Mark Lemmon wrote:
devashish_paul wrote:
[ But if I do not, while I am not entirely OK with not racing again (but gradually accepting this is a strong reality), I am just returning to my DNA from being a teenager, just enjoying doing sport every day just for the sake of doing sport. That's what I am wired to do.
Dev, much respect for your attitude regarding your physical issues. Are you doing any OWS?
Mark, I could do some open water swimming, but I have just been mainly in the pool. I have only done 3 wetsuit swims in 2 years (it was a month ago.....72 minute swim, 90 min swim on back to back days and then on Canada Day I did this beach to beach out and back across the local lake 2x4K. Someone posted on the local forum that a variety of people were doing anything from the 2K to 3K to 4K to 8K options. So that morning I decided to try the 8K (which would be the longest single swim of my life) and I showed up and I was the only one doing it, so went for it. I want to do a 10K swim, maybe when I am on family vacation in Tremblant. I need to map out a 4x2.5K course so I can top up on fuel in between loops. I might have to go for a test run with my massive Garmin Fenix 3 (I hate swimming with any watch) just to measure out an accurate 2.5K loop and then give it a go from there the next day.
In any case, as a lifelong exercise addict, you just create new challenges for yourself. Last summer I learned how to do Butterfly stroke (never could do it in the first 50 years of my life) and then I built up and did a 1000m TT as 50m fly/50m free x10 continuously. My time was 18:34 in Feb, so once I return to the "faster" indoor pool in Sep, I am going to see if I can get this down to break 18 minutes. That 1000m as 50/50 was the single hardest 20ish minute aerobic thing I have done...maybe harder than my last 20 min on an personal ITT up Mont Ventoux on a crazy 40C day in 2004 trying to break 90 minutes (I did it with seconds to spare)....in any case, I suppose I have always been about self generate challenges whether inside a formal race, or creating my own.
I was just talking to a work colleague who built up to 40 minutes on a Jacob's ladder continous. She's trying to get me to try this. Next she plans to build up to 40 min this time with ankle weights and a weight vest. It's just a personal challenge she has generated for herself. I can respect that. I have no clue how hard that is as I have never been on one of those things! She's trying to get me to give it a try and I just may if it works with my maimed body parts (well minus any weight vest of ankle weights and maybe start with a few minutes).