Goodbye, Flip Turns

Today I swam a measly mile.

Sigh.

It was fun though, and I could have gone farther but ran out of time because I was gabbing with my lane mate, Canada Jenn. She's moving in 2 weeks and I'm so sad. She was the first person I met at the Second Sole Training Day back in December 2002. I almost didn't go...I didn't know anyone, and thought it was only fast people. Matt convinced me to try it, so I went. I walked in at the same time as Canada Jenn, who had moved from Alberta just a month or so prior. We struck up a conversation, and the rest is history. We've made it through many good times and some bad, always able to run together no matter what pace or circumstance. We did the Flying Pig Marathon together back in 2005, which was her first and my second. I'm really sad she's leaving, but we knew this was a 5 year gig as her husband is a radiologist. I just didn't realize how fast five years could go.

Sigh. :(

So, to make an already long story short, one of my closest friends is leaving and this is one of the last Monday swims I had with her, so the yardage can kiss my arse. Priorities, you know?

I learned today that apparantly, for me, at 22 weeks, I must say goodbye to the flip turn. This is quite hard, because I've been doing flip turns since I was 7 years old. It's like when you're so used to riding a bike with clip-in shoes, and then you ride one without...and it's almost like you FORGOT HOW TO RIDE A BIKE WITHOUT YOUR SIDIS OMG HOW DOES ONE FUNCTION WITHOUT CLIPPING IN?!

That's kind of how I felt.

I guess I could still do flip turns, but it looks pretty ridiculous. I sort of somersault in a seated position. The Ayatollah Belly gets in the way. It's not pretty. So I'm trying to master the touch and go.

I don't like it.

It slows me down. But, alas, I really shouldn't be worrying about slowing down at this point in the game. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be able to run, either. My friends are going to laugh their tails off this weekend when I have a girls' weekend with my Nutter chicks. I just saw them for the Indy Mini, and since then I feel like I've doubled in size.

I'm starting to (finally) make peace with this tri season. About going slow, about riding inside (it still stinks, though) and about possibly having to stop running soon. You know why?

Because Kid Z will NOT STOP KICKING.

I'm serious. This kid is doing some kind of conga line in there.

Last night Matt got to witness the acrobatics. He was out of town for a bit, so he didn't get to see my new favorite game I play before I fall asleep. It's called, "Watch-your-stomach-move-and-feel-butterflies-at-the-same-time-but-have-no-control-over-it." It's SO. BIZARRE.

I think he was pretty amazed.

TriShannon has been asking to see some pics, and so has my friend Sammy. I just really haven't taken any because I don't like how I look right now. I'm sure I'll take one someday. It's kind of like how there's no pictures of me from 1988-1990. Those years, you really don't want to see me. I don't want to see me. I'll just remember what I want to remember from those years, and not how horribly awkward I looked.

But I did get a really cute tank top on sale at DueMaternity. It's black and says in white cursive, "dying for a drink," which I just thought was pretty funny because I didn't realize how much I'd miss beer. Not 18 beers...just a nice cold beer at the Tribe game or on a cool evening. Please enjoy one for me. I'd buy you one if I could.

So that's the closest I've come to fashion-wise embracing this bump. I do like the bump, but more for the scientific aspects of it. I'm a gigantic science experiment. That's pretty sweet. But I don't want everyone staring at it. So Shannon, I'll just have to email you a pic, unless I get brave and post one here later.

WHOA there goes another strong kick. Kid's gotta good set of legs in there. I wonder if there's a way to hook up a PowerTap in utero...