Monday, July 24, 2006

Beach Time is Good...

even if it's short.

Jason and I went to the beach today because I have been dying to go forever. We got there at about 10am...just in time to get hit with a few sprinkles, which you know was pretty awesome. The rain let up almost immediatly and the sun came out and jason and I proceeded to basically pass out in the sun. Jason worked last night and I slept for a few hours on the couch so we were both pretty tired and it was so nice just chillin in the sun and it wasn't too hot or anything.

Around 11:30am my voicemail dinged to let me know that I had a message (which was weird because I never heard the phone ring....) It was our new apartment company saying that our credit looked perfect and all was going well, they just wanted to see some kind of proof that we get paid. Hmm. We are kind of on a grant, but don't have much proof of it. The Department of Energy gives Indiana University money each year and then our funds come from that. We also get this extra cash each month to take care of the cost of living difference between Bloomington, IN and Chicago. So finally I remembered that I had my contract that will go till the end of the year and they said that was fine, to just bring it by the office before the end of the day.

I still hadn't gone swimming yet though so we headed over to the area that is just south of the actual beach at North Avenue (right across from the chess tables for those of you that know the area) and jumped in. This is the best place to swim because it's deep and you can go as far as you want. At the beaches in Chicago they have lifeguards in little row boats in the water and you can't go any farther than the boat. This is stupid because the boat is really shallow and so "swimming" turns into walking into the water up to my waist and getting yelled at because, "you're too far...TOO FAR!!!" This other area is an area between beaches and is off the concrete running path. You can swim pretty far out too and not get yelled at...

That of course is if you know how to swim. For all you triathletes out there...yeah...um amazing. I tried to swim like 5 or 6 strokes and was done. I am really comfortable in the water so that's not a problem, I just cannot swim for any length before I have to resort to breast stroke or just floating. Therefore I don't see triathloning in my immediate future although Jason and I have both agreed that we need to work on our swimming skills and so will start to do that when we get some time.

Eithe way the water was unbelieveable and just exactly what I have been waiting for all summer! So nice and cool and it was a beautiful day and blah blah. After the beach we took the bus back home and feeding my Slurpy addiction on the walk from the bus to home :-) We headed over to the apartment place and found out that the company was just super nice and told us that there were some cool people living in that buidling including a doctor who bikes a lot on the second floor and some "crazy" girls that are bike messengers that live downstairs. Should be a good community of people so that's very exciting.

We ended the day with some naps...Jason is still sleeping of course because he still has to go into work tonight whereas I am trying to move my schedule back to normal. Tomorrow is a 10 Mile LT run with 5 miles at a 15K pace. Yikes, that's only really really terrifying!

10 comments:

Triseverance said...

First off you would be fine in a sprint Tri, I swam about 15% of mine in the crawl. The rest was brest stroke or back stroke so that I could have my face out of the water.

Second How cold is Lake Michigan right now? I mean I know it's hot out but the water temp still has to be pretty cold.

Lastly good luck with the LT run, you guys will be fine. I am trying not to look ahead in the plan....but the next five weeks are as you say really really terrifying.

Anonymous said...

Found your blog a few weeks ago and love it because I lived in Chicago and it is where I ran my first marathon. Through your descriptions, you're jarring my memory in recalling training runs along Lake Shore.

Any rate, I'm looking forward to running the '06 marathon and wish you luck! Quite a few of us our coming from Colorado and Louisville, KY.

Anonymous said...

Awesome day at the beach. Don't worry I can't do a tri for the exact same reason. swimmers are amazing to me.
Congrats on the new place again.

LeahC said...

the lake is the perfect temperature! it's so refreshing and not so cold that it takes your breathe away. I hate when lakes get warm and then it's like swimming in bath water.

I'm going to think about a triathlon....but I would like to wait till I have a real job and hence some money to buy things like a bike (all i have is a mountain bike) and books like, "Swimming for Dummies"

LeahC said...

to bob c-

thanks for stopping by and good luck with your training!

Bridgette said...

You would kick any sprint triathlon's ass! :) The swim is just something that most tri athletes 'get thru' so they can do what they really like...or at least that's what they tell me. :)

The other people would see you completely blowing the run/bike away & be like 'I hate her' :)

You should do it before you get a 'real' job because a 'real' job sucks all of your fun life away...

LeahC said...

i wouldn't ever make it to the bike or the running cause i would be under the water....breathing in the water :-( hahaha

Mmem said...

Just found your blog:-) Sounds like a cool day at the beach.
Major GL on your long run!!!

Brooke said...

Where do they care where you get your money...just as long as you pay your bills. I would tell them my sugar daddy pays me and there are no pay stubs.

LeahC said...

well, i could understand not wanting to rent to two students. I am guessing they have gotten screwed before or something and since they don't know I pay my bills...aside from our good credit and of course paying our rent for 2 years....I don't care though now even though i WAS annoyed because the people in the office were super nice which was a nice change compared to the biatches that run our current building!