Swimming!

Yesterday morning, the forecast called for 12 degrees and windy. I love my Tuesday runs with a friend who lives close by, and I was planning on running - until I got her note mid-day on Monday suggesting maybe the treadmill or the pool would make a better setting for our Tuesday morning meetup.

She had a point, of course, and I told her I'd do either. I figure once a year it's a good exercise to try and run on a treadmill at a gym, remind myself that I do not like the gym, and then hit the streets the next time it's cold.

To my surprise, she opted for swimming. I have not swum for more than ten consecutive minutes since 2004. I learned that I am not only unable to perform a flip turn anymore, I am scared of doing so. I'm worried I will hit the wall with my head.

We arrived 15 minutes before the pool officially opened and still, all of the lanes labeled medium speed were filled, and the one lane with fewer than two people in it was labeled slow. My friend is actually a super fast swimmer, so she decided we should just hop in the open fast lane. We split the lane, and I'm guessing the only reason nobody joined us was because they saw one half of the lane dominated by someone who knew what she was doing and the other half of the lane with me, struggling away.

Just like the first many track workouts I went to, I was unable to finish the workout. But I did pretty much swim for 50 minutes, with only a few brief rests - so that seemed like a good enough start. In fact, I've decided that although I am a sworn non-cross trainer, I'm going to try swimming once a week. I don't know how long it will last, but it just might happen that I'm able to use the last eight punches on a pool pass that is dated 2011! (That's how long it's been since Ed and I purchased the 20 swim pass, back in the days when Helen or Connor was taking lessons and Helen was always begging to go to the pool.)

Let's hope it translates into a faster running speed!

Elaine