A Promise of Recovery

I finally ran out of late-night-blogging energy after another memorable swim practice last night. I've decided that this morning will be spent accomplishing some chores/tasks/typing that can only be done when my arms have the ability to support themselves. Later this evening, I will head back to the NTC for another torture session with Alec and his team in the pool.
I've never had a training schedule like the one I am falling into this December...with LATE NIGHT training sessions, followed by late night dinners, followed by late morning sleep-ins. I remember getting accustomed to the EARLY morning training schedule we fell into in Australia last year because we wanted to get everything accomplished before the sun got too intense (and I still got pre-skin-cancer). I remember the average schedule we had in college, it might have started early in the morning, but I was always finished training around the same time the sun went down.
Each day this week, my final training session hasn't even begun by the time it's dark outside. The local swim team dives into the pool sometime after 6pm and the Wednesday ride started only when the street lights had come on to light our path. Now my days aren't even starting until well after 8am and I'm rarely leaving the apartment before 10am. I wonder what kind of schedule the January Triathlon camp will fall into...it will probably revolve around whatever pool time we are assigned so I know it can't be between 5 and 8pm at night (that is already filled)!
As for the remainder of my week, I've got a long list of events to fill my non-training hours. Today, Koren and I are expecting a free-lance masseuse to arrive at the apartment in the next hour. She knows him through another local triathlete and I told him that the USAT team would be looking for someone like him in January. The Swiss Ski School is out in the middle of nowhere so we would need a professional to come to us...not the other way around. Basically, I'm testing him out to see if I want to make a recommendation...I know, my life sucks:)!
Tonight, I head back to the pool to join the high-schoolers in the pool. As I trudged my way to the locker rooms last night, Alec promised me that today would be a "recovery" day. I was very excited at that promise and I intend to hold him to that.
I spoke with my Dad this morning about planning our traditional weekend ride and it looks like we might join the Windermere Roadies for their Saturday morning ride. I'm trying to sample everything that's out there...so this would be another new group ride for me. It's either Saturday morning group-ride or Saturday morning swim practice with Alec. Unfortunately, I can't do both (yes, I just shed a tear) but the pool is available for the rest of the day...the group ride is only a one-shot deal. My decision isn't official yet...it is all based on that promise of a "recovery" swim this evening!