Guest Blogger Dr. Liz: Cheater suits?

Our guest blogger today is Liz O'Dair, my big sis. Her street cred is that she was a standout age group/high school swimmer and now is wading back into triathlon. Oh, and she's also an incredible sister.

I was contemplating the unfairness of it all when I read about Michael Phelps’ loss to Paul Biedermann in the 200 free at the world championships. According to the New York Times (and the swimmers themselves), the brand spanking new polyurethane suit that Biedermann wore gave him a clear advantage and helped him win the race. Phelps was wearing the hopelessly outdated “Speedo LZR Racer” – last year’s hot ticket – but just couldn’t keep up with the fancy new technology. Bob Bowman, Mike’s coach, said, “The sport is in shambles right now, and they better do something or they’re going to lose their guy who fills these seats.”

Anyway, this got me thinking about my own recent experience at the Massachusetts State Triathlon last weekend. There I was, “newbie” that I am, standing on the beach in my pathetic Spandex shorts and tank top, surrounded by people in menacing-looking wetsuits. This included my sister Katie. Being the extremely optimistic person that she is, she told me, emphatically, “on the swim, stay on my feet and draft for as long as you can!” Alright, I thought. Our wave swam out to the starting buoy. When the horn sounded, Katie was off like a shot! I tried in vain to stay on her feet, but it was a lost cause. I managed to finish the swim in a respectable time frame, even beating some of the scary wetsuit people. Mind you, I’m not comparing myself to Michael Phelps, but I think I have an inkling of what he might have been feeling after his race. On the one hand, you feel like a purist. After all, I didn’t need a crutch to swim my best. At the same time, I wouldn’t have minded being encased in rubber if it meant that I could keep up with my little sister for awhile.

Workout:

3 x (4x50) kick, free, drill, choice
400 pull
3 x 150 on 2:35 descend
3 x 150 on 2:25 descend
3 x 100 on 1:45
3 x 100 on 1:35
9 x 50 on :60