Time Crunch

Yesterday we started one of my favorite summer traditions: swimming lessons! Teaching swimming was probably the job I've loved the most in my past but, as expected, my kids don't perform well when mom is their instructor. So we enrolled them at my own haven, the YMCA. S went in the beginner class, E in the parent/child (she surprised me and was okay with this...guess she does well with some peer pressure). So far they've loved it, and it's extra convenient I can stick baby B in the child care AND we can stay and play in the family pool after. We just might survive summer #2 here in Houston (2 of 4...but who's counting...)..

What does this have to do with exercise? Well, in my attempts of late to NOT exercise during naptime I decided to strive and get to swimming lessons early, workout at the YMCA, then pick up S&E for their lessons. I must have forgotten that arriving early anywhere is almost beyond my capabilities. Yesterday was okay; I made it there to do a 30-20-10 run again, though not enough time to complete my full 4 rounds of interval happiness. I knocked it down to 3 rounds but bumped up the incline to compensate. It still kicks my trash, but I plan on persevering until either it gets easier or I get bored and try out another interval method. This one is just SO EASY to remember...so, yeah, day 1 I was able to squeeze in 26 minutes of death intervals before lessons. Don't be too impressed with my restraint - I had done P90X2's P.A.P. Lower DVD that morning also (which is also death, but oddly fun...P.A.P. will require it's own post at some future date).

Day 2 of lessons (today): I aimed to swim a few laps this morning because we have visitors (YAY!!) coming this week and wanted to get my weekly swim out of the way. We were even later than yesterday. By the time we stopped and got stickers from Mr. Marvin, checked in to the daycare, pried E off my leg, and I got in the pool I had exactly 20 minutes before swim lessons. After an inordinate amount of self-talk during my warm-up, I decided to make myself be okay with that. I busted out 20 minutes of hard swimming: 8x75 of my personal favorite, going all out the first 25 and slowing slightly the last 50 (mimicking the panic that is a triathlon open water start...if you've done one you know what I'm talking about), 8x50's mixing in different strokes, a couple 200's working on pulling then kicking, and even a cool down. I guess I waste a lot of time usually, because that wasn't much less than I normally do in my 45 minute swims (do you blame me?? I have 90 minutes free child care at the Y...makes it hard to rush).

Sometimes all we need to be effective is a little PRESSURE.