Week????: When coach ain't happy, ain't no one happy.

Note to all of the swim team kids out there: The more you complain about having to run during dry-land, the more your coach is going to make you run.

Week 11: Adjusting to a new schedule hurts worse that 90 minutes of straight swimming

I love my job. I do. I really really do. You don't become a swim coach if you do not love it with all your heart and unequivocally believe in what you do. Or you shouldn't.

However, this is the most ill-advised job for someone with my specific condition. I am not a morning person.

I hate mornings. I hate going to bed early. I hate waking up early. I hate those first fews seconds right after the alarm goes off when my entire being screams, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!" But morning practices come with the territory when you are a professional swim coach.

After the first week, my swim training has been suffering. I have been able to run and strength train, but i need to be in the water.

Week 10: Running, Running, Running

I hate to run. I hate every step. I hate that it is boring. I hate having to control my breathing. I hate what it does to my body.

Except when it makes my body smaller.

Before I continue my story, let me preface that I did this to myself. There is no one to blame for this but myself.

My wonderful college friend and sorority sister whom I will refer to as "The Petite Pundit" is a runner. She received that blessing genetically from her father. I come from a long line of non-runners. I don't even come from a long-line of swimmers. Swimming started in my father's generation with only him and his brother. I actually come from a long line of couch-dwellers: one one side those who sit and drink, and on the other side those who sit around and sing, draw, act, eat, but certainly not run. I have never been able to like running. My dumpy, slow-twitch body does not respond.

I have tried over the years to run. I have even been successful at it, but as with everything. Life gets in the way. And then I have to start over.

I have been starting over. This summer I have gotten on the treadmill several times and I can now run a mile on 4.3 without stopping. In fact today I ran 1.5 miles on 4.3 with out stopping. Yay me!

So I did bring up The Petite Pundit for a reason. In August, she was considering a half-marathon in November. I thought that was a great idea. She did a successful 10K in the spring. And you know how gung-ho I have become about getting out there and doing things. In a completely idiotic brain fart, these words came out of my mouth. (Ok, not my mouth, this was on facebook) "If you do the half, I'll do the 5K." Running a 5K is one of those bucket list things. Something that I feel I should be able to do, but really won't. Like learning Mandarin. Or how to knit.

But I'm in. The first weekend in November. 10 weeks from this week.