Attempting to master the impossible

Last night I did the spectacular: swam 6,000m or 3.7 miles. I had been putting off this workout for a couple of weeks, as it takes me an awful long time to swim and this was no small feat. But I wanted to do it, as I consider it a rite of passage in the training. I've heard people talk about the 6,000m swim just as they would a 20 mile run training for a marathon. It is incredible and long and arduous, not to mention, above all, boring.

Armed with my goggles, wetsuit, my favorite flavored gel, a waterproof ipod container with an iPod filled with new tunes, and a healthy dose of motivation, I went to the pool to begin this workout I have been dreading since the day I signed up for triathlons. I started out with a 250m warm up and decided to put on my wetsuit. I know I would look silly, but I swim faster in it and 6,000m is a long time when you are not a fast swimmer. But because I was already wet, apparently you can't put on your wetsuit and for the first time ever, my wetsuit ripped. Right there in front of men, I ripped my wetsuit. For a girl, ripping clothes generally means you have gained weight. I haven't gained weight I don't think, but I think trying to stretch it out over my already wet self didn't work. It was like trying to put on clothes when you are wet; it's a lot harder.

So I bagged the wetsuit and just swam my little heart out in my swimsuit for 6,000m. Oh and I forgot (for the first time ever) my swim cap. I didn't so much as forget, as I couldn't find it. I know I pulled it out of my gym bag to bring with me, but somewhere it disappeared. So I had hair in my face the whole swim.

I rewarded myself every 2000m with a lick of my gel: chocolate mint flavor. It is my favorite gel only available during the holidays and tastes just like brownie batter.

You know what? The swim wasn't that bad. I had been procrastinating for so long and when it came down to it, it wasn't that bad at all.

When I got back home and parked the car, I opened the car door and on the street was my swim cap just sitting there all by its lonesome self. Dang it. I must have dropped it while getting into my car.

I am proud of myself when just 9 years ago I couldn't swim at all, or even put my head in the water. It's not like I'm a good swimmer by any stretch of the imagination, but I sure as heck try.

I also did 90 minutes of biking on the trainer yesterday and this morning before work my alarm went off at 5:30am and I was on the trainer for another 90 minutes. I also have another 5000m swim this week, as well as two more 2000m swims and one open water swim race this weekend.

I am now googling a seamstress in a hopeful attempt to fix my wetsuit. The stitching came undone and with my open water swim race this weekend, I need a wetsuit, as there's no way I'm swimming that long without one. 6000m without a wetsuit was enough.