Yesterday was an AWESOME day. It was another beautiful day in the CHI and I somehow managed thanks to hubby doing toddler duty to fit in a run and a swim!! I met up with a few F’N Runners to run 3 miles in the Hickory Hills extension. Here is the 4:30 group: Wayne, Kathy & Me with Susan behind the camera. 
It was hot as hell but a few raindrops started to fall as we were getting ready so I threw on a hat to shield my eyes. Then it never did rain, which would have been nice to cool off the temps a bit. We just did an easy 3 miles, which wasn’t so easy between the hills and the heat but we put it in the done column. We also saw a ton of F’N Runners on the trail as there was also an early bird meet up for those who could start at 3:30. I really do love seeing so many friendly faces on the trail. I also met a triathlete named Kim who I am hoping will eventually join us for some fun runs! Email me, Kim!!!
After the run, the real fun began as it was THE day that I was scheduled to get my ass back in the pool. To be honest, I haven’t been in the pool since the completion of the Great Illini Challenge 70.3 in September of 2008. To be honest, I would never get in the pool again if it weren’t for triathlon. To be honest, YES, I love triathlon that much that I got a tattoo forced myself to get back in the pool. So after a long pregnancy/baby break for Mr. Michael, I feel as if the family he is now mature enough for me to get back to what I really love. And it all starts in the pool (stock photo, not me):
So that I can make it to the start line:
So that I don’t let those bitches swimmers swallow me up:
So that I can meet the first goal of making it OUT OF THE WATER:
So that I can hit the bike:
So that I can thank my Lord & Savior each time I am able to get off the bike, back on my own two feet, RUN (my favorite part by far) and most of all, FINISH:
I knew it would take a little acclimation to get back into the swim. I’m not a fast swimmer but somewhat consistent and my major goal for this season is bilateral breathing. This will be very beneficial in hopefully helping me swim straighter, more efficiently and allow me to be more flexible when the water is rough as I will be able to breathe on whichever side has less wake.
In order to facilitate some of these new goals, I got a small group together for a beginner swim clinic with a young lady I know who first and foremost is an awesome person, but who also swam competitively in High School and is a former lifeguard. Thanks, Jackie! This forced my accountability and made me dig out my swim gear when I would have been content to put off swimming for a “couple” more months. It was a joke at the pool that my swim gear was so old that everyone was surprised my google straps weren’t dry rotted. When I took my goggles out of the box, they were in fact in intact. Well, they lasted most of the session before the straps broke. The new blast of chlorine did not agree with their age. So apparently I need new goggles. Ok.
Well, then the real “giggle” was when I got out of the pool and realized that my TRI top which was fine when I got into the water had basically disintegrated in the chlorine. Thankfully, there was a solid panel in the front, and the “issue” was with the mesh on the sides and back. The mesh DID NOT hold up to the new blast of chlorine either and when I got out fo the pool the top was VERY threadbare. Thank goodness for my new Team Tough Chik TRI top which just arrived, and does NOT have mesh panels! 
I basically filled the garbage can at the pool with about half of the gear with which I started. Good times and thank goodness for solid front panels in TRI tops.
Have you ever had a wardrobe malfunction?
Last call for the Aspaeris Pivot Shorts winner Bridget Walters. If you know Bridget, tell her to contact me soon or I will have to draw another winner.
Happy TRIing, Amanda – TooTallFritz amanda@tootallfritz.com
TooTallFritz 
Fun read! I am doing my first tri in July. I’m signed up to attend a beginner’s triathlon clinic this weekend. I’m a little nervous, so it’s fun reading about your adventures!
You’ll love it! Just stay calm in the water, that’s the hardest part. I always start toward the back of the swim pack to let the fasties get out of the way. Then I just stay calm and swim buoy to buoy, like you would run mile to mile. Break it down into manageable sections cuz sometimes when you are looking out at the water at the start, it looks soooooo far with the buoys spaced out. But it’s manageable. You can do it!
Go TTF….back to the swim-grind! Could be a refreshing lift to go back to tri-training! I would give it a try, but the water is not my friend and just ain’t ready to tackle the expense of finding a facility with a pool and taking the lessons. I guess for now I focus on running distance and keep on working on the biking.
I’ve been thinking about getting into the triathalon world but the swim portion scares me to death. I understand the basic concept of swimming, but I’m horrible at it. Plus, I don’t currently own a bike. I’m interested to hear more about the beginner swim clinic and how that goes! 🙂 I know my schedule barely makes time for running, but I think it would be fun to try a sprint tri at some point.
We did the clinic last night. It wasn’t anything official, just a few of us wanting pointers and my college babysitter, who swam competitively for quite a while. She was really good and is very low key. She watched us each swim individually, gave us some pointers and then we would go practice until our turn was back up. It was very informal. She will be back in the summer and we can do it again. Let me know if you have an interest. And Maggie’s cousin is a certified swim coach if you need something a bit more structured.
Thanks for the info! I think I need to sign up for something more formal as I know I need desperate swimming help. Most of the classes I’ve seen don’t fit with my schedule (I’m not home from work until after 6pm). I know if this is something I want to do, I need to make the time to figure out a plan. 🙂 Thanks Amanda!
Yeah for back in the pool!! Can’t wait to read more about your swims… I’ve got so much to learn yet. When/what TRI are you doing?
The goal is to get in the pool once a week. I am buying new goggles today. The swim coach had some awesome ones that I borrowed and they worked great and were tinted. I needed tinted goggles anyhow b/c sometimes you swim into the sun and that is a huge struggle!
So far I am signed up for two races pretty close to you. The Evergreen International TRI in Hudson IL on 7/14 (great race!!), they have a sprint too. I highly recommend the TRI-Shark events. They are awesome. And I am registered for the Great Illini Challenge (70.3) in Mattoon on 9/1, they are also offering an International (olympic) distance.
I’d like to pick up another TRI but am struggling with the run & family schedule and can’t seem to find one that fits.
Woo hoo! A triathlon! Go you! The swim seems scary to me. All those people…
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