Spin to win...

Went to spin class this evening with TNT teammates Tracy and Libba. Cycled for 90 minutes. The class was good though I admit I didn't know how much to turn that little dial thingy that increased/decreased your resistance. Perhaps I need a Spin Class for Dummies? The instructor would yell, "Push it up to 7.5 y'all!" And I just pretended that I knew what the heck I was doing. Mind you there are no numbers on that dial. It's all good though! I felt it in the legs and that's what counts, right?

On the mommy front- unfortunately, I have had to miss a few dinners/bedtimes these past few weeks. I am still trying to finagle my schedule so that I am not missing these. I felt a little guilty this evening as it was my turn to cook and I literally just threw a bunch of things in the crockpot at 5 p.m., cranked it to high and hoped for the best that it would be ready in time for Jason and the kids to eat at 6:30! I didn't get home until 7:30p.m. Turns out that the crock pot-a-la-surprise was quite tasty!

Running tomorrow. I'm looking forward to getting outdoors after the past few days of swimming and spinning.

A mile swim = 64 laps

Tuesday- 2/28/12 workout- Met TNT buddies at the pool. Ran down the street and across to Shelley Lake- 2.5 miles then off to swim practice. During the run, Tracy and I figured out that our mile swim is equal to 64 laps in the 25m pool! I almost fainted. One day at a time, Caroline. One day at a time!

Overall, a good workout but one I never would have done had it not been a group exercise day! Here is to the power of TEAM!

Off to spin class for the very first time ever this evening  ;-)

5:30a.m. workout...check!

I am pleased to report that I made my 5:30a.m. workout this morning...applause, cheer! I chose to do swimming as that is my weakest "link" (I think)- anyway, here's the rundown:

100 meters: 200 meters: 300 meters; 200 meters; 100 meters.

I did almost all freestyle with some breaks to catch my breath and prevent drowning. Loved having the workout done and over with by 7a.m.- just in time for my real full-time mommy gig! Swim practice tomorrow night here I come...

What a difference a day makes...

Let me just say off the bat...today I am overjoyed, utterly grateful and touched by the donations I have received just in the past 24 hours. A dear friend of Mary Anne's, my parents and someone whom I don't even know (thank you Cathy!) have come together and pledged their support for my efforts with Team In Training but more importantly to those patients and families who are battling various stages of leukemia and lymphomas as we speak. As a result, we (you/me/we) have raised $1150 just in the past 24 hours! Thank you, John, for your incredibly generous donation in memory of Mary Anne; thanks mom and dad for supporting me in this special adventure; and thank you Cathy for your blind faith in me and your important contribution to LLS/TNT and conquering cancer.

I am beaming right now and as evidence of that I wanted to post my first video. I took it this morning just prior to our 8 a.m. brick (15 mile bike/2 mile run). I have to confess, last night I went to bed stressed because I let some doubt creep in as to whether I could raise enough funds to even be a participant with Team in Training. I am terrible at asking for things (though my husband may challenge me on this one) but generally, it is true. Keep in mind, when you see $$ goals from Team In Training participants, this is the money the participant must raise in order to participate in their chosen event. The goal money pays for the participant's race entry, lodging and coaching. The rest goes to support the mission of LLS. If a participant does not raise their $ goal, they can either choose to leave the team mid-way through the training season at Re-commitment (April for me) OR pay out of their own pocket the difference between what they do raise and the goal amount. And most of us TNT participants are not fundraisers by trade so there is some understandable angst there.

Anyway, just prior to crawling into bed last night, after posting my LLS/TNT fundraising page, I happened to check my email. All of a sudden my husband heard me exclaim in the pitch dark, "Oh...my...God!" And it was a good "Oh my God" because I had just been notified via email that my friend John (and dear friend of Mary Anne's) had posted a $500 contribution! Whoa! Now instead of not being able to sleep because I was stressing over not raising money, I was so pumped with my very first donation that I couldn't sleep! Still reeling from last night, I gathered my teammates this morning and gushed with pride about my very first contribution and asked the team to send a special shout out to John. And here it is in all its early morning glory. Don't blink or you will miss it:

The TNT Tri-crew saying "Thank you John, go TEAM!"

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So here is today's workout roundup: We did our workout with the TNT Century Ride crew (that's right, they're training for a 100 mile ride in the mountains of NC!) I threw down some Greek yogurt and a delicious homemade granola bar compliments of our fearless Coach Tom. One small hitch, in my exuberance to learn how to pump my own tire, I overcompensated and snapped off the stem thingamajig on my tire which now needs to be replaced. Thankfully there was enough air in there to ride but off to REI I go tomorrow. Anyway, it was a good ride on hilly terrain. I am thrilled to report that I am flying on my PattiLew (that's the name I have now given my beloved road bike in honor of its former owner/survivor). I road most of the way with the Century riders and even had delusions that I might join them some day.

I know I am getting long-winded here and my husband (the tech guy) always tries to encourage me to keep these entries short but things must be said: so funny thing happened on the ride- I was coasting past a local high school and the police had each end of a long road blocked off for what initially seemed like a walk-a-thon or something by the high school students. A bunch of kids were just strolling down the road. So nosy me pulls alongside a group of them and yells out: "So what are you walking for?" And as teenagers tend to do, they glared at me and someone yelled back what I thought to be "CRAM!" And I gave them the thumbs up though never having heard of the organization CRAM yet proud of these kids for rocking it out on this early morning, blustery day and rode on my merry way. A little ways down the road I start seeing more kids and they're actually running like in a race. And it occurs to me that the kids who were walking were really saying "Cramps!" as in they were walking because they had cramps! I got a good chuckle out of that one. How dare I question their unwavering commitment to their Booster-thon race!

Anyway, I successfully finished the 15 mile trek and then did my 2 mile run which again went pretty well for me...whew!

Today was also LLS/TNT mission day and we had a great time bonding with each other at the event and hearing from LLS staff, survivors and family members about their triumphs and tragedies. I am in complete awe of these folk. We heard from my teammate/survivor Ed and his wife, Libba. Ed reminded us that the efforts that we are making today on behalf of LLS are helping that mother, father, sister, brother, son or daughter to be well enough to see the Grand Canyon for the very first time. In other words, the money we are raising is changing lives and, in the best of circumstances, saving lives.

And on that note, I am going to wrap it up and say simply and with sincere gratitude...GO TEAM!

Ugh...not a great training week. Wednesday- watch alarm didn't go off. Thursday- phone alarm didn't go off. Sounds weak, I know. I hosted Bunco last night at my house which was a blast but I crashed today. Alas, tomorrow's bike/run (Saturday) is going to be rough. It is at N. Cary Park at 8a.m. Can you say hills? After, there is an LLS rally day of sorts at the park- survivors sharing their stories etc. Should be great!

I am also starting to get a little nervous about my fundraising to be honest. I am terrible about asking for money but I can do it for a great cause. Hopefully, I will be getting out letters/emails/Facebook requests this coming week!

The dog ate my alarm...I swear

So the dog ate my alarm or however the saying goes which essentially means- I did not make it to spin class at 5:30a.m. (in fairness, my alarm really did not go off). Not that I would have heard it anyway because we had a rough night of "sleep" at the Derifaj household. Audrey woke up it seems on the hour through the night. I think eating dinner at 5:30 yesterday threw her little body clock off because she was up and ready to go throughout the wee hours. Thinking that I had a crack o' dawn-thirty workout, my faithful husband dealt with Audrey. Then the dog eating the alarm thing happened and before I knew it, it was 6a.m. Oh well, another case of patting myself on the back for having ambitious plans. Instead I did my 4 mile trek with Audrey and baby jogger in tow while Sarah Cowles was in preschool.

I am happy to report, though, that swim practice last night went well. I just need to work on doing consecutive laps without huffing and puffing! I hear the bottom of Lake Oconee will not be in my reach come race day  ;-)

*Check this article out if you're looking for some real inspiration. Wow!
 http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/21/health/chrissie-wellington-triathlete-champion/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10

The evening started with Fat Tuesday pancake dinner at the church. I thought I was being smart by not indulging in the pancakes and sausage. Instead I brought a bowl of curry chicken rice. Turns out that didn't process well either as I ended up with cramps during my first TNT swim practice. Note to self: eat something other than curried chicken and pancakes before practice. Coach Tom led our motley crew of five. He showed us a video of efficient swimming techniques before we took the plunge. Here was the workout: 2-100's; 1-200; 1-300; 1-200; 2-100's. Anyway, it was somewhere around 20+ laps. I did okay. I still need to build up endurance which led me to ask Coach Tom, "So Tom, will we be able to touch the bottom at Lake Oconee during our mile swim?" The answer was not encouraging. So I have my work cut out for me to be able to swim a mile on June 23rd! I do find however that I am enjoying training with a group and the cross-training. I like the variety. Jason put the kids to bed tonight. I find I am having to lean on him more in order to train. I am thankful that he is so supportive of my efforts. Off to bed...up at 5a.m. for spin class at 5:30a.m. Yet another new adventure awaits!

Bike, Butt and Chicken & Dumplings

Ahhhh....what a difference a good road bike and cushy butt shorts make! Today we did another brick- bike/run except this time, we did not get lost AND we went 15miles/bike and 2miles/running AND I made it! Seriously, anyone interested in biking in the least- invest in a good pair of cushy bike shorts. I got mine from HucknRoll for a pretty good deal ($32): http://www.hucknroll.com/sugoi-neo-pro-short-womens  My butt has never been so happy!

Enough about my butt or lack thereof...the bike. Whoa! Second piece of advice is to get a decent road bike. I bought a used one from a former TNT biker and survivor. Riding a yard sale mountain bike on the road was not one of my smarter moves but you do what you gotta do. Let's just say that last week felt like riding a bike with training wheels and this week I felt like a bird. I exaggerate a little but you get the idea.

Chicken & Dumplings anyone?

So as you can tell by now the bike ride went much better this week. I think I may even be starting to like this road bike thing. Now if we can just get the cars off the road, it would be great! The scenery was beautiful. And then there are always the unique signs (see above) At least I know where we're headed for dinner tonight! There were 2 other team members who joined the ride today. One took her mountain bike since her real road bike was in the shop- I felt for her big time. And the other woman had a little trouble with her asthma/cold. I felt bad for her, too. Coach Tom was great again with his pointers- "Spin to win, Caroline. Spin to win." I like Tom. I will also hopefully be featuring 2 other team members in an upcoming post. Apparently a local news team followed them several years ago as the husband is a lymphoma survivor and the wife is pretty darn cool herself. Go Ed and Libba!

Then came the 2 mile run and for some reason I must have been on fire because I have not run a sub-9 minute mile in I do not know how long (okay, the course was flat as a pancake but let me bask in the glory for a moment). Okay, done.

Next up- first swim practice on Tuesday. And many thanks to those of you who are encouraging my efforts and the cause. It keeps me going...I will post my LLS donation page very shortly i.e. as soon as I figure out how to set it up  ;-)

Hug a parent (especially a new one)...

Thursday, 2/16/12- Took a break from training today. Went to facilitate a meeting of postpartum mommies who are struggling with the anxieties/challenges of having newborns and little ones. I was once one of the mommies in the group. After I had our 2nd child in 2010, I experienced postpartum depression/anxiety for months. This group helped me cope. Check them out: http://postpartumeducationandsupport.com/

At the meeting, we shared one thing that made us happy this week. Mine was signing up for Team In Training. It was the first time I had told anyone outside of family/friends about what I am doing. I've been a little shy about it all. However, it reminded me of how far I have come since the birth of my second child. I am finally at a point that I feel like I can start giving more to myself. I hope the mommies reading this know that while it is always going to be a roller coaster ride as a parent, those first days/weeks/months are especially hard and can be overwhelming. If you are a mommy (especially a new one) and are reading this, please take a moment to pat yourself on the back for a job well done. I think too often we get stuck in the guilt of what we didn't do right or could have done better for our children. And we often tend to judge one another. Let's be kinder to ourselves and especially each other. Let's encourage one another in this journey of parenthood. There are so many parents (especially the ones with little ones) who could use a little lift!

Wednesday, 2/15/12- Today, I went running. My goal was to run 4 miles and the good news is that I did while pushing a jogger with my little 18 month in tow. Honestly, the first lap of 2 was tougher than I thought. Was I that out of shape? Had I not run with the jogger in awhile? Anyway, I made a few pit stops. Slowed it down and decided it was more important to run the distance than for time. The strategy worked. I ended up enjoying the run more and my toddler got to see the sights which included some big geese and lots of dogs. Done. Whew...

Welcome to my Tri-Mommy Diary!

2/14/12- My name is Caroline Nelson Derifaj and I am a mommy to two wonderful girls, ages 5 and 18 months. I am also 40 years old. I started this blog as a means of chronicling my journey through the ups and downs of preparing for my very first triathlon (an Olympic one at that) in June 2012. Let me just confess up front, I am not technically a triathlete. Currently I am, however, someone who is trying very hard to earn that title while being a full-time mommy and all that that entails. I have also never blogged before. So come to think of it, I am neither a triathlete nor a blogger which makes this venture all the more exciting. Stick around and let's see how this all works out...should be interesting!

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So how did this all come about? In the past few years, I have thought about doing a triathlon. That's generally where it stopped- I thought about it and then never acted on it. I am a busy mom to two little ones and for the past 5 years that has been my focus. Having a family and just trying to keep up with life. After having our second child in 2010, I found myself starting to want to focus more on me. Sure I do like to exercise- running primarily. In fact, I have been running since junior high (that's what they called it way back when). However, we're talking more jogs of 2-6 miles max off and on through the years. My last big race was the Country Music 1/2 Marathon in 2003. That was the last time I had really trained seriously for anything. Since then, it's been more of a jog here and there with a dash of swimming and occasionally weights thrown in whenever I felt like it. Sometimes I would jog several times a week and sometimes I wouldn't exercise for weeks. But I always came back to it. I need exercise. I can't go too long without getting outside and getting my heart going.

Having run for years, I started feeling towards the end of 2011 that it would be cool to actually try a triathlon. I craved variety in my exercising. I craved a challenge. I craved focus. Don't get me wrong, I love being a full-time mommy and find it completely challenging in its own way but wiping poo and pee and crusty noses all day long was starting to take its toll. I needed to do something for me. Running alone was getting a little stale. And I have no interest in pounding the pavement for 26.5 miles.

So towards the end of last year, I called the local Team in Training chapter. They said they would call when their season started up again. That was November 2011. I forgot all about it but I patted myself on the back for having at least made the call. Fast forward to the end of January 2012 and guess what, I got a call from...drum roll please...Team In Training...asking if I wanted to come to an orientation meeting for their upcoming triathlons. I mentioned it to my husband in case he wanted to go to the meeting. And then I thought, wait...this is what I wanted to do. So I sat on the idea for a few days. Got another call from Team in Training asking if I was interested and I said maybe I would. Then we started exchanging emails and I felt kind of like we were in the awkward "get to know you" phase of dating- me and TNT. Did I want to commit to TNT? Did I or didn't I? Did I or didn't I? As my wise husband says, the hardest part of most things for me is the decision to commit. Once I do, I am in 110%. So I hemmed and hawed about it for a few more days (all the while realizing that training for the group had already begun and...yikes...I was getting further behind the longer I remained idle). Yet the little voice inside kept saying, "Just do it." Trust me, I could have countered with a thousand reasons why I shouldn't do a triathlon much less one with Team in Training-

1. I am way too busy to train.
2. I am way too tired to train.
3. I don't have a decent bike.
4. I don't have access to a swimming pool.
5. Did I mention I am too busy and tired to train?
6. I haven't ridden a bike since I don't know when.
7. I am not sure I can even swim 5 consecutive laps at this point even if I had to.
8. Gulp- can I actually raise $2300 albeit for a wonderful cause?
9. I don't know if I can do it and so on and so forth.

But the gut said to go for it. And this time, I made the leap...

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So, I finally decided to commit around the beginning of February 2012. I felt like this was something I really wanted to do. And that it was okay if I was scared maybe even better because I will be stronger- physically and mentally- for having weathered the challenge. It makes me think of a quote I heard in my 20's- Gospel group Sweet Honey in the Rock offers this introduction to the gospel song, “Wade in the Water.”

And when there is a promise of a storm, if you want change in your life walk into it. If you get on the other side, you will be different. And if you want change in your life and you’re avoiding the trouble, you can forget it. So as the prophet says, wade on in the water. It’s gonna really be troubled water.

I chose to commit to Team in Training for several reasons. I felt like I needed the group bonding and support to get me through this. I needed coaching. I needed inspiration. I needed motivation. Let me remind you, I do run and I can swim and bike but not so much in those latter departments. In fact, I can't even remember the last time I went biking. And I was just hoping that I still fit into the one swimsuit I did own (prior to my 2nd pregnancy) for doing laps. Okay, you get the idea. I am starting from some place close to scratch. The TNT staff assured me that I would not be alone and I took their word for it. 

And the other main reason I wanted to sign up with TNT is because of what they are all about:

Helping patients with blood cancers, live better and longer lives.

A friend, Mary Anne McClurkin Wolfe, passed away suddenly in 2003 from leukemia. She left behind a wonderful husband and two beautiful, young children (shown above) as well as a sister and numerous other family and friends. I wanted to train in memory of Mary Anne- someone who was such a positive force in this world. So friendly. So giving. So positive. So warm. So funny. I wanted to raise money and train in memory of her and in honor of her family. And what better way to do so than to make this commitment to TNT.

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Now you know why I am doing this triathlon. Let me explain what's happened to date. I signed up online, paid my $100 (woo-hoo, only $2200 more to raise towards my goal) and waited. It didn't take long before I started getting emails from local TNT staff and then my Team Coaches welcoming me to the group and charting my training course for the coming month of February. I had already missed the first week of training and wanted to get going ASAP once I signed up. Unfortunately, I came down with a bad cold (refer back to the wiping noses part of my other job) and was in bed for the rest of the week unable to train. I had only exercised sporadically since the first of the year so I needed to get in gear. My goal, though, was to make it to the "brick" (what's that?) training on Saturday. I guess that's what they call a bike/run or some kind of 2 sport workout. So I started scrambling for gear- literally. I ran to REI and scoured their sale racks for bike gloves and bike shorts. I found bike gloves 1/2 off but no such luck on the shorts. Oh my tailbone. I didn't know much about biking but I knew enough that after riding for even just a little while, I needed to have some padding between me and that bike seat. I scrambled around town trying to find shorts. I found some Sugois that were great but I feared a size too small (xsmall). So I found the same shorts online in size Small and 1/2 off and ordered them right away. The bad news is that I would not have them for the first bike ride of 14 miles. Ugh. More on that later.

My other dilemma was my bike. At this point, I only had a yard sale mountain bike that had a bent rim. I went out to get that fixed and sheepishly asked the bike guy if he thought I could train for an Olympic triathlon on the thing. He said, "People have been known do it, I suppose. But I wouldn't recommend it." Crap. No bike. What was I thinking signing up for a tri-sport event for which I am minimally equipped? We couldn't afford to pay for a new bike too on top of all these other little costs that were starting to add up. Could I train on a mountain bike? I left the shop feeling defeated about my bike situation but actually inspired at the same time. It turns out the bike guy who handed me the bad news about my bike was passionate about bikes. To the point that he started showing me pics on his cell phone of his ultra-carbon bike that he was building from scratch. Keep in mind that he knew I knew nothing about bikes but that didn't matter. This was his baby and he was going to show me his baby whether I liked it or not. I oohed and awwed but had no idea what he was talking about. But back to being inspired, this bike guy was training for a timed trial in a few months after having had a kidney transplant in 2010. Wow...how cool... and all of a sudden his pictures really meant something to me. He was going for it. We had something in common.

Anyway, the biking portion on an Olympic triathlon is 25 miles. I emailed the coaches to get their opinion on my bike situation. Could I train on this thing? It didn't sound promising but I lugged that pile of metal to the training practice and found out for myself that the yard sale heap-of-junk was in fact NOT going to cut it. Here's how it went down: I showed up a 1/2 hour early so I had plenty of time to figure out how to assemble my bike after having to lug it with the front wheel unattached in the back of my car. I did it. I assembled the bike on my own (patted myself on the back) and wheeled around to the front of the parking lot waiting for my Team in Training. I was so nervous. I asked anyone I saw with a bike, "Are you with Team in Training?" No. "Are you with TNT?" No. Shucks. Finally, I saw a group of bikers assembled in the middle of the parking lot which is where I finally found my crew. Yes. Here they were. A handful of people on bikes. And serious looking bikes at that. And they had those cushy pants. Carbon bikes. And fancy sunglasses. Not me. I had none of it. I shudder to tell you what I did to ease the tailbone pain but let's just say it involved layering some padded feminine products plus at the last minute stuffing a spare (but clean) diaper changing pad down my running tights. Voila. Cushion.

I introduced myself to the team and was warmly welcomed to the group despite my protruding rear end. No one asked about it thankfully. Come to think of it, even the riders who had the "real" bike pants on looked like they were wearing diapers. So it was all good. Then we had our Mission Moment and I learned that another teammate was a lymphoma survivor who was given a 20% chance of living about 6 years ago (suddenly the diaper changing pad quandary seemed so much less important in the scheme of things). His wife (another teammate) told us that is was the medicines provided from TNT funding that helped save his life. WOW! How cool. So after a few brake adjustments, Team Coach Tom went over the route. 14.4 miles of it! I am awful with maps. I was hoping someone would shepherd me through this ride. Truthfully, I was hoping I would make it period. I had never been on a road ride before and I again sheepishly let them know that. I think there were 3 of us who were in the same boat. Yikes.

As we started out, one of the seasoned bikers came along side me and gave me a pep talk about not getting discouraged with my bike. This should have been a sign. They knew I was going to have a tough ride. Then Coach Tom came coasting beside me and tried to feel out my biking prowess. "So Caroline, you've been biking around town?" "Not really," I said. He probed further. "So you've been on trails with your bike recently?" "Uh, no again Tom. The truth is I don't know when I last rode a bike," I said. Awkward silence. But sometimes ignorance is bliss because I pedaled on. Unfortunately, one rider had to turn back within the first mile. Maybe something was wrong with her bike. The veteran bikers of the group took off and the next time I saw them was in the parking lot at the end of the ride! So it was me, another teammate and Coach Tom navigating the country roads. My bike told me a lot during that ride but mainly that it was not cut out to carry me on long distances. My body also told me that I needed to get in better shape. My other TNT teammate was very encouraging. This was only her 2nd ride! I huffed and puffed my way along. Coach Tom stayed right with me most of the time and as a result we got to know one another a little. You can do that when you're moving at a 2mph clip up a hill. He would talk up the hill and I would listen and then I would catch my breath and carry on the conversation on the downhills. I managed. We took some wrong turns but that was okay by me. Then Coach Tom mercifully cut the ride short so we wouldn't fall too far behind the others. He apologized several times about missing some turns but I was so cooler than cool to be turning back. So we did a 10 mile ride last Saturday and I was never so glad to see that parking lot! I MADE IT!

And then came the 2 mile run after we stowed our bikes away. I am happy to say that for me the 2 mile run was no problem. It was flat and totally doable even after the painful ride. I was really happy with myself. I survived my first TNT triathlon workout! I felt good. I felt inspired. I felt humbled. But my bike had to go.

When I arrived home, I was so glad to see my girls and husband. Poor dad had to take care of the girls much longer than I had anticipated. I thought we would train maybe an hour and a half. "Be back by 10:30," I assured my awesome hubby. I didn't get home until closer to noon. Oops. Here we go having to make some sacrifices to make this all happen. I must say though I was more energized to be with my family having been away all morning. My 5 year old listened attentively as I described to husband the trials and tribulations and successes of the morning. She heard me say that I came in last in the bike ride. The look on her face let me know she truly felt bad for me. Winning is everything to a 5 year old. Then she asked me why I did the bike ride if it was so tough. And I took the moment to explain to her that sometimes in life it feels good to simply give your very best whether you win or lose. And that's what I did this morning. I tried my very best. She seemed impressed because she then went to go get her shiny medal necklace and put it around my head (too small for mommy). Cool. I realized then that maybe I could teach my daughters something positive about life through all of this. I could see how this experience was already going to be great.

 Next hurdle: find a good, reasonably priced, used road bike. ASAP.
Remember my tailbone incident? TNT sends out weekly emails to inspire and educate the participants. The day after my bike ride, I saw a bike that was being sold from a former TNT participant and it was local! It was 13 years old but solid. I went to take a look at it last Sunday. The bike seemed to be in good working order. Better yet, the owner/rider of the bike is a lymphoma survivor. In her email to me describing the bike she ended by thanking me for what I am doing. She even said I was a hero. Wow...we all know who the real hero is here. Thank you Patti! You are an inspiration to me. I am honored to be riding your bike!

Bike. Check. Swimming here I come...
So this past Monday (2 days ago), I rejoined Lifetime Fitness as I knew I had to practice in the water. Sure I could swim but for how long? Well, my goal on Monday was to swim 20 laps. You have to swim a mile (or 30 consecutive laps, I think) for the Olympic Tri. The good news is that I made it 20 laps but certainly not consecutively or very fast I might add. Swim practice was the following day but I opted out. It was Valentine's Day yesterday and I felt I wanted to be home with my family. Sure I felt guilty not making the swim practice but I knew this was an exception. There would be plenty of cutting out early on the family for practices and training coming up. On Valentine's Day- I stayed put. And I am glad I did. Tomorrow is running and I am actually looking forward to it. This cross-training is great. I have a feeling that having to train on the bike and in the pool is going to make running more fun again. As they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. Stay tuned!