Biggest Loser Triathalon, Day Two

Today was the day I was dreading. I am NOT a swimmer. I've got a pretty decent doggie paddle thing going, but that's it. Plus, I'm SLOW. Add to that the fact that the last time I swam 50 laps was in college, over 30 years ago....well, you can imagine.

Fortunately, the day started out alot better than yesterday. No weigh-in today. Plenty of oatmeal to make my full breakfast. The kids even behaved reasonably well. I put on my bathing suit, capris, and an old T-shirt with the words "Expect Miracles!" I thought that was quite appropriate, since it was going to take a miracle to get me through 50 laps. A miracle, and a whole lot of prayers!

I got to the gym a little before 8. I figured I'd need close to 2 hours, and I knew there was a pool class at 10, so I wanted to finish before then. My buddy Melody was joining me for the swim so we could cheer each other on. I checked in with the lifeguard, and went to assemble my equipment.

Yes, I needed equipment. Swim cap (thanks Laura!), noseplugs (never been very good about breathing when I swim), and a flotation belt. This last one was Melody's idea. She's not a swimmer either, and said she was going to use one so she didn't drown in the deep end. I decided that it was a great idea, and did likewise.

Wearing my full array of helpful extras, I waded into the pool. Not bad--not too cold, not too warm. All the lanes were taken, so I asked the person who seemed to be moving the slowest to share her lane. And I started on my first lap.

Wow. I'm really out of shape. This is harder than I feared. I will NEVER finish this alive. That's what I was thinking as I did my first 4 laps. At the end of the 4th, I paused for a drink of water, and noticed that Melody had arrived. I also saw that the end lane was empty. So we grabbed that lane for ourselves--it didn't matter if we bumped into each other!

Our speed was pretty equal, which worked out nicely. We counted together. We chatted at the turns. And I suddenly realized that I'd done 20 laps!! I stopped for a break while Melody did 2 more laps, and then started in on my next 20. The fitness guru lady had said we could swim any way we wanted, and we could even walk in the water if we wanted to. That sounded like a smart idea, so I tried it. Walk half a lap, swim the other half when the water got deeper, swim 1/2 way back, walk the last half. Well, this was great! Much better for my arms, which are not nearly as strong as my legs.

Next thing I knew, I was at 40 laps! I took another break while Melody swam the 2 laps to catch up to me. When I was ready to go again, I couldn't find my nose plugs. I was looking around in the water and didn't see them. Oh no! How will I swim 10 laps without them??

Melody asked if I was looking for them. "Yes, I think I dropped them." "Um, Wendy? They're on your head!" And there they were, sitting high enough on my forehead that I didn't feel them! DUH!

Crisis averted, we swam the last 10 laps together. Before I knew it, we were done!! 50 laps! In just under an hour! WooHoo!!!! We hauled ourselves out of the pool, got our papers signed by the lifeguard, and headed for the jacuzzi for a much deserved hot soak.

It was really nice to hear "way to go!", "I'm proud of you" "I knew you could do it!" from the lifeguard, the fitness guru lady, and my wonderful trainer, Jaime, as I was walking out of the gym. A little encouragement goes a long way with me. And that miracle I was expecting didn't hurt either! Thank you God! All that's left now is the cycling--15 miles--on Thursday. And that's the easy part!