Sweat and Swimming

SWEAT

While menopausal sweat that wakens me at 11:30 and 1:00 and 1:20 and 2:40 and 3:30 and 4:00 and 4:30 (yep, 6 times a night is about right) is NOT a thing to feel good about, watching my sweat drip onto my bicycle pedaling legs or onto the mat when I'm doing push-ups is an mmmm....mmmm.....GOOD feeling of achievement.

Living here in Florida we learn to develop a higher tolerance for and appreciation of sweat. Since we're going to be doing it anytime we're outside in the summer for more than about 10 minutes, we might as well get our money's worth and sweat a bucketful while we're running so we can feel good when we're peeling off and wringing out our running shorts & shirts. Its the price we pay for the sunshine instead of gloomy grey and year round warmth instead of biting cold winters.

SWIMMING
Today I swam 40 laps/1000 yards/909 meters without stopping at the pool - my 14th swim work-out in prep for my first triathlon this weekend. I had to know that I could swim for 600 meters (the lenght in the sprint tri) plus a good bit more to accomodate a zig zag or outer perimeter course on race day. I expect to do 25-50% of the swim on my back, trying to avoid collisions and swim along a relatively expedient course. Survival with enough energy to do the bike and run is my goal for this one. Even today, after this many swim sessions, I had to fight back moments of panic once or twice when I felt I couldn't ta.ke in enough air in the first 200 yards. But I did, I kept swimming and can now see myself completing a half mile swim in the future.