5:20am and my phone chimes to wake me. I strip down and dress into the clothes I'd laid out last night: swimsuit first, then cycling shorts and top. I use the bathroom and quickly brush teeth before heading down to bike over to the Wheelworks shop near Davis Sq.
5:45am and six of my teammates greet me. All carry their backpack or string-sacks stuff to the brim: wetsuit, towel, and cap with goggles folded in and secured for the ride. We head out for a 13-mile ride out of the city and into hills around the golf course at the Winchester Country Club.
The workout seems to run like clock-work and we arrive at Sandy Beach for our swim. Yes, it's early still, but the weather is already warming up. (One friend Beren noted on FB: I prefer cold - you can always put on another sweater to get warm, but if you're nekkid and still too hot yer outta options. =) ). That's so true! And that's why I like to workout early in the summers -- Beat the heat, take a swim.
I look and see that the swim ropes are up and the beach has been combed by park staff, removing most of the leaves and debris from last fall and recent gully washers. It's lovely and yet dotted with pollen and living 'stuff' -- green and gooey, alive and kicking (or rather, swimming). I spot some goose poop (yes, the Canadians are back) and decide to place my flip-flops a few feet farther away at the water's edge.
Then we swim. Two by two we buddy up and head out for the first buoy. We get back to the beach about 25 minutes later and start to peel off the wetsuits. Unlike the photo below, which was taken on a much colder day after a swim in much colder water, today's weather was perfect: 65-70F and bright. More smiles than shivers!
Following the swim, we gab about summer racing plans and don our gear for the ride home, stuffing the wet wetsuits back into our packs. It's wonderful to hear how everyone enjoyed the water, felt good on the hills, and keeps learning from the others. (My friend Dave said that Sierra was giving him training tips on timing his breathing while swimming, and that's exactly why we train together. We keep each other safe and help each other out, each striving to improve a little each time. This is why and how training groups work!) We also keep each other safe through numerous stop lights as we make our way back to Davis Sq, now in the heavy morning traffic.
7:30am and I arrive by bike over to a client's house -- I've been training her for a little over a year. She knows I'll arrive a little water logged, but she's ready to train hard in her bi-weekly Tues AM session. So I take her through new back/ab strengthening moves on her Swiss ball, have her try out a few balancing and hip lifting moves on the ball (Knee Tucks and Diver's Pikes) and then get out the resistance bands. Imagine this move in someone's living room... we did that!
Here's a tip: Get your workout done early. Beat the heat, break a sweat, and then get food.
Most bodies love to run a little on empty before topping off the tank. Enjoy the clean burn of an early workout!
That's my typical Tuesday morning...and it just gets better from there.
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