Swim Class No. 5

My fifth swim class meant my first session where I did the entire workout that the coach sent out.

The past few weeks I've been doing about half of the workout before the class breaks into two groups - one finishing up the workout and the rest of us who wanted to work on breathing stuff. But yesterday? All workout.

We started out with a nice, easy warm up and then dove right into the drills. During one drill - side swimming, taking three strokes and switching to our other side, it helps with bilateral breathing - I came into the wall and was waiting for the person in front of me to go and Coach Greg (yes, it took me four weeks but I finally remember his name) came up to me, told me it looked good and I should have demonstrated for the group. Umm, thanks. I guess that means what he's been teaching me the last four weeks has caught on.

Anyway, did some more drills and ditched the fins with 800 yards to go. 800 yards that alternated between an easy swim and a fast swim. I pushed myself. I didn't feel super fast, but I felt like there was a difference between my "easy" and my "fast."

I finished the workout off with a trip to the hot tub. Because when the coach orders a 5-minute trip to the hot tub, you don't skip that vital piece. And yes, he really had it included on the workout sheet.

But the hot tub was good. I got to sit in with some other folks in my group who I haven't gotten a chance to really talk to before. We talked triathlons. Mostly Ironmans - there's some folks in my class who are signed up for 2010. Me? I'm just toying with the possibility of an Olympic.

And since I opted for the hot tub, I skipped out on the planned run after class. But I'll get one in tomorrow, especially since I just signed up for the YMCA Freaky 5K on Oct. 24 And I'll need to be ready? Because this 5K? All of the hills on the route may be what makes it freaky.

Gulp.