Not Being Alarmed

  

Not being alarmed

I woke up naturally at 5.20 a.m. this morning, that is over and hour later than on our run mornings. I could tell by his breathing that Stephen was also awake. I asked him why he had not set the alarm, because before we went to bed last night, he told me that we would go for another swim early today. He said that we were going for a swim and it didn’t matter that I had slept a bit later, the tide was also a bit later today.

So we pulled on our swim suits, then drank a quick coffee. I went upstairs and slathered myself with my HUUB LUUB to help the wetsuit slide on more easily. At this time we are donning the wettie indoors and driving to the beach ready to plunge straight in the water.

It is amazing how the habits of the nation have so quickly adjusted to life under Covid; it looked like any early morning in California with people engaged in all kinds of activity close to the sea and in case you are wondering, we have spent many holidays in California with friends and competed in loads of events there. Dozens of runners and walkers were everywhere, out in the early time slot just as we were.

I had brought my old flippers with me today in the hope of keeping up with Steve.  It was a bit better though it took me a while to get them on even with very light little waves moving me about. I hear you ask why I didn’t put them on before I got in and walk in backwards? Well simply I thought that that would be even more hazardous. The flippers were a problem area though, and as I started swimming I realised that I had a little stone pressing right on the fleshy part on the side of my little toe.  I tried to ignore it but in the end we were in deep water when I stopped to try go get the stone out. By that time the flipper was well and truly sucked on hard and I had to get Steve to get it off and then help me back on with it. Yes, yes, I am a pain in the neck at the very least and most of the time.  

 

Timing wise it was just before high tide and the current was flushing, rather than flowing gently and we had drifted half a breakwater by the time the flippers were in place. At last we got our swim in but still did not go that far along. It was better with the flippies even though I still don’t kick that hard when using them, but there is not much wrong with my body roll and that action alone gave me enough extra speed to not be dropped as far as Steve would usually gain with me swimming, trying to stay by his side.  

Again as I said, we didn’t go that far and that was because Steve judged that I should not do too much, since this was the first week in over three months that I have done any swimming at all. We have hammered the turbo and upped our run mileage to double what we were getting in, but of course the pool has been shut. It would be daft to thrash away and invite aches and pains. I am not at all worried about that and I know that it can build up gradually again I am a sound plodder rather than a racer anyway. That goes for all the triathlon disciplines in my world. I do have naturally good endurance levels. Everything else is going very well and there is no need to push the swimming when it has been on rest mode. I know that I could do a long swim if I needed to, that is in the bank to withdraw any time, it is also firmly in my head. A big part of getting through triathlon events, is in the head.

Once at home again and out of the wet wettie, we dressed for TV classes. We did an hour of the New York City Ballet workout. That has a warm up section, then floor exercises for core strength and then a ballet class. Even though we have been making a regular date with the workout having found it very early in the LD regime, I am still surprised how much Steve enjoys it and he has got to the point where he knows each set of movements and knows what all the ballet terms mean. His arm movements are still a little bit blokey, but he is definitely getting there and gets through each set at the same time as the pukka ballet dancers, male and female, on the TV who are all rock solid perfection. We are both sweating by the end as with any other exercise.

After the ballet we continued the movements of the morning with several short and very different Qigong classes. You can find sessions from 5-10 minutes long up to normal class lengths of 45- 60 minutes.

The last effort of the morning was a turbo session. System going well, and strong, for that matter. We have all made sacrifices during the scary old time that none of us were prepared for, and one change of attitude that I have had is about keeping things for best. That during the threat that has surrounded us seems suddenly to be really stupid. So I have been wearing clothes, that have been kept for high days and holidays, just for every day use, for whilst I am indoors writing, as I am now, doing the ironing and for dinner, instead of not taking a pride in my appearance because I have been stuck indoors.

 The silliest example is that because I do not usually in the old world, go out the classes of any sort, I found myself without a yoga mat and by the same token, as I have mentioned with my former best clothes, I have taken and very smart Karen Millen heavy weight wrap, a stole, if you like, but a nice warm one that I have used a few times to go the theatre instead of wearing a jacket, as a very posh, soft and cosy exercise mat. It was given to me as a gift and I am quite sure that the gift givers won’t mind at all as long as I am happy.