Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Tiring Tuesday: Now this weather is just freaky...

This morning I got up nice and early and decided to go for a lengths swimming training thing down at the pool. They run these trainings Monday-Thursday every week of the year, and it's all people my Mum's age (including my Mum) and older. They have different levels of ability, from people who swim S.L.O.W.L.Y to people who swim competitively and very fast.

The pool is a fantastic size, and I think the second biggest in Dublin (about 35metres), and it is divided into six lanes. Lane 1 is the slowest with lane 5 being the fastest. Despite my Mum's numerous explanations, I can't quite remember what lane 6 is used for...

Anyway, I was put into Lane 4. Talk about being thrown into the deep end (geddit??!), but I guess you could say it was a case of sink or swim!!(OK, I'm sorry..) It was rather intimidating though. I used to swim quite a lot when I was younger (about three times weekly) so I have a good stroke technique, but my fitness is really, really poor. I wasn't able to do more then four lengths continuously at a time, and at that I needed a huge rest. I think I just need to learn how to pace myself...

I'm going to keep it up though, as it's something I want to get confident at again, and the other ladies (and one man) are all so welcoming. They had all known about my operation and were all so nice and interested. While waiting on the transplant list, my Mum used to hand her 'transplant phone' (my Mum bought a special phone that only Newcastle had the number to, as she couldn't have her proper phone turned on in class) to the coach every class, despite the coach's insistence that she would have a panic and heart attack combined if it ever went off.

The Irish Transplant Games are on this Saturday and it will be my first time to take part in anything like them, so I wanted to get a 'bit' of 'practise' in beforehand. I reckon a tiresome hour spent in the pool is good enough. I'll use the 'Hey I had a TRANSPLANT you know!!' line if anyone says anything, because that's bound to work at a thing like that!

I shan't be taking them too seriously, as I will be travelling to Scotland to take part in the British ones next month, and I reckon they'll be ten times harder! Yes, for those, I think I may just spend TWO hours in the pool beforehand.. Oh dear...