Back in the Speedo again

The bad news is that I did not magically become a better swimmer by not getting in a pool for nearly two years.  Who'd have thought?
Yes, aside from a couple of trips to the local rec center for some birthday dates with the kids to play in the 'leisure' pool, I have not been swimming since my last triathlon.

No, the open water swim didn't traumatize me that much.

Close, but not quite.

I am just so NOT a swimmer.

Thankfully even though that is true, and I actually was talking myself into just avoiding swimming altogether until my tri next month and just seeing how I did day of, I actually enjoyed myself last night.

Even better than enjoying it, there is some good news.  My swim bottoms are officially too big.  Yes that made for some awkward swimming (YES they did stay on!  Though there were some iffy moments.  Maybe that's why the guy in the lane next to me kept trying to make small talk?), but who doesn't want to find that their bottom half has shrunk?  Good deal.

Also, and perhaps just as exciting as needing a smaller suit, my time was much better than I expected!  Last time around I expected to do the swim at this particular tri in about 9-9 1/2 minutes, and ended up thrilled with a finish time of 7:49.  Last night my times were 7:17 and 7:07!  I like 7's.  This means I will feel confident enough to line up in the 7:00 area this year, whereas last time I lined up in the 9:30-10:00 group.  Yes I added to what I thought I might swim in....I figured it would be better to pass than be passed.  And I did.  And it was.

And when the back half of the line on the side of the pool looks like this:

Lining up earlier means standing there waiting a whole lot less!

Now I suppose I should actually get back in the saddle again. That would require that I pull the bike down off the garage ceiling....where it has been since the one time I rode it last year.  Hey, pregnancy doesn't lend to a lot of bike riding.  This is where I start thinking that I should not have dismissed that "I should get a trainer thought" constantly for the past year and a half.  Oh well, maybe I'll get to the bike next week.  You know, since it's snowing today.  again.