Thursday, January 6, 2011

Peep Show’s Over

I love a great story. Ted Williams. Over night sensation. From homeless to announcing on the Today show this morning and countless job offers. You’ve got to hear this dude’s voice:

Moving on..

My grab bag suit worked fabulously at the pool yesterday.

jumpshot

The lifeguards were kind of bummed that the peep show was over, but they were astounded by the bright colors in my new suit. The lap swimmers peeked into the deep end and admired my nylon/spandex blend, not for one minute realizing that this was a grab bag item. Members of the pussy posse were intrigued by the yellow and fuchsia combination and hoped to discuss it further at the early bird buffet this evening.

For those of you just joining the party, let me fill you in.

Quick update:

Injury: I was diagnosed with a stress fracture in my left femoral neck (hip) on October 13, 2010. I have not run since, but will resume next week. For eight minutes at a time. Guess what my post title might be that day? “Eight Minutes.” I am creative that way.

Pussy posse: I started water running back in October. The “older” ladies come to do water aerobics. I call them my PP. But, not to their faces.

Peep show: My past bathing suit had become incredibly see-through. I wore it long past its expiration date. I ordered a mystery suit from swim outlet (above) and am extremely satisfied.

Let me tell you something about water running. I do think it’s gotten a bad rap. The other day I got out of the water after a 60 minute workout. There was a guy there, obviously a swim coach, who I had never seen before. He said, “How’s the injury? Because there is NO WAY you would be running in the water unless you were injured.”  Damn swim coach. Thinks he knows everything. Thinks he knows me. But, he didn’t have any hair so I just said, “Thanks know-it-all baldy” and walked off. Score one for me!

Okay, he was kind of right. But, now that I have been doing this for a couple of months, I am getting it down. I have figured out how to make it an amazing workout, comparable to my runs on land (not the watery stool runs, the others). I have taken this time to work on my form, because being in the water gives you that option.

After a holiday break in which I drank wine and vodka nightly and ate my weight in caramel Chex mix, spiced nuts (I love nuts) and other weird things you only eat in December, I got back in the pool. I picked up where I had left off, which was a 48 minute workout. It felt very, very difficult. Yesterday’s workout was 56 minutes (21 x 1:30 w/30 sec rest) and I was close to passing out. Good thing I had a float belt on. My heart rate was screaming at 190 bpms. These water running workouts are going to serve me very well when I return to running. They seriously can kick your ass if your form is good and you push yourself.

I never thought I’d say this, but I will return to the pool at least once per week to water run even after I can run on land. It is just that good of a workout and easy on the body. I guess this is kind of like saying I’m only going to eat vegetables grown in my garden and I will only watch educational TV. Bullshit. But, it’s an intention, right? And a good one at that.

Off to hoe the earth and plant seeds while watching PBS,

SUAR

37 comments:

  1. Thanks for explaining the pussy posse. I have been wondering.....it also helped me understand the early buffet.

    I ordered my grab bag suit yesterday!! I was hoping I could order grab bag muscles on the internet too, but it seems they were all out!!

    Good luck with the eight minutes!

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  2. The Ted Williams story is awesome. I'm so glad that he gets to start something new!

    LOVE the suit!

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  3. Ted Williams voice is awesome! What a great story ~ I hope he gets his life back on track. That voice should NOT be wasted.

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  4. My running club just had a speaker talk about deep water running (he didn't like calling it "pool running") at our meeting on Tuesday. I thought of you the whole time :-)

    Anyway, he started doing it because of an injury, too, but now he's replaced one of his "easy" runs with deep water running every week. He did say, though, that he recommends swimming a lap at the end of every workout just so you remember what it's like to be in the pool without the flotation. He claimed the first time he got in a pool without one after doing all the water running he freaked out because he didn't remember what it was like to not automatically float!

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  5. God bless you for sticking with the water running. It drove me mad. But we're all mad here aren't we? ;)

    Counting down for the 8 minutes for you. It shall be glorious.

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  6. HAHA!! I too had a peep show suit. Yes my husband is a firm believer in aqua jogging. He was down for 8 weeks while trying to BQ, he used this and still made it. BTW thanks for you kind words, I hope I can turn this mind of mine around.

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  7. All I took from this post was, "I like nuts".

    That and the fact that living in Cleveland... I AM SICK OF TED WILLIAMS ALREADY! There are bets going on that in 30 days he will be back on crack. No lie.

    Also, why would they GIVE a homeless guy a house yet, continually screw all of the other people in Ohio with their mortgages into foreclosure? (Quicken Loans that is). Just saying, it was a PR move by the Cavs and Quicken Loans and to be honest, I hope he has a lawyer review his contract because I have a feeling he will be screwed out of his whole deal shortly.

    Do I think it's awesome that this happened to him. Yes. I am happy for him. I just think he is still being exploited that's all.

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  8. Good points Matty. I like nuts. I hadn't thought of it that way. I like nuts.

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  9. THAT GUY IS AWESOME!! Love the suit sexy woman!! That is so awesome that you have figured out how to get such an amazing workout and you are going to continue once a week...great injury prevention!! You know CO and UT aren't that far away from each other....meet halfway and go for a run?

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  10. I love nuts. My husband is bald (up top) so don't yell at him if he ever tries to figure you out. I think Matty's points are interesting. This morning a prayed in my homemade garden sanctuary just before I collected eggs from my free range chickens. Then I picked berries for a smoothie before my 90 solo Yoga practice on a mat a wove from bamboo on my waterfront property. After that I wrote Ted a check for to help him stay off crack. It's about the intention.

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  11. I will run 8 minutes with you! My runs suck lately, maybe I should focus on the first 8 minutes. I've always liked the number 8.

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  12. FWIW: Here in Germany people say "aqua jogging" instead of "water running". This is what it looks like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LOj5zQEEsk

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  13. OMG HIS VOICE! That is amazing. Good for him for working hard to pull himself up off the streets. I'm impressed. PS. nice job on the water running... I'm excited to hear how the 8 minutes goes next week! *fingers crossed!*

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  14. Wait... did you call the swim coach "baldy" because he shaved his head for swimming, or am I going to have to spray paint my bald spot (personally, I think it's mange)?

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  15. Love the suit!! AND yes, that is an awesome story!

    I can't wait to read your 8 minute post. I am so happy you can run again, even if it is just a little at a time. You have worked SO HARD so I know you are going to be running 80 minutes before you know it!

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  16. i didn't water swim while i was injured but i've heard it will keep you in your running shape if you do it right. sounds like you'll be ready to go next week!

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  17. Everyone deserves a second chance. Hopefully he can make it work. I thought if you lived in Boulder it was a rule you had to grow your own vegetables or you get kicked out to a neighboring city, No?

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  18. Another day of hoeing it up for SUAR. I'm shocked! Glad the suits worked out well for you. I meant to pose the question yesterday, though...is jumping on your list of approved activities right now? I wouldn't think that would be too great for your broken neck. But I'm not a baldy know-it-all, so I could very well be wrong.

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  19. When it's all you have it's easy to make the best of water running! I'm so proud of you for sticking with it and taking it beyond what I ever did with it!!! Soon girly, soon you will be back out their pounding the pavement and you're going to thank yourself for all your dedication to xtraining!

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  20. No, it has not gotten a bad rap. It deserves it! But, sigh, it is a great substitute for the real thing and it will pay you back in spades for having done it.

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  21. Education TV is only fun if you consider things like 1,000 Ways To Die educational. How else am I going to know to avoid smoking strange desert plants?

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  22. How can you get a post done and comment on She Said just after you hit snooze? That is just amazing.

    Seriously though 190 BPM? I did an interval workout today and didn't get above 165 and was running sub-MP.....I need to look into this water thing more although I already spend enough time in the pool with Triathlete quesetioning wanna-be's....OK US Swim team members but just the same!

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  23. Lookin' good in that new peep-free suit! ;) At the beginning of D's injury (that is still going, a year later) last winter, I'd join him at the pool and actually wasn't Too turned off by it. Sure, I would have rather been outside - but with ice-covered sidewalks, it felt good to be warm inside and off the pavement! I think it's a great intention to keep it up once you start running again, keep that hip happy.

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  24. The Cavs offered him a 2-year contract & living expenses paid to announce for them. Our teams might suck but dangit, Cleveland has heart!

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  25. eight minutes, that's going to be an emotional day, have you thought about where you are going to run, or even what you are going to wear... eight minutes, Daniel Koman once ran 2 miles in that time!!!

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  26. You look smashing in your new suit!

    And you are seriously awesome with the water running. You are pushing yourself to the max and making the most of what you have. I'm sure it will pay off bigtime!

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  27. Your comment to Ol' Baldy totally made me giggle! I was reminded of a time when my then-pirate-obsessed son called dad "Captain No-Hair". The water running sounds like it would be so smart to keep in your training schedule... especially while your land running is limited. It will really help you feel like you are keeping your base and working on your cardio fitness w/o doing any damage to that hip. I wish you the best. (Still walking that fine line w/ the hip myself).

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  28. They sowed Ted Williams all the way over here on our news last night. He has a voice like rich melted chocolate.

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  29. My fiance showed me the Ted Williams video a couple days ago. Wow... his voice is stunning! I could listen to it all day. I just hope that with his newfound fame that he continues to stay sober. It would be a shame if he relapsed.

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  30. I saw that guy online and was blown away by his voice! It's just amazing!

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  31. Happy to hear I am not the only one who eats too much Chex Mix over the holidays.

    You know, I don't know anyone as dedicated to running as you. Seriously, when most people I know get injured, they do not head to the pool. You are inspiring! I am excited you are going to continue it, and, that you get those 8 mins next week!

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