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Wednesday, January 30, 2008

A FAMILY THAT SWIMS TOGETHER...


...is often wet and smells of chlorine!

David and I started swimming together about a week ago. We've gone to the pool a handful of times; twice we've gone on Friday nights (yes, sometimes we are boring) and had to swim widths of the pool because of the aqua aerobics class being held in the shallow end. Nevertheless, I'm really enjoying it. Call me crazy but the repetition of swimming back and forth; counting strokes per length; and counting laps swum is very therapeutic. It is a lot of fun and such great exercise. I believe that when I'm in swimming shape I'm a better runner. Cross training is good. Maybe this year I'll be able to run a sub-4:30 marathon (that's 4 hours, 30 minutes)!

David is planning to do the Nation's Triathlon in September. I thought about doing it, but I have my heart set on running the NYC marathon in November. The idea of racing and preparing for both the triathlon and the marathon is too much for me. David, on the other hand, is planning to do both (for the record: he has so much natural ability and his body recovers like a 16 year old). As David prepares for the triathlon, I'm going to swim with him. It is something that we both enjoy and have found fun ways to swim together. For instance, we do sets where I'll hold onto his feet and make him pull me across the pool and then we switch and I pull him on the way back. We've also started doing underway, no-breathers at the end of our workouts or 10 minutes of treading water without using our arms. It is quality bonding time. We are no longer sitting in the hot tub after swimming. This is because the pool water is already warm enough and I nearly passed out after our last work out and a hot tub sit.

We've been swimming at the Turkey Thicket Recreational Center in DC. It's a public pool and is free to all DC residents. It's a great facility; David enjoys the fact that after a swim he can usual play a game of chess with one of the kids hanging out at the rec center. I'm particularly found of the clean locker rooms, high chlorine levels in the pool, and few people who use the lap lanes.

2 comments:

Sarah said...

Becky, I am so impressed by you and David! John finally got into running just when I got pregnant and I'm making him promise he'll run with me once I pop the baby out (haven't been able to run since about 13 wks due to the startling feeling that I might pee all over myself). What, too much information?

Anonymous said...

the mazurek house smells of chlorine daily as well...no matter how many showers you take, you can never get rid of it!