This entire process has been so much fun. I know I keep saying this, but I feel more and more like myself every day. I think that I was born to race.Â
Even if it’s just competition with myself (like trying to beat my FTP or my output PR on a peloton ride, or adding on mileage to my runs), I love the thrill and adrenaline rush of breaking through my goals and setting records. It’s so much fun.
So while this training program is far from perfect, I give myself an A+ thus far for sticking to the goal: falling in love with training and racing all over again in my new 30-something postpartum body. It’s been such a thrill.Â
Week 8 Recap
Well, I’m not setting any records here for preparedness in the swimming portion of this triathlon, but I did manage to jump in the water (once thus far!) for a masters workout here in Austin.
WHAT.
Can you believe it?
Yep. Kelsey Kennedy finally jumped in the water for a swim workout. It only took 11 years.
I’m sure I’ve shared this on my blog somewhere, but I was a competitive swimmer for 15 years (all the way through college!). I raced breaststroke and IM and I’ve always, always, always loved the sport.
(I’m pretty sure I was some sort of sea creature in a past life. It physically aches me to be near a body of water and jump in. I have a lot of memories of being a kid and jumping into pools or lakes or swimming holes in my play clothes because it was too awful to NOT jump in just because I had forgotten a swimsuit for wherever we were heading. I love the water.)Â
But after 15 years and hundreds of thousands of laps in the pool, I. Was. Done.Â
I literally did my final conference meet in college and 100% checked out of the sport. And since then, I’ve been doing things like distance running, joining a barre studio, and (recently) loving the Peloton. And I haven’t done a single swim workout.Â
(I mean, last year, before the sprint triathlon, I jump into out little 15-yard neighborhood pool and swam a few hundred yards just to make sure I still remembered how to put on a swim cap and move in the water.)
Until last week!!Â
More on that swim workout in just a second, but another significant thing that happened in week 8 of training is that I did my first 90 minute Peloton ride.Â
Â
It was AWESOME. My legs were noodles for the final 10 minutes, but overall it was so fun to challenge myself in the new way and see if I could just. keep. peddling. This was part of my “Peak Your Power Zones” program that I’m wrapping up on the Peloton. I do the final FTP test this week, and then the 8 weeks of that program will be complete. Next step is to actually get outside on the bike a time or two…
Something I Loved From Week 8
Something I loved from last week? This swim workout.Â
There are a few masters swim groups in Austin, so I bought a 10-pack pass so that I can do 1-2 swim workouts per week until the CapTex tri.Â
It was crazy how much of it was just muscle memory: packing my bag the night before (suit/cap/goggles, water bottle, pull buoy/paddles/kick board), setting my alarm early, and then waking up and grabbing a banana to fuel before the workout.Â
And then walking into the locker room, smelling the cleaning chemicals that were used the night before, changing and heading out to the pool deck.Â
The quiet chatter. The calm. Athletes checking the printed workout at each lane to see what’s coming up in the next hour.Â
The bright lights in the pool lighting up the water. It’s such a contrast to the dark sky in the early morning before the sun has come up.Â
And then jumping in!! Nothing has changed. The first jump in is cold and I always hate it. A few strokes in, the water starts to feel amazing. And by the first flip turn, I relax my shoulders a bit and push air out of my mouth and nose and just feel…home.Â
Dramatic much? Nope. I told you: I was a sea creature in a past life. The water always feels like home to me.Â
Something I Hated From Week 8
Welp, after working so hard for the past few weeks, I figured SOME of it would translate into swimming. But no…
I’ve worked my ass off in 2023 to improve my cycling performance. I feel SO strong on the Peloton! And I’ve been re-learning how to run after taking a few years off for “the baby years” from 2019-2022. I mean, learning to run again in this body doesn’t feel awesome…but in the last few weeks I’ve been getting into a groove and I’ve had a few runs that have actually felt amazing.Â
So after all that hard work, did my first swim in 11 years feel easy? NOPE.Â
Swimming is such a beast! I felt frustrated because I KNOW what it can feel like when I’m strong in the water, but I just couldn’t hold my strokes together. I totally lacked the strength to do more than a 25 yard fly. My backstroke was complete crap! (Breaststroke, my favorite, still felt ok.) I literally couldn’t go fast on free…I just kind of floated through the water.Â
I got in just shy of 3,000 yards finished in an hour and then felt exhausted all day after that. Haha!Â
So while I wouldn’t necessarily way that this is something I “hated” from week 8, I definitely hope to see some major improvements in my swim performance in the next 8 weeks.Â
That’s it for today! I’m going to share a few more training recaps before race day on Memorial Day 2023. Hope you have a fantastic day. XO.Â
