Not my day at the pool

Lately I've been doing a stellar job with following my tri training plan designed by Operation Ironman's head coach Javier Gomez. I'm seeing improvement in both my cycling and swimming and I'm enjoying every workout. Each training day offers a new workout and this variety has kept me on my toes (and on my bike and in the pool). I'm still not running just to be sure that my hip has adequate time to heal. My last MRI, which was done on 12/19/08, showed "slight improvement". To me this was not great news. I honestly thought it would be healed completely after 11 weeks. My doc saw this as good news because it showed that I was definitely making progress. I guess this type of stress fracture commonly takes a longer time to heal. I'm still seeing the doctor every 2-3 weeks at this point and the good news is that he has approved my training plan and thinks its not a problem at all. He was very impressed with my improved hip flexor and overall leg strength. For now the focus is on healing my hip while becoming a stronger swimmer and cyclist.

Although I have been training Every Single Day For Weeks now, it hasn't always been easy to motivate. I find that it's best to start working out before I think about working out. I've been lucky so far and haven't run into many setbacks. Except for the one day. That terrible day. The day I decided to check out the pool at the Harlem YMCA. My trip to the pool this past Tuesday went so badly that it was hysterical. I decided to use a friends' guest pass for the Harlem YMCA because it's closer and more convenient to my apartment than my pool on the UES. The area is a bit dodgey but I've become quite comfortable in Harlem over the past few months. I signed in with my guest pass, found the empty pool and made my way to the locker room. I was feeling great about the experience thus far until I discovered that there weren't any towels, although usually they supply them, they had run out. They offered to bring me a towel when they had some. So I prodeeded to the pool area where my swim cap ripped, almost in half, as I was putting it on. I wore it anyway. Then, halfway through my swim, I realized that I was not kicking ass as I had thought but that the pool was actually 20 yds and not 25 yds. So I did the math, adjusted my workout and added some laps. Meanwhile, the fire alarm is going off and I'm looking at the lifeguard who doesn't seem to think its a big deal at all. I figure I'm in water anyway and that makes me less flammable, so I continue on. Then I finish up, shower and, much to my dismay, find that there isn't a hair dryer. I wasn't planning on going home after my swim. Change of plans. I leave to catch the bus because I'm not about to walk home. I get to the stop to watch the bus pull away. Now I have to walk. I get halfway home, walking, with soaking wet hair, in the freezing cold, only to realize that I left my bathing suit in the locker room at the gym. I seriously considered leaving it but I trudged back for it. I wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry. I went with laughing and then baking chocolate chip cookies. Now I feel better.