The session looked a little like this:
12 x 50 - 12 laps of Christmas
12 x 100 - 12 100s of Christmas
600m - 12 laps of Christmas
12 x 50 - 12 laps of Christmas again
12 x 100 - another 12 100s of Christmas
800m - not sure how that one fit in. I like to think of it as the Grinch, spoiling all the fun.
It was a pretty fun session. One of those where you found yourself having swum 4000m before you really realised. Always nice when a session goes quickly.
Not to say it wasn't challenging though. The first set of 12 x 100m and the second set of 12 x 50s were done on a tight turnaround (as in a handful of seconds) and the second set of 12 x 100 were done as 1 hard, 1 easy. So in many ways it still hurt. Plus for a session which felt like it was full of short intervals, we still did a 600 and an 800. Hardly strolling in the sunshine material.
Still it was nice to get through a Wednesday morning swim that didn't kill you, and perhaps wasn't such an onerous mental burden. Merry Christmas indeed.
Besides the program, the session was interesting for a number of other reasons. Today was the last swim for Swim Smooth stalwart, Break Your Limits legend and general Triathlon Queen of awesomeness Janine Willis (Google her and then prepare to feel inadequate). As a result we had a farewell breakfast for Janine after the session. The breakfast was a great slice of nice (although more than a little bit sad too), but the breakfast wasn't actually the start of the farewell celebrations. The celebrations had really started a few kms earlier when Janine had jumped out of the pool and popped a bottle of champagne for us to share. Sipping a glass of champagne in between 100s was an interesting way to finish off the session. Needless to it isn't the nutritional supplement I would suggest pre 800m.
Definitely bittersweet, but farewells usually are.
The final bit of interesting for the morning was this:
This wonderful Frankenstein hat of Christmas frivolity is actually the Swim Smooth 'Teachers Pet' swim cap. The swim cap came into existence quite some time ago and was bestowed upon a swimmer that Paul Newsome felt best captured the swimming virtues taught my Swim Smooth. Since then the cap has been worn by many worthy and exemplary souls and today it was my turn. I am not sure I am worthy to stand in the shadow of the caps previous recipients, but all the same I was quite tickled to get it and I am happy to wear the cap with pride.
As silly as the cap seems, it does represent something quite important to me. I have been swimming with Paul for three and a half years now (wow that has gone quick) and over that time I have learnt so much and also improved so much that it is hard to express just how much I owe him and the squad. The lessons I have learnt at Swim Smooth have had an impact on every aspect of how I swim and how I race in a triathlon. The effect really has been that profound. From technique to race plan I apply lessons from Swim Smooth to it all. I got this cap because of my swim leg at Ironman WA, but I think it would be fair to say that I achieved that swim at Ironman WA because of Paul and Swim Smooth. The cap may be silly, but I am very proud to have it.
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