Guest Post by Keri: Swimming - the uglier the better

My friend Debbie is a competitive swimmer and has been begging me to add swimming to my workout. I have been running for 3 years and spinning for 7 years. After I completed my first Half Marathon in February, I decided I wanted to start triathlons. I had a pool all growing up so I thought it would be easy for me to transition into swimming.

Easy is not the four letter word that came to mind after I completed my first set of laps. I knew I had to become a stronger swimmer if completing a tri was in my near future. After a few weeks of being coached by fellow triathlete, I started swimming with Debbie and the Masters at the Port Orange YMCA. Ryan Lochte's father Steve is our coach. I wake up at 4:30 to be in the pool by 5am and swim until 6:15, two to three times a week!

The first time I swam a lap with the masters, I literally thought I was going to die halfway down the pool. Our friend Tara also swims with me. Tara is a diver, has ran a half marathon and is a cyclist. I remember the first time she came out for a swim, she was insisting that she was an amazing swimmer with her experience in deep water diving and that she was a natural boyant floater. Well - she was wrong too! We have been at this for over two months now and are swimming 1300-1600 meters at a time! I have completed in two tri's and Tara has completed three.

When Megan first asked me to become a weekly guest blogger, I knew swimming was the first subject I wanted to write about. I am a runner but to be honest, running in Florida's heat and humidity in the summer is very difficult. Swimming  gives me a peace of mind and a sense of serenity - you are giving your body an extreme workout, yet it is quiet and relaxing under the water. I truly love it.

Swimming is also a fashion statement. Megan makes fun of my "ugly" swimsuits. She laughed at it and told me she preferred Tara's suit to mine.

Keri and Tara - Tigershark Triathlon June 2012

What Megan doesn't realize is that the uglier the suit is, the cooler it is. There is actually a brand of suits called Dolfin Uglies and Meg about keeled over when I showed them to her. I personally prefer TYR suits, they fit me better and keep my girls in place

I love the TYR Rockstar Cut Out Back suit. It is one of my favorites. Aren't the skulls awesome! This suit is very hard to find (it's on sale if you are a size 22!)

I told Megan that the more the suit looks like it comes from the 80's, the better. Case in point:

So you always wanted to be Wonder Woman? Here's your chance:

Awe - Rainbows and birds. This reminds me of Rainbow Bright. Remember her?

Meow...........

For those black tie affairs

So you get the idea of the crazy suits that are out there. Why would you wear a boring plain suit when there are options for every occasion! What are your thoughts? Plain and preppy like Megan prefers or getting a crazy suit?