IM? What's an IM?

Three weeks ago I decided that I had better learn how to swim the right way so that I could do my best in the triathlon in August. I went to our local YMCA and bought a family membership. The kids and I swim two to three times a week now, and it is wonderful.

I told my friend Alan, who participates in triathlons with his daughter, that Paige and I are doing a triathlon in August. I figured he would be the one to ask my silly questions like:

• Will I put my glasses by my bike?


• Do I bring a towel to dry off after the swim?


• Do you put shorts and a shirt over your swimsuit for the bike ride?

I also figured that since his daughter is on a swim team he could help me learn the terms he has been using for the past several years when telling me how well his daughter did in her meets. I never asked before because I did not want to show my ignorance, but I was desperate to know what he was talking about before I go to my first swim lesson tomorrow.

So last week I IM'd Alan to ask how he was doing, and he told me he swam 3000M that morning! Three weeks ago I had no idea what that meant. Now I am in awe since I swam 250M without stopping last week to see if it was even possible, and I was exhausted when I was done. I started firing questions at him:

• Did you get to take breaks?


• How big is the pool you swim in? (3000/25 = 120)


• How do you keep track of how far you swim? (I struggled to remember what lap I was on and I only did went back and forth 10 times.)

I know he was laughing me, but he informed me that he got to take breaks, one pool is 25M the other is 50M, and the 3000M is a workout that he follows.

Oh! There are swimming workouts? Who knew?

Then he began to tell me what he did that morning with the distances, but I was lost in the words that sounded like martial arts moves and rap songs to me.

• Kick - Hee YA!!!


• Pull - Grab your opponent's wrist here, step back, PULL and watch him flip over!


• Freestyle - I picture everyone in a circle as Alan busts a move...Go Alan! Go Alan!


• Breast - Not going there...


• Fly - Like a G6?


• Back - Baby's Got Back!

Of course my interpretations were not correct and he patiently explained what each term meant as I kept asking him questions. Then he said something about IM, and I thought, "Duh Alan! What do you think we are doing right now?", but at this point in our conversation I decided to ask, "IM? What's an IM?" instead.

As he answered this question in detail I got a brilliant idea; I would search You Tube to actually be able to see what he was talking about. What did we do without the Internet? I watched a video on each stroke, and then I watched the Olympics, and then some Michael Phelps videos and the next thing I know two hours of my life had passed by. I know what we did without the Internet we stayed focused and got shit done, but I digress.

Since he is such a great guy Alan sent me a link to Beginner Triathlete which has examples of the workouts he follows, and a ton of other information too.
http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/

Thanks to Alan I feel more confident going to my first swimming lesson tomorrow! He is the Master and I am the Grasshopper!