Just Keep Swimmin’

on May 29, 2014
in All Posts

I use to love to workout in the afternoon or evening, but I’m noticing a definite shift:  I’m suddenly a morning exerciser.  Actually, it doesn’t happen in the morning, it’s probably not going to happen at all! 

 

One:  Henry takes his (amazing) nap in the afternoon, and when he wakes up, he’s usually too grumpy for stroller time.  Two:  My energy is highest in the morning and then it’s slowly sapped away.  Three:  It’s too hot late in day! 

 

Well, it’s never too hot for some indoor pool time…

photo 2 (1)

I’m doing an OPEN WATER SWIM CHALLENGE on Saturday.  I am both excited and terrified, as I have not been in open water since the Half Ironman in October.  I used to hate open water with an undying passion, but now I kind of like it!  I’m also pumped that this is not technically a RACE – it’s just a big, friendly open water swim.  So there’s no pressure.

 

I’ve been slowly increasing the frequency and duration of my pool workouts – this is what I did this morning!

photo 1 (1)

If you can’t read my chicken scratch (especially over Henry’s scribbles), here’s a pinnable and printable version of the workout:

Untitled

I actually started a board of swim workouts on my Pinterest – I’m trying to pin lots of different swim workouts to complement my other triathlon-friendly pins!

 

While I was swimming, I practiced sighting for Saturday’s event.  Sighting is super important for open water swims (I wrote a bit about sighting technique in this post: Don’t Make These Five Common Swimming Mistakes).  Over the years, I’ve realized the most important thing is: 1) to truly practice sighting and 2) to not try to sight on your breath – it should be in between your breaths.   Oh, and 3) Pretend to be an alligator.  You just need to peek your eyes up out of the water – not your whole head!

American_Alligator_in_Water

I’ll be back soon with a fun giveaway – stay tuned.

 

Are you a morning exerciser or an evening one?  Does it shift throughout the year in accordance to the weather?

{ 13 comments }

 

  • Sara @ LovingOnTheRun May 29, 2014, 2:53 pm

    I used to be an afternoon exerciser but I am loving more and more getting out there and getting it done in the morning! It makes me feel so awesome the rest of the day!

  • Breanne May 29, 2014, 2:54 pm

    I’m an evening exerciser, but it’s mostly by necessity. I can’t do EARLY EARLY mornings (unless I absolutely have to because I’m teaching the class) and I work a regular desk job, so I hit the gym after work. I don’t usually feel too tired.

    Weekends, I workout in the morning (8-9ish, so not too early) or it won’t happen. In my ideal, I can work and workout whenever I want to world, I’d probably workout mid/late morning.

  • Katie May 29, 2014, 3:03 pm

    Thank you for posting a workout with mainly 50s!! I am just beginning and I get so frustrated when I google workouts and they are 600 yards at a time! Its so intimidating!

    • Caitlin May 29, 2014, 3:05 pm

      I know – me too. I’m just not at that level right now… There are a few shorter workouts in my Pinterest board!

  • Carmy May 29, 2014, 4:30 pm

    I’ve slowly started working out earlier and earlier in the day so I can get my workout over with and spend the rest of the day at work/school but I much prefer afternoon/evening work outs because sometimes my workouts run longer than I expect so I don’t like having to rush.

  • Kathleen Ojo @ My Ojos May 29, 2014, 5:13 pm

    I feel you! I’m a morning exerciser too. I run primarily, though, and in Southern California where it can hit 100 degrees before noon in the summer, its either morning runs or the treadmill (and yeah, THAT’S not happening). I prefer to do weight workouts in the evenings when possible though (when I can squeeze it in between dinner and toddler bedtime). I hope to learn to swim this year…. sad that I don’t already know… but I look forward to eventually being able to work swimming into my schedule. The beauty of that, I figure, is that without weather being a hindrance I can do it any time!

  • Tory @ tory of my life May 29, 2014, 5:34 pm

    Definitely a morning exerciser! I love knowing my workout is done for the day, and I can just relax when I get home from work. I also notice I’m more alert on the mornings I exercise.

  • Rachel May 29, 2014, 5:53 pm

    THANK YOU for this. I recently started swimming again (I was a swimmer from 4-18 years old) and have such a hard time coming up with my own workouts!

  • Cate May 29, 2014, 7:11 pm

    My workouts time can shift a bit, but I am generally a morning exerciser. If I don’t get it in early, all sorts of things, including my own lack of energy, can get in the way.

  • Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat May 29, 2014, 7:32 pm

    I’m a morning exerciser through and through, no matter what time of year! In the summer months, I’m pretty much jumping out of bed when it’s light because I feel like I’m wasting precious daylight hours (can you tell I live in Canada and we’ve had a long, LONG winter?!). On the other hand, in the winter, my morning exercise regime is even more important because the weather is so cold and dreary – I need those endorphins for energy!

    That is so cool that you’re going an open water swim challenge! To be honest, I haven’t done any open water swimming in the past and am only just about to embark on my first duathlon this June, but I’m so intrigued by triathlon and I’m about 70% convinced I need to get into it. I’ll be going back to read ALL of your tri posts for tips when I do! 🙂

  • Jennie May 29, 2014, 10:00 pm

    Any thoughts on studies that show a link between chlorinated pools and cancer? I thought this might be a good topic for you to look into. I love swimming though, so I was like NOOOO when I read the article. Here it is…http://news.discovery.com/human/health/chlorinated-pools-swimming-cancer.htm

  • Stephanie @ Whole Health Dork May 30, 2014, 7:44 am

    Thanks for posting these swim workouts and for creating the board I’m now following! I never know what to do in the pool.
    I am definitely an afternoon workout kind of person. Whenever I vary it I get messed up. I worked out about three hours later the other day and could not sleep. I’ve read that it’s all about what we’re used to and our body adjusts to being ready to work out at a certain time of day. So, I could adjust to work out later if I wanted, probably by making it a half hour later a day over the course of a week or so.

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