10 Things I’ve Learned About “The Pool”

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Inspired both by the US Olympic swimming trials and by my own desire to wring every drop of value from my new gym membership (I finally joined Jenny’s gym), I’ve started getting into swimming. Not the splash-around-with-the-kids kind, but the dive-in-and-haul-ass kind. Here’s what I’ve learned so far:

  1. Fitness can be much more activity-specific than I realized. Swimming is a great way to learn that lesson really quickly. I’m in decent shape for running and cycling, but I was sucking wind after ONE LAP in the pool. Oy vey.
  2. Those Olympic swimmers are fast. Really, really fast. They make it look easy on TV, but when an average Joe like me tries to swim the same event, the differences become painfully obvious. I timed myself on a lap in the breaststroke, and the Olympians are literally going twice as fast.
  3. Indoor lap pools feel cold when you first get in, but after a lap, they feel fine because your out-of-shape body is already heating up.
  4. Swimsuits suck. Yes, I’ve already blogged about that, but it’s worth mentioning again this season. It is nice that my gym has water extractor machines that can spin most of the water out, but you still have a damp swimsuit to deal with once you’re done.
  5. The tight-fitting swim briefs generally (and inaccurately) known as Speedos make much more sense for fitness swimming than the baggy suits that American men are expected to wear. Why drag a parachute through the water when you’re trying to win a race? Yes, I do plan to get a Speedo. No, you won’t have to see me in it. I’ll save it for lap swimming at the gym. (You’re welcome.)
  6. If you want the lap pool (and the rest of the gym) to yourself, show up at 3:00am. This morning I saw two people in the entire cavernous building that didn’t work there.
  7. On a related note, 3:00am is also a great time to practice swim skills that are woefully subpar, such as my butterfly. When Michael Phelps does the butterfly, he looks like a locomotive plowing down a track. When I attempt it, no one knows what I look like since I have the pool to myself, but I feel like a three-legged cow that fell into a river. That stroke is pretty much impossible for me. Granted, I never learned the proper way to do it and could certainly improve, but my body just does not want to move in that way.
  8. My mom was adamant about swim lessons, and I’m glad she was. During the swim lessons of my youth, I learned four strokes: freestyle, breaststroke, backstroke, and sidestroke. The instructors might have mentioned the butterfly, but they didn’t actually teach it, probably because a four-year-old doesn’t have the necessary strength. My favorite stroke is the sidestroke. Unfortunately, the swimming gurus of the world don’t consider it worthy for competition. It’s mainly used by beginning swimmers, lifeguards, and endurance swimmers.
  9. My swim breathing needs a lot of work. That’s the main reason I prefer the sidestroke: it keeps my face above water. I usually breaststroke with my head above water as well, but I know that’s inefficient. I usually end up choking when I freestyle with my head in the water or when I backstroke. And I just drown if I attempt to butterfly. If I ever wanted to get serious about swimming, some swim lessons would be in order.
  10. The typical lap pool length seems to be around 25 meters. The pools you see in Olympic competition are 50 meters. So an elite swimmer could go from one end of my gym’s pool to the other in about 15 seconds.

How Fit is Fit Enough?

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Today’s First World Problem: I enjoy too many different types of exercise.

You already know I love running. I’ve backed off a bit this summer due to a slightly sore hip and the Texas heat, but I still hit the trail a couple times each week. After Hotter’N Hell, I’ll start running more to prepare for the big trail run in October.

My new road bike is a blast to ride, and with Hotter’N Hell 50 coming Aug 25 and a 27-mile warmup race called The Goatneck (?) on July 28, I’m trying to ride three times a week.

So that makes two activities, both of which make my muscles stronger but potentially tighter. To help them stay loose and maintain muscular balance, I’ve been practicing yoga at Jenny’s gym once a week with her guest pass. I’ll probably join eventually once they offer a good deal. So now I’m up to three activities.

As you might have wondered, since I already run and ride, why not add swimming and become a triathlete? I’ve never been a competitive swimmer, but I could probably learn. Or why not take up tennis to strengthen my core further and add some upper-body activity? Or why not hit the weight machines to support all the other work I’m doing?

So far no one has offered to sponsor me as a full-time athlete, and to be honest, I’m not exactly holding my breath. So I still need to make a living. Plus my body needs sleep and food from time to time. And I have two cute little boys and a loving wife and want to spend time with them. My grass grows (much to my chagrin) and needs to be mowed. I go to church and spend time with friends and family.

Something has to give, which leads me to today’s question:

How fit is fit enough?

How would you decide? Does working out four, five, or six days a week make you fit enough? What about three hours a week? Five? Ten? Is it being able to fit into your preferred pant size? Is it winning races in your preferred sport(s)? Is it being satisfied when you look in the mirror? Is it being satisfied with how you feel? Is it a heart rate, blood pressure measurement, or cholesterol level? Is it being able to run/ride/swim a certain distance or lift a certain amount of weight? Is it not being tired at the top of the stairs or being able to pick up your children or grandchildren?

I’m still working through this question myself and suspect it will take a little while to find the right balance. I definitely need to limit my activity to some extent, so don’t look for me in the Hawaii Ironman anytime soon. Rest days are important, so I’ll need at least one or two each week. Perhaps some days I’ll ride a bit and then run a bit, or maybe ride to the gym for a yoga class.

For those of you who do exercise, how do you decide how much to do?

Things I’ve Learned Lately

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  1. If you ever get overconfident regarding your own abilities, try applying them in another discipline and see how you do. Due to my running and cycling, I’d convinced myself that my legs were pretty strong. Then I went to a hot yoga class with Jenny at her gym. My legs were sore for two days afterward.
  2. My original hybrid bike (Specialized Sirrus Elite, size XL) weighed 27 pounds. My new road bike (Trek 2.3, size 58cm) weighs 21.6 pounds. Jenny’s bike (Specialized Dolce Elite, size 51.5cm) weighs 21.6 pounds as well.
  3. We tried a test ride on Friday right after we brought the new bikes home. I hit 26mph on a flat at near max effort. I never came close to that speed on a flat with my hybrid. It felt like I was flying. I liked it.
  4. If someone can watch our boys for the night, Jenny and I plan to ride the Hotter’N Hell 50 mile race on August 25. It will be a challenge, but with our current fitness levels and ten weeks to train, I think we can finish it. As a warmup, we might do a shorter race in late July at Texas Motor Speedway.
  5. There’s a thing called sprouted grain bread that my friends are eating on their new diet. They say it’s easier to digest and better for your body. Bread made from sprouted grain is more expensive, but they say it’s worth it. According to Livestrong, it’s similar to whole wheat bread with a few added benefits.
  6. A $6 bottle of sparkling white wine can be just as tasty as a $45 bottle of real champagne, maybe even more so.
  7. We don’t use our beautiful wedding-present champagne flutes enough. There’s always something to celebrate if you look for it.
  8. An easy way to feel guilty is to ignore a panhandler on the corner and then drop $4 on a cappuccino at Starbucks.
  9. Gloria’s in Oak Cliff has fantastic Mexican and Salvadorian food and great service. It seems to be in an old firehouse and still has a fire pole. (no, they won’t let you slide down, maybe due to their strong margaritas). We ate there with Jenny’s family for her parents’ 40th anniversary, her brother-in-law’s birthday, and her father’s birthday. The only downside was the forced valet parking. Living in the suburbs has spoiled me in the parking department.
  10. Brenden and Jonathan will be in school three days a week starting in July: Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. This will help Brenden get ready for kindergarten next year (WHOA) and give Jenny a little more free time.

Who Wants to Loan Me Money So I Can Pay Off Some Debt?

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We bought our current home in 2009. We financed it with a 30-year note at a very good interest rate for that time: 4.375 percent. We planned to stay in the house paying off that mortgage for the next couple of decades. Over time, we would become able to pay extra toward the mortgage and, we hoped, pay it off by the time Brenden left for college. I didn’t think interest rates could get much lower than that.

I was wrong.

Interest rates for 30-year mortgages are now available under 4 percent. I’ve even seen them under 3.5 percent. And for a 15-year mortgage, some lenders are offering around 3 percent. That’s crazy. Now I’m REALLY sure they can’t get much lower. Really, really sure.

So we’ve started the process to refinance with a 15-year. It feels weird to type that. Refinancing is something moms and dads do. (oh wait!)

With these crazy rates, we can pay off the house at least 15 years earlier and save $50,000-60,000 or more in interest, and our payment will only increase by about $200-250/month. It might not be the sexiest thing to do with surplus cash, but it seems like a smart move to me. If I have a good experience with my lender, I’ll post an update later. We won’t close for several weeks.

If you have a mortgage, you ought to look into refinancing, especially if you bought your house more than three or four years ago. Check out this calculator to see whether or not it would save you money.

The Olympics are Coming!

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After living for a couple of years without cable TV, and missing quite a few shows and sporting events we wanted to see during that time, one event finally convinced us to sign back up for AT&T U-verse TV with DVR service:

The London Olympics.

I’ve always enjoyed the Olympic Games. For me, it’s not so much about American patriotism or the different countries involved. It’s the fascinating, amazing opportunity to watch the best athletes in the world face off in dozens of different sports during the same two-week span. Many of these sports get little coverage or attention outside the Olympics, but for two weeks this summer, millions around the world will suddenly get reacquainted with gymnastics, swimming, track and field, rowing, archery, weightlifting, and fencing.

In 2008, I stressed out following Michael Phelps’ quest for eight golds, marveled at Usain Bolt’s unbelievable speed, and admired the US women’s beach volleyball team. (it’s ok – Jenny is allowed to admire the male swimmers, so we’re even!) This year, my focus will be a bit different since I’m (sort of) an athlete again and actually participate in some of the events. Of particular interest are the distance running events (5K, 10K, and marathon), track, and cycling road race. I can’t look at a boxer or fencer and fully appreciate how good they are. But when I see a Kenyan marathoner post a 2:04 or Bolt break 9.7 seconds in the 100m, I know those athletes are ridiculously fast in a way my body couldn’t possibly be. And I love that.

NBCOlympics.com has already posted the schedule of events for your planning purposes. The Olympics start July 27 and end August 12. I’ve already targeted my top events. Unfortunately, I’m working throughout the track and field week, but my new DVR should let me record some of the events I can’t watch live.

Which event is your favorite? Vote in my new poll on the right.

Faster, Daddy, Faster!

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I’ve really enjoyed cycling over the last several months. Usually I try to ride about an hour a week as crosstraining. Lately, I’ve been riding a lot more to rest a hip flexor that’s a bit sore. It’s great to have a fun, cardio-based alternative to running.

But something happened during all those miles on my bike. I realized that I enjoy going fast. And far. And it’s fascinating to use my iPhone to track how fast and far I go. And I don’t like riding on gravelly trails or other uneven surfaces.

In other words, it’s time to upgrade from my excellent Sirrus hybrid to a true road bike. And I’m bringing my wife with me.

We went out to Bicycles, Inc. this week and test rode several models. Neither of us had ever ridden a roadie before. Jenny’s last bike was a mountain bike from over a decade ago, designed to be rugged and durable for off-road riding. My hybrid is tough like a mountain bike but with thinner, lighter wheels and a lighter frame. A road bike is a whole different animal designed for speed – an even lighter frame and wheels, lower handlebars, and a more aggressive stance. Jenny and I climbed on our test bikes and felt like we’d saddled a rocket. They want to go fast. Riding a roadie feels a bit like driving a race car that will take off if you don’t work to rein it in.

Yes, please.

Jenny is looking at the Specialized Dolce, and I’m looking at the Trek 2 series. Bicycles, Inc. takes trade-ins like a car dealership, so I will say goodbye to my beloved Sirrus and apply the funds toward something even faster. When the boys are in school and I’m awake, Jenny and I hope to ride together. Maybe we’ll even try to race together someday, perhaps Hotter ‘n’ Hell 2013 or one of the races in the Dallas area.