This year I have been trying to be better about how I train outside of the pool.  That is why I’ve started doing all the hydrostatic weighing and VO2Max testing. 

The new hydrostatic weighing results are in:

Back in March I was at 25.6% body fat.

Now I’m at 24.8.  I have lost 1.5 pounds of fat and gained 0.5 pounds of muscle and lost 1 pound overall.  And no Leroy I’m not disclosing my overall weight.  I commend you on what you are doing, but posting photos of me in a swimsuit to the web is the farthest I’m going.

This is good news.  I’m still on the downward trend.  We are going to do another hydrostatic weighing immediately following the Manhattan Island Swim (ok 3 days later) to see what marathon swimming really does.  Remember I lost 7 pounds on the Channel swim last year.

In addition to understanding how my body is working, I’ve started working with a nutritionist to help me ensure that I’m putting in the right fuels.  Now this I was worried about as Annie’s Mac and Cheese has become a staple dinner.  Turns out that I got to keep the Mac’N Cheese, but I had to add in a little bit more protein and veggies to the mix.  I thought this may ruin the essense of boxed mac ‘n cheese, but no it has actually just added to it.  Go figure.  I did find out that I was consuming too many refined sugars.  Perhaps the Dots and jelly candies weren’t the way to go for snacking.  I’m slowly coming around and my body seems to recover faster.

Then there is still my athletic trainer, my massage therapist, my chiropractor and my acupuncturist who are keeping the body moving, loose and limber.  I’m guessing some of you are doing some medical bill expense calculations…and yes this does get expensive, but it is worth every penny.  I’m much stronger than I was at the same point last year.  The shoulders are holding up, even if my right one has decided 10 days before Manhattan to act up.  I think it is stress.

Then there are the external aids.  This year Game Ready gratiously sponsored me with some shoulder wraps and a connector hose.  Man why didn’t I use this sooner.  Game Ready has these wraps that cycle cold water through them and they also compress on your joints.  It is a dream come true.  Now instead of 10 bags of ice or frozen peas being strapped all over my shoulders and upper arms I can do it all at once!  I love these things.  I do look like an American Football linebacker while in the shoulder wraps (Yes Leroy I will get a photo soon).  But I love these things!  In fact as soon as I’m strapped in and on my 30 minutes of compression/icing, I fall asleep.  Sort of sad to think that I sleep better wrapped in ice than I do normally.

Then there is my supplemental nutrition which you have all heard about CarboPro, CLIF shot bloks, and CLIF Builder bars.  I’ve also added apple sauce to the mix instead of canned peaches, way easier to swallow and get on with the swimming.

What else, I think I’m forgetting something.  Well there are the times that I show up at my friends houses uninvited just so I can get a home cooked meal.  They always oblige even if I do eat a meal that would feed a family of 4…for 3 nights.  Ah I love to swim because the eating is so good.  Although it does get hard to eat all the time to keep up with the training.  But I’m grateful to my friends and mom for feeding me.  (Note: Mom sent me home from MN with a suitcase full of freezer meals. I did go with the Mac N’Cheese standby last night.  I know I know, I’m sorry but it tastes so good and it has been 2 weeks.)

Oh well, I can’t remember right now.  I’ll tell you when I remember or I tell Mom and she updates you.