Just call me Aqua Woman

My arms were shaking. No wait, scratch that, they were quaking as I repeatedly lifted my body up out of the water and then slowly back down again, with just my wet, slippery hands planted flat over the ledge for support. Are you freaking kidding me? I’m doing pushups in the pool? I don’t even do pushups on dry land, let alone anything with my arms, but here I am up down, up down, up down, holy crap, my arms are going to cave.

Welcome to extreme aqua running.

A couple weeks ago my favourite ironchickie started the process of becoming an ironchickie coach, which is a two-year process that, among other things, requires her to volunteer 75 hours of coaching time. When I discovered this, I was super excited, and I was all in for submitting my name as guinea pig. That excitement, however, soon turned to fear.

Two days before our planned aqua running session, ironchickie sent me this message:

And then the next night, she made sure to tell me to get a good night sleep, because I was going to need my energy… yep, I was freaking out. And rightfully so, just look at what she had me doing!

EXTREME AQUA RUNNING:
Warm up: 4 deep end lanes
Intervals: 2 three quarter length lanes hopping on one foot
                    4 deep-end lanes with one way each speed aqua running
                   10 push-ups at deep-end ledge of pool
                    2 three quarter length lanes bouncing like Tigger
                   10 tricep type thingys on the stairs
                    4 deep-end lanes with one way each speed aqua running
                   10 push-ups at deep-end ledge of pool
                    2 three quarter length lanes lunges
                   20 calf something or others on the stairs

My thighs were on fire, I was huffing and puffing as though I was running a personal best, and I couldn’t wait for my body to push me to the ledge where I knew I’d be able to gulp a couple seconds of air before heading back out into the trenches. According to ironchickie, my face was the colour of a beet. This, my friends, was a killer workout. AND I LOVED IT!

As we all know, I am not a fan of the pool, and I only go because I’ve seen the benefits that aqua jogging has given me with my running. But last night was not aqua jogging, not even close. It was full-on running, with post-run endorphins and all. It was tough as hell. I was cursing those damn pushups, and wanting to quit the burn of the triceps, and longing ever so desperately for the lanes to end. But the thing is, feeling that constant burn, that fire, that pain, that desperation, I knew I was getting a great workout, and I knew my body was responding, and I knew the gains I was getting. And so even though there were moments of loathing, it was all mixed with great amounts love. And when I stepped out of that pool, as loopy as I was with the haze of overexertion, I had an incredible smile on my face that stayed with me for the rest of the evening – just like I do after a perfect run.

Today, I am in pain, a lot of pain. My legs have progressively gotten tighter as the day has rolled on to the point where I am now grimacing as I slowly descend the stairs, and the breastbone area, right by my armpits, is so super tender, I can’t even lightly graze it without wincing in pain. Good pain. Great pain. Joyous pain.

I think extreme aqua running is here to stay 😀 You can just call me Aqua Woman!

What kind of extreme athletics have you done lately?

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