Now-or-never time for Bay Bridge Swim training

Though my fabulous massage earlier this week certainly helped my hip feel

Me before last year's 1-mile Bay Bridge Swim, attempting faux-toughness.

better, it’s still feeling stiff and crunchy enough to take a couple off-days from running. Since my next race is the ZOOMA Annapolis 10K on May 31, and I don’t have another major running event on my calender until the Marine Corps Marathon Oct. 25, I figure this is the time to get myself in good working order.

It also happens to be now-or-never time for training for the Great Chesapeake Bay Swim One-Mile Bay Challenge on June 14. I’ve got only three full weeks left, which is both terrifying and motivating. So yesterday, in the place of my usual run, I tried an awesome workout from college-swimmer-friend Brooke, who recommends the following:

Monday night: 500 warm-up, non-free every 3rd lap. Then 300 free, 3 100 IMs, 6 50s kick, 100 easy. Repeat 2 more times. Then wake up Tueday and contemplate cutting your arms off to relieve the pain.

I giggled when I read this. Then, I actually did the workout. I used a pull buoy for all the freestyle on account of the old-lady hip. This means I also pulled freestyle instead of kicking for the the 50s. My arms did, in fact, want to disconnect from my body to get out of the workout. I followed up with a whole bunch of push-ups, after which my arms broke up with my body on a Post-It.

In other swimming news: My 29-minute timed swim on my 29th birthday on Wednesday was somewhat disappointing at first, with me netting only a 1,750. Not sure what I was expecting, other than, like, more.

But then, I reminded myself that I was using a pull buoy, which always makes for a slower swim, and that it takes a special kind of weirdo to do a time trial on one’s birthday, then berate oneself for not going faster on said time trial. Rest assured that between the massage and the post-massage dinner and drinks with friends, I didn’t fret about this for long.

Cross-training plan for the weekend: Backpacking! Check back on Monday for photos of what I’m sure will be an awesome trip.