Countdown to the first day we can swim!

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Cross-training

People have recently been asking me about how much I have been swimming. Honestly, probably not as much as I should be: about 25-30 thousand meters (15-18 miles) a week. But, of course, I am doing other shenanigans when I am not swimming. Some of which I will discuss now...

Activity: Running
Equipment Needed: A good pair of shoes, treadmill/safe roads
Muscle groups worked: Legs/glute, cardio
Details: WARNING, can be dangerous for uncoordinated/easily distracted/aquatic athletes, aka me. I fear it like the plague.

Activity: Elliptical, Biking
Equipment Needed: Elliptical, bicycle
Muscle groups worked: Legs/glute, cardio
Details: It is much friendlier to the knees than running and give me the cardio workout I need. Plus, no chance of twisting or spraining an ankle. YES!!

Activity: Lunges + wall sits + squats
Equipment Needed: walls or garbage can + friend
Muscle groups worked: Legs/glute
Details: Simple activities like walking or getting up from a chair will be painful for 2 days after. The friend is only needed to counter-balance the force exerted on the garbage can.

Activity: Aqua-jogging + vertical kicking
Equipment Needed: A friend
Muscle groups worked: Legs/glute
Details: Newly found exercise this summer. Doing 30-40 mins of aqua-jogging definitely give you a great aerobic workout. Again, the friend is only needed so you don't look silly doing it by yourself and, of course, to catch up on the latest gossip.

...and to paying tribute to an awesome Saturday in Cape Cod with Sarah, Anna, Gil, and Logan. Much thanks to Gil's family for having us over!!
*Activity: Tubbing
Equipment Needed: Boat, Tubbing gear, Lifejacket
Muscle groups worked: Arms
Details: It's all fun and games until someone gets hurt (...or until my tongue starts bleeding and forms a blood blister).

*Activity: Dancing, jumping, and killing flies on a raft
Equipment Needed: Raft
Muscle groups worked: Everything? What does dexterity count under?
Details: Who needs music? This definitely help in my training to be a ninja-sniper for the CIA. (Wait what? I didn't say anything. That's not my goal in life!!)

*Activity: Towing a dead boat
Equipment Needed: A dead boat
Muscle groups worked: Legs/glut, abs, shoulders
Details:...I apparently take every opportunity to exercise. Although, if a boat stops working in the middle of an inlet, what are a few varsity swimmers to do?


'Nuff said.

6 comments:

  1. When I read aqua jogging, I read it the way Ryan Terbush would pronounce it.

    If you ever want to go for a bike ride, you should let me know.

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  2. Glut ≠ glute.

    You go tubbing in a tub, and tubing in a tube.

    Why are you working out your legs so much? Are you going to kick the whole way?

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  3. Oh, also, a snipper snips, and a sniper snipes.

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  4. oops...damn...I should always proof read these things...

    Lolz why not kick the whole why there? Well...it's the only why I'm getting a cardio workout in. I'm focusing more on pulling when I swim (ie with paddles and buoy for most of practice)

    Wimmer: Love to go on bike ride with you...I'll get in touch with you about that at some point.

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  5. ohh and also in response to why there are so many leg exercises, this obviously isn't a complete list of the dryland stuff I do. I only listed things that are interesting to comment on

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  6. Sydney, we're so proud of you! You will accomplish many more wonderful things in your life. God has picked you to be someone special. This was not your time to swim the channel all the way across. But maybe next time. You are blessed with such a marvelous family who stuck by you all the way. We're so glad to call the Giblin family our friends. Great effort!

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