I Love Swimming.

I love swimming. I really do. I have a friend who is an ultra-marathoner and she HATES swimming claiming that she likes to breathe when she wants to. Very valid point. I find the rhythmic breathing of swimming to be one of the best things ever!

Based on the advice of my triathlon relay team, I am working up to swimming 1 mile in the pool. The theory is that this will make the .62 mile open water swim be "no big deal" on race day. I like this theory. In that vein, and since I have never swam more than .50 miles, I decided to go for .75 miles today. And was able to do it no problem. I feel like I could have kept going, but was ready to get out of the pool.

I went very slowly since I knew I was going further than I'd ever gone before. I also did not push off of any walls as the open water will have no walls. :) This slowed me down.

Here are the times:

1, BS: 1:46
2, BS: 2:05
3, EB: 2:09
4, BS: 1:59
5, BS: 2:05
6, EB: 2:19
7, BS: 2:04
8, BS: 2:08

.25 miles: 16:39

9, EB: 2:31
10, BS: 2:03
11, BS: 2:08
12, EB: 2:40
13, BS: 1:59
14, BS: 2:10
15, EB: 2:37
16, BS: 2:00

.50 miles: 34:50

17, BS: 2:18
18, EB: 2:45
19, BS: 2:06
20, BS: 2:17

.625 miles: 44:17

21, EB: 2:30
22, BS: 2:06
23, BS: 2:10
24, EB: 1:56

.75 miles: 53:01

I have 60 minutes to complete the swim leg of the triathlon, so I feel *pretty* good about my 44-ish minute time. Having said that, open water swimming is a whole different ball game: currents, other people, nasty water, etc... So, I shall keep practicing and hopefully speed that up a bit to give me some room to account for the yucky factor. :)