I'm back out on charter and haven't had the chance to run very much. I have been swimming everyday around the boat and for some reason swimming doesn't entice me to blog quite as much as running does. I'm pretty sure I'm a slow swimmer but have never done a race or tri to compare to other people. I swam 0.67m today along the coast of Cooper Island in 30 minutes. That makes my average mile swim pace around 45 minutes. I don't even know how people calculate their swim pace. I imagine it is not in minutes per mile or every would be so discouraged they would jump out of the water! I also have trouble relaxing and zoning out while swimming, which is probably the reason I don't think of stunning blog subjects along the way. I don't relax because when I do I forget all the little things that make you a strong swimmer. If I start looking at the sea grass under me I forget to kick my feet. When I realize I am not kicking I focus on that and forget to keep my fingers together and my arms long. Basically I have to think about every stroke while I swim. I haven't been swimming for as long as I have been running so I chalk it up to not having enough practice. Don't they say you need 10,000 hours of doing something to be really successful at it? I don't think I've done anything for 10,000 hours, perhaps that is why I am not incredibly successful at anything particular.
Swimming is fun though, especially in the Caribbean. It's warm and windy and there is often a lot to look at under the water. Two nights ago I swam a couple laps around the boat before sunset and I saw two sting rays and a barracuda. Yesterday and today I swam mid morning at Cooper Island and saw all sorts of pretty shells in the sea grass and some fire coral and fish by the rocks at the turn around. I do actually enjoy swimming I just have trouble doing it for more than 30 minutes. I also don't know any good swim workouts so I just swim at a consistent speed around and around the boat. Swimming through mooring fields is pretty dangerous because of all the dinghy traffic and I get too nervous to have a good workout.
Though I am enjoying swimming it is always nice to have the opportunity to run while on charter. I ran on our first morning out up the hill at Peter Island but we have been staying on the outer islands, many of which don't have roads or trails. This evening we are moored in Soper's Hole and I managed to get off the boat while everyone was showering and having sundowners for a run along the coast road. It was a beautiful run, right before sunset. My legs felt fresh and it felt good to push it pretty hard. I forgot my running watch on my friend's boat last week before charter and I have been running with just my Casio. I ran out for 20 minutes and back trying to keep my pace up. It felt pretty good to map it on MapMyRun and see that I was running at an 8 minute pace. Even my pace up the hill on Peter Island on Sunday wasn't too bad. It's a pretty steep hill and I averaged around 10:30/mile. My legs and lungs are feeling strong and even my back has stopped hurting! I feel like I'm coming back into my stride after so much time away from running consistently. My 16 week training starts the last week of January with a 13 mile LSD. I am heading back to Antigua after this charter and am looking forward to running there. Though I love spending time in the BVI, training in Antigua is a little easier and there are more routes to run.
Here are the maps of my swim and run today.
And here are a few photos I have taken recently of the BVI.
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