Swimming continues

Swimming is not my friend. Going into the triathlon journey I probably really didn't give much though to the fact that I've had a life long fear of swimming in open water. It's a mental thing, I can't really put my finger on why it terrifies me but rocks, weeds and dark spots make my heart rate go up just thinking about them. In the pool while I don't feel as anxious as I do in open water I'm definitely struggling. Breathing air in is really a struggle.

Last night I met with Lindsey Millar a triathlon coach and we talked about training programs, struggles and food. It really helped my confidence levels to have someone to sound my concerns off of. She helped me realize I just need to persevere, my goal this week is to get to the pool at least once on my own to practice. As much as I dislike it, I'm not going to master swimming unless I try harder.

Lindsey also gave us a running clinic last night and it was really interesting. She talked about cadence and how it affects running. After trying it I realized it really does feel like less work when I get my cadence levels up higher. How your foot falls, body position etc all really do matter. I'm also sure it's time for new runners so that's something I'll have to get to soon. I really do appreciate her taking time out of her schedule to meet with me and do the running clinic.

One thing I realized this week is how different it is to not have a horse added into the mix. A bad day on horseback can be made even worse by your horses energy, be it good or bad, added into the mix. With swimming, biking and running it's just me. I sink or swim on my own.

While I enjoyed my time in the world of competitive riding I don't miss the days of trying to channel a wiggly and sometimes opinionated horse to do what I needed to get done. Annie (photo above) was a good example of an athletic and talented horse but a horse the you had to ride each and every step of the go round. Wiggly left, duck right, speed up, nope wait maybe I'll slow down, what's that over there?!, OH look maybe that jump over there is better, wiggle right again……….. you get the picture. I find it a bit of a relief to just be me for a change.