those numbers!

I’m a numbers person. Always have been. Always will. I think in numbers a lot. I have a bachelors degree in math. Math always came easy to me. Swimming was a great sport for me growing up because I found swimming was all about numbers – how many hours will I swim today, how many yards, what’s the next set, how many repeats, total yards, what’s the interval, what’s the pace, when will I leave on the next repeat, how many strokes per lap for different efforts, and different degrees of fatigue, what’s the cut to qualify for this meet or that meet, or to make top8 in this event, or what’s my pr, what are my splits. My mind just thrived on how the numbers could occupy my thoughts all about the sport I lived. And its stuck with me all these years. Yesterday at the pool I hopped in and started swimming. Immediately I knew it was going to be a good workout. My arms and core felt strong, but loose. Each stroke was long but strong. I usually take 13 strokes per 25 yards, for a comfortable moderate effort. Yesterday I was at 12, and felt so easy, and was holding 1:20 pace. So I skipped a warmup and just did an 800 for pace, and maintained the 12 strokes the whole way, nipping under 1:20 per 100 the whole way. I love it when my body just works right. Then some IM, some drills, some kicking, some sprinting. Just mixed it up so I could feel the water in all the different ways I like. And counted strokes, counted kicks, counted underwater kicks, sendoffs, what time will I finish up the workout. Those Numbers!

This is an awesome article about Michael Phelps and how he works the numbers too.

Long run this morning. I’m not quite as good at the number thing when I run, but they are still there. I have no way to gauge pace, miles, since I’m just out running on the road. But I could steps to that next light. How many cops is that I’ve seen today? How many more minutes do I have. If I turn here and loop over there, that gives me an extra 10-15 minutes. I make myself guess exactly how many minutes it will be, and then check my guestimate when I get to that point. Today’s run was boring. I ran alone for 2:20, and when I went for my second gel, it wouldn’t tear open, and I squeezed it so hard while I tried to tear the top off, it squirted out of the bottom all over my stomach. Its supposed to go IN my stomach, not all over the outside of it! I did survive the run. I’m actually often surprised that I get through them. I don’t have the most positive attitude towards long runs. I really do try, its just not easy for me. I’ll keep trying.