Nuts and $$

BIKE: 2hrs (!) about 35 miles?

I can't believe I did a 2hr trainer ride, yet at the same time I'm so happy I did it. What?!

I finally took out the LOTR DVD that's been playing over and over and replaced it with some SG-1. That show ended years ago and I've yet to see the final two seasons. But I have no good excuse as I've had the complete DVD set for a few years now. I'm only in season 4. Maybe I need more long indoor rides!

Anyhoo, I kept it fast today. Less "hills" and strength work, and more fast turnover. Switched gears between scenes, jumped a lot between the 2nd and 3rd rings (this was on The Bird), and tried to keep it smooth. My focus was surprisingly good for a two hour ride. But by the time I hit 1:55, I was DONE and ready to get off the bike.

My normal schedule has me swimming on Fridays. I've yet to swim more than 5 times since IMWI. I hate swimming. I hate it because I can't get better at it. Books, videos, articles, coaches, I still can't get better. And why is that? Because I DON'T GO TO THE POOL!!! Duh!! Git yer &$$ to the pool and SWIM!

So here I go again. I did this last year with some success: A Swim Challenge. Follow the Rules, Get The Rewards. The 2010 Swim Challenge did work, then something happened and I quit. Can't remember what happened...let's go back and take a look....

One year ago I was in my 3rd swim lesson with JM. Hate to say it, but I don't know if I've improved much if at all over the past year. :(

It was last March that I started The Swim Challenge. I'd found some Nike Challenge thing online that gave you a free swim cap if you logged 50 miles. Realizing that a stupid swim cap was enough to get my attention, I devised a plan: Figure out what my carrots are, and use them to swim. I had to get my swim done to get the carrot: Monday was nut butter, Weds was a TV show, Thursday was cashews, and Friday was a Lara Bar. I'd be so eager for my reward that I'd eat my Lara Bar before I could get dressed. To add to that, I gave myself $5 for each swim, and up'd it to $25/week if I did all 4 swims. Bonus cash! Funny how well nuts and $$ motivate me.

I also set benchmark goals of time: 50y<50s;>The TV show I used before was a Weds show, don't have that right now. I do have a Thursday show though...

Monday Master's requires getting up super early and getting beat down as the slowest swimmer in the pool. The biggest carrot goes here: Cashew butter on a banana.
Weds carrot: a Medjool date with 1T of a nut butter.
Thurs carrot: 1 hr of the Jersey Shore, b!tch! :D
Friday carrot: Cashew cookie Lara bar.

Why are so many of my carrots foods? And keep the $$ involved. But pick something out that you really want to buy with it too

And I need to make the swim special. A nice swim bag and swim suit, not the ratty things I have now. Shampoo and soap and lotion, not the stuff in the dispenser at the gym. No more dry skin out of the pool. Well that's easy enough to fix. Go shopping!

And when do we start? Friday now, how's about Sunday? Make this week's Friday a Sunday. But be sure to still do Monday Masters!