First Time for Everything...

....sooooooooooo, this week has been full steam ahead with the beginnings of the triathlon training. Last week, Bex called me and said, "Whoa partner, we totally have our work cut out for us with this swimming!" She had done one swimming workout and said it was an endurance test to say the least. I told her to stop being dramatic and get over herself. We are ultimate athletes who do not need to be scared of one teeny weeny mile in the water.

Famous. Last. Words.

So this week I am beginning our triathlon workout plan, which began with a Monday night swim workout. Our awesome Tunica County Health and Wellness Center also has a great Aquatic center with two HUGE olympic-sized pools, a 'kids zone,' competition dive platforms, all of the above. My friend Emily works at the Wellness Center, and she was going to be there last night swimming, and then teaching a water aerobics class. I was glad Emily was going to be there so she could sort-of show me the ropes of the Aquatic center and get me started.

So into the pool we go....

Emily does a lot of pool workouts because she is 7 1/2 months pregnant, thus the water provides a low-impact workout for her while still burning calories. I am assuming that since Emily is preggo, I will be able to at least keep up with her in the water, if not causing her to 'eat my dust' so to speak. Um, no such luck. Just as Bex warned me, I got done with one down-and-back lap for a grand total of 100 meters and was breathing harder than I was when we finished running 13.1 miles. Emily, however, is just stroking through the water beautifully, looking like Micheal Phelps compared to me. As I am trying to catch my breath and get my goggles situated along with my tagled mass of wet hair; sweet, rotund, just-gained-15-pounds Emily is just loving life in the lane next to me. While I, half-marathon-running, weight-watching Laura, cannot seem to quit gasping for air and flailing around like a drowning kitten. Sheesh.

Bex was right, we have our work cut out for us with this swimming. Last night I swam 1/4 of a mile in like 20 minutes. I know I have a couple of readers (ahem....kathleen) who are bad-ass swimmers, so please stop laughing at me!!! I know I am slow and inexperienced in the world of swimming, but I am determined to do it. Especially since I have already procliamed in Cyber World that I WILL FINISH THIS DANG TRIATHLON!!! Plus, when I first started running I couldn't even finish a mile and now look where I am. I am basically *famous* via this blog for my running abilities.

Okay maybe not famous (even though at least 29 people know who I am!) but I have come a long way. So I am optimistic that the same will happen with my swimming.

I think I can, I think I can, I think I can....