths, I gave it up and ran in place in the water with Shaniqua. I learned that running in place does not do much for my heart rate but boy, can I feel the work it is doing on my calves.
The next night, I swam breast stroke for a half hour or so. It wasn't completely continuous, mainly because one woman started asking me questions about breathing while swimming and the swimming instructor in me just HAD to stop and be of service, but it made me happy and it was a hell of a lot more lengths than I had swum in oh, twenty five years. After that I walked in the water, hoping that the resistance would help with training on land. Jury's out on that, but it felt good.
Today, which was Shabbat, Marc and I walked from our house along the rail trail to the bridge that overhangs Main Street. My pace is pretty good but i listen to my body, as one of my Doctors suggested and take it seriously when there is pain by slowing down.
We also stopped to chat with some friends. I think we were maybe down for a total of five minutes and our walk lasted an hour and five minutes. I noticed walking back how much better it felt and realized that for the first time, I am starting to understand what it means to warm up. I am sort of happy with that lesson because in the half marathon, I think I can safely assume that it will get easier after I warm up, at least for a bit.
I also thought it was cool that the rail trail is actually about 32 kilometers long. I am hoping that as my walks get longer, it will be a relatively safe place to walk and also a nice goal- maybe not pre marathon but it might be sort of cool to walk to Brantford!
So here is what I have learned thus far:
1) Get out and do it is the most important thing for me. Getting out the door is the hardest thing. Marc promises me that any time I want to walk with him at night or on weekends, he is available to walk with me, because he loves walking and he loves me!
2) I bought a family swim pass for the City of Hamilton and Ariel and Max will not be swimming with ghac this year, so i look forward to being active with my kids too.
3) i sort of have a little side goal of eventually being able to do my lifeguarding qualifications again- or at the very least, volunteering with swimming lessons or something. I LOVE swimming instruction and I am pretty successful at it! Thats long term though because i am clearly nowhere near fit enough to pass the physical requirements!
4) I apparently have good walking posture but in addition, I notice myself walking taller in general. Not sure if it is pride, or the fact that I am walking faster or whatever, but I do like the idea of walking taller in general.
5) My only goal this year at all is to complete the half marathon. I don't care if they all go home before I finish, I just want to finish it. I am listening to my Doctor who is also super fit and trying really hard not to do myself any damage.
6) I am lucky to have gotten to this age and weight without serious knee and hip issues. Even my sciatica is relatively harmless. I don't want to break me.
7) I thought for sure it could not work but Muscle Mist is pretty amazing stuff. You can get it at Ellenoire.com
I was sure I would be calling on monday to say, hey this doesn't work, but yes it does, as crazy as it seems!
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