Swim

So I've finally discovered that I really like swimming. It only took me 23 years but it's a great way to get fitness in my upper body without having to lift weights, all the while contributing to aerobic fitness to a degree. I also look dead sexy in jammers.

It does get pretty boring swimming lap after lap of 25 meters but you do what you have to with a triathlon in 6 weeks and a 1500m open water swim in the James River looming over your head. I've also developed a fairly painful spot in my hamstring which leads me to believe that it's either a strain or some sort of pull, but I'm not really sure a pull can result in one tender spot. It seems to dissipate after about 30 minutes of running; not sure whether that is a good or bad thing. It's been bothering me for about a week now, so I'm thinking of taking a week off from running and concentrating on biking/swimming, both of which need some work.

My biking fitness is definitely coming around, however. I feel much, much stronger on the bike now than I did a month or two ago and my ability to power over short climbs and spin my way up longer ones has significantly improved. My recovery time is next to nothing on the bike as well, almost certainly a product of my running fitness.

I really have no idea what to expect from the triathlon in terms of results, but I think I can do the bike in under 1:15 (40k), as I know most of the roads very well and hopefully under :40 on the run (10k). More aggressive estimates would be in about 1:05-1:08 on the bike and :38-:39 on the run. Although I'm not so sure about the run because the Colonial Parkway is not built for fast times (running or biking, for that matter) with it's rolling profile and crappy surface.

I'm pretty excited, but also very, very nervous about the swim. I have no idea how a swim of that length will affect my biking/running. Should be fun.