Tri training

80 Days. Holy shit.

My mentality throughout the day is usually pretty confident. I got this, I tell myself. Except when I check the little countdown clock on Sharon and Ryan's wedding website. They're getting married on the same day that I race. I'm bummed I'm missing it and I ought to say "but I'm excited for the race," though that isn't quite accurate. Nervous/Scared/Want to barf thinking about it.

For the past month, have been training about 5 days a week, with more emphasis on running and biking. When it is not deathly hot, raining, or the morning after a few glasses of wine, I ride to work. (Too many qualifiers?) Its about a 20 mile ride round trip. I just got clipless pedals and beat my personal best riding from Chinatown to Harlem. When I remember, I check the time on the bottom of the History Channel sign as I get on the 3rd Avenue bridge to the Bronx. 35 minutes is my best. That makes for just under 45 minutes to work. I'm pretty sure I can get it down to 30 minutes to the sign.  

As for running, I usually do the Williamsburg bridge or East River Park after work, though I give myself credit for running on my lunch break this week. Ugliest run ever through the South Bronx. Projects, chop shops, garbage bags stuck in barbed wire, Cheetos bags swirling around hot sidewalks, a total stereotype of itself. Apparently, something about the hot weather makes it ok to use the sidewalk as your garbage can. Don't get me wrong, I love where I work. I hate the littering. 

Swimming. Swimming is inconvenient and hard. I'm doing it, but it kicks my butt every time. I swim at Metropolitan Pool in Williamsburg. I enjoy going there, but it is the getting there that is hardest. But, what a show! This place is the perfect snapshot of New York.

My favorite pool rule: 

No person will be permitted in the pool having: skin lesions, sores, or inflamed eyes, mouth, nose, or ear discharge, carrying communicable disease or having any type of bandage, adhesive tape, etc., on their body.

Ear discharge. Ew. In one lane, you will find any combination of white, black, hispanic, asian, hipster, yuppie, thug, anorexic, preggers, obese, boob jobs, cellulite, tankinis, nose plugs, mullets, fu manchus, back hair, swim shoes, tattoos, and everything in between. And the best part is, every one is in their bathing suits. I almost choked on water while trying to watch a tubby old guy in his swim cap and baggy speedo (hiked up past his belly button) waddle around the pool deck. Let's just say, it can be hard to focus on technique with such entertaining scenery. As much as I enjoy swimming in BK, I am looking forward to the opening of Hamilton Fish Park, which has an olympic sized outdoor pool. Oh! I almost forgot to mention. A membership to NYC Rec centers is $75 for a year. A YEAR. Amazing.

It is after mile 4 of a run or 40 minutes of swimming that I get a real bad case of No f-ing way am I going to be able to finish in August. I am looking forward to not having school (13 days!) and being able to work out on a full tank of gas. Possibly even trying to combine workouts, considering I am going to have to do that in August.