Exhausted, But Fit!

I did it! I exercised this week. A lot. And I am totally exhausted!

My friend S has been bugging me to join her swim club since we moved here 8 years ago. And I have been putting it off and putting it off. A few years ago I finally inquired about joining the club, but if I recall correctly there wasn't space in the lane I would need (the slow lane). I swam twice at the Rec Centre a few weeks ago with 2 of my friends but didn't love it. Then I took a week off due to a cold and during that time I started thinking about the swim club again. I thought, what if next year, when I really want to join the swim club, there is once again no space for me? I decided to find out if there was space - and there was - so I joined.

I was so nervous about going to my first swim. I don't know why I let these things get to me. As if anyone else is going to notice how I swim or even care. Sure enough, on my first day there, I met a bunch of great people and no one said anything about my technique!

The swim club meets Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings and swims from 5:45 - 7:00. There is a set workout for each lane and so far I am liking it much better than the two times that I went on my own to the pool. I certainly benefit and appreciate having someone else design a swim workout for me, but I realized this morning that what I really like about it is the chatting that takes place at the end of each set. It has been good. The only thing that I am not crazy about is the early start time. I set my alarm for 5:10. But since I always wake up way in advance of my alarm I am often tossing and turning as early as 4:30. Once I wake up at that time, I cannot get back to sleep!

Then there is the spin class that also started this week. Thankfully, it is only once a week, but it is also early. I set my alarm for 5:30 on Tuesday and leave the house 20 minutes later. I love that class! I started it one-year ago when I had my foot injury and couldn't run at all. It occurred to me on Tuesday, that the only reason I started the class in the first place was because of my foot, but my foot is better now and I am running a lot more so I don't really have to go to the spin class. Except that I really do love it (did I already mention that?).

And speaking of running - yes, my foot finally appears to be better, although I still have to ice it and stretch after each run which I absolutely DESPISE! However, I can run. I love running, too. I normally run on Tuesday and Thursday nights and again on Sunday. I decided that this week I would keep to my running schedule along with all of the other classes that I was doing. The break-down?

Monday: swim (1 hour)
Tuesday: spin (45 minutes), run (30 minutes)
Wednesday: swim: (1 hour)
Thursday: run (40 minutes)
Friday: swim (1 hour)
Saturday: (I will do NOTHING tomorrow!)
Sunday: run (1 hour)

By Wednesday, I was totally and utterly exhausted! Perhaps it had to do with the 3 kinds of exercise in 24 hours! I decided to lay on the couch for a few minutes and woke up 1 1/2 later! Lauchy just played on the carpet near me and was quiet the whole time!

I don't know if I can keep this up for the next 2 years! It is hard to believe that I did all of this training 10 years ago. I don't remember feeling so tired back then like I am now. I am going to have to arrange my training schedule a little and since the swimming and spinning are classes that occur at set times it looks like I am going to have to change my running. There is no need for me to do 3 kinds of exercise within 24 hours. But I like the days that I run.

What I find incredible is that I am trying to fit in 3 kinds of exercise and I feel good about it. There are some women at the swim club and spin class who not only swim, spin and run several times a week like I am doing, but they somehow also manage to fit in yoga and work-outs at the gym. How they fit in those workouts on top of the other workouts is a mystery to me! I didn't weight train when I trained for Ironman 10 years ago and I highly doubt I will weight train this time around. No time!

What is your favourite form of exercise? What gets you excited to get out the door?