Olympic Inspired

Swim

1 x 200- warm-up
5 x 100- IM
5 x 50- sideline kick
1 x 500- odd/even hard/easy
1 x 100- cool down

I'm obsessed with the Olympics. I get home, get my workout in, and then park it on the couch for all the swimming, diving, beach volleyball, gymnastics, skeet shooting, whatever else I can possibly handle. I love the Games. I love the drama. One of my favorite things in the whole world is a champion crying on the medal stand as s/he listens to the National Anthem. This is also the only time I don't mind the incessant playing of the National Anthem. The tears after the women's gymnastics team waited for their final scores were so sweet.
Though I hate it when they shove a camera in the face of the fallen. When the male gymnasts struggled so badly I felt bad enough. And then they go and get right in the guy's grill? Back off. He just had four years of work washed away by one stumble. Give him a minute.
Anyway, the Games mean I need to be doing more IMs. And, and I know I've said this before but this time this time I mean it, mixing up my strokes will make me a better triathlon swimmer. Butterfly wears me out and swimming tired is good. Forcing a strong proper stroke after a good IM set leads to better freestyle sets. Hence the IM set this morning. I plan on trying to put one in once a week.
My body feels soft and loose, a consequence of being lazy all summer. I know in a few workouts everything will start coming together again but right now it's hard to be patient. I've been through this cycle, I know the sucktasticness that is early in the rotation, but I don't have to like it. So I spend time kicking myself for letting it get this bad and then I spend time kicking myself for kicking myself for taking some well-deserved time off.
There is the North Shore Challenge this weekend, 2.4mi, but I'm not going to do it. I missed registration and it would cost $50. I'm not willing to drop that much on something I won't do well in, or well for my standards. It's a bummer I let myself miss half of the Swim Series, but I have good reasons. Now I'm looking for a race. Tradewinds is coming up too soon and I don't think I'll be doing Ko'Olina this year. Hmm....