Hello, lovely and valued readers (and Glen).

It’s the homestretch of 2018!

Without another BIG SWIM happening this calendar year, I’ve been thinking a lot about goals and possibilities…even daydreaming a little. I feel happiest when I have a plan, a framework, or an endpoint (yo, Virgo), so it was time to concoct a new one.

In my quest to spend only positive time online, I’ve been analyzing the training data in my Swimio app. Each time I swim, I faithfully record my training kilometres in the app. I wouldn’t call myself a super user, since I don’t

• Update the local pool if i’m swimming somewhere other than the Trail Aquatic Centre
• Log the sets in my workouts (just the distance)
• Log my events/races
• Connect with the “community” or connect with “friends” (I’m still getting the hang of Tinder) (Airport Tinder…who knew? Only works if you have access to a frequent traveller lounge. TMI.)
• Just kidding. 😬

BUT – I do

• Religiously log all of my training swims, so I have a handy month by month or week by week comparison of kilometres complete
• Sign up for distance goals, so I’ve virtually completed the Capetown Freedom Swim without even visiting South Africa!

There are a lot of swimming apps out there, and I’ve only really ever used this one. I like that I can use limited features and still get a lot out of it. If there’s an app you use and like, I’d love to know about it. My tech-y nature is always giving me another reason to be on my phone. 

As of today, October 26, I have swam 170,480 training metres in 2018.

So – since I do love even numbers and big round ones especially – I decided to commit to 200,000 training metres before the end of the year. That means another 29,250 to go! That might mean that on New Year’s Eve, I’ll be drinking Amaretto Sours and eating prawns on the deck. That also might mean that I race through the metres in the next 6 weeks and have a relaxing holiday break and hang out under the mistletoe not smelling of chlorine for a change.

Are you with me? Come on 200,000! That’s 200 kilometers! That’s like swimming from Saskatoon to Moose Jaw (almost)

Pro Tip: Never compare your swimming distance accomplishments with your running, cycling and loppeting friends.

My busy conference season is here, so I’m spending a lot of time on the road and in the air, and trying to squeeze in pool sessions whenever I can. In order to hit my 200,000 m goal by year end, I’ll have to forego the hotel fitness centres for laps in local pools. And that’s ok, because hotel gyms are mostly either lonely or awkward places, and it’s good to get out of the room and into the city. I’ve also never seen anyone wipe down a weight bench in the hotel gym. 

I try to travel light (try being the operative word), and with minimal business attire required to do my job, I always pack my gym gear and my swim gear. My stripped down travel swimming kit includes nothing more than a bathing suit, goggles, cap, Finis Duo, and a little stack of workouts in a Ziplock bag. This little bag has been with me for a few years and it’s like having a small, see-through coach with me at all times. The best kind of coach! I use whatever mod cons, like buoys and kickboards, that are available at any given pool I visit, but I avoid the hand paddles because I’d just be tempted to steal them. Sometimes it can be a challenge to gather accurate information about lane swimming times, but doing this research has given me a near-encyclopedic knowledge of schedules across the country.  If you’re looking for morning lane swim times in Winnipeg, I’m your gal!

This week I’ve been in Edmonton and Calgary, so I’ve been spoiled for choice as both cities have a ton of facilities.

I also managed a quick hike up Sulphur Mountain in Banff – what fun!

In Edmonton I managed to sneak in a quick swim at the Kinsmen Sports Centre, and in Calgary I visited the Repsol Sports Centre to get my kms in. Both facilities are vast and crowded and buzzing with good energy. As much as I love the frequent solitude of my local Trail pool, it’s nice to be in the heart of the action sometimes, and it’s way easier to get naked in the changeroom when you definitely won’t run into your daughter’s teacher or local bank teller.

29,520 metres to go. Are you with me?