Why I could never be a mermaid, and my re-entry into the swimming world
Today instead of doing Tae Bo or yoga like I normally do to work out, Anne, Stacie and I decided to swim laps! It has been a while since I have swam for exercise.
I swam on a swim team in middle school and my first year of high school, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a full body workout and super fun! I loved the sounds of the pool auditorium, and I loved the smells. I loved drinking my blue Powerade after an especially difficult set. And I was really good at swimming. I always did really well in practice and at meets - I had a lot of promise! My best stroke was butterfly.
Unfortunately, over time, my shoulders started to wear. This is not surprising since the most common swimming-related injuries are associated with shoulders. Anyhow, because I was a stubborn child (would you have ever guessed?) and proud (shocking, I know), I pushed through the pain thinking that I would be fine and I should just tough it out. No big deal! But one day we were doing dry-land training (you know - sprints, lunges, crunches, push ups...), and in a push up, my shoulder just quit. I couldn't really swim anymore...or really do anything with that shoulder for a while. So I ended up having to quit the team.
For a while I held on to all my swim gear - my pull buoy and kick board, goggles, my swim cap and several suits. Over time I ended up getting rid of the pull buoy and the kick board since I never used them, but I held on to the swim cap, the goggles, and 2 suits. I used them a little bit when doing lifeguard training in the summers at camp, but other than that, they just sat untouched forever.
Then last week came. And last week I manned the blob tower at the waterfront. And the cute little tankini that I have just doesn't seem like appropriate lifeguard attire. I mean, it's cute and all, but you just don't feel legit in a tankini when you lifeguard! You need a speedo! So last week, my old swim suits came out of retirement.
Who ever would have thought that my suits that I wore in middle school and my freshman year of high school would still fit me?! I mean, that means I am pretty much the same size I was when I was 13! I'm not too sure what to make of that...
ANYWAY...
Today we made our way to the river to swim laps. I really, really enjoyed it! I have missed swimming a lot. I just didn't really realize it until I dove into the river today. I was a little anxious about my re-entry into the swimming world. Would I be able to swim any distance at all before getting so tired and out of breath that I would be wishing for a life jacket? Would I be able to keep up with the other girls? Would I remember the technique at all? Thankfully, it was much easier than I anticipated and it all just came back naturally.
The only setback to swimming in a river is that...I am TERRIFIED of fish. Not like Nemo fish or cute little fishies you keep as pets. I mean gross ugly river fish. Or really any kind of fish that is bigger than my hand. If they are bigger than my forearm...oh dear. Well, there are plenty of large bass and catfish in the Nueces river, and I think it is an understatement that we are not friends.
As we swam, I kept pulling up short in my stroke and frantically searching for Anne or Stacie because I thought I saw a huge shadow coming at me, which of course means some sort of giant mutant sea monster fish has heard that I was in the river and is out to get me. (This is just further evidence that I can never be a mermaid like I dreamed of being when I was little)
Oh, and to make matters worse, at some point camp is supposed to be getting some crazy 4 foot long fish in our river because they like to eat the river weed, and we have too much. I don't know when this is going to happen, but someone had better give me a heads up when it does so I can avoid the river like the plague. I mean, I had a nightmare about it the other night!
ANYWAY. I like swimming. Hopefully I will continue to have a great variety in my workout schedule with great friends and lots of laughs. And hopefully I will make it down to the river a little more often than I have (and have no run-ins with giant fish of death).
I swam on a swim team in middle school and my first year of high school, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a full body workout and super fun! I loved the sounds of the pool auditorium, and I loved the smells. I loved drinking my blue Powerade after an especially difficult set. And I was really good at swimming. I always did really well in practice and at meets - I had a lot of promise! My best stroke was butterfly.
Unfortunately, over time, my shoulders started to wear. This is not surprising since the most common swimming-related injuries are associated with shoulders. Anyhow, because I was a stubborn child (would you have ever guessed?) and proud (shocking, I know), I pushed through the pain thinking that I would be fine and I should just tough it out. No big deal! But one day we were doing dry-land training (you know - sprints, lunges, crunches, push ups...), and in a push up, my shoulder just quit. I couldn't really swim anymore...or really do anything with that shoulder for a while. So I ended up having to quit the team.
For a while I held on to all my swim gear - my pull buoy and kick board, goggles, my swim cap and several suits. Over time I ended up getting rid of the pull buoy and the kick board since I never used them, but I held on to the swim cap, the goggles, and 2 suits. I used them a little bit when doing lifeguard training in the summers at camp, but other than that, they just sat untouched forever.
Then last week came. And last week I manned the blob tower at the waterfront. And the cute little tankini that I have just doesn't seem like appropriate lifeguard attire. I mean, it's cute and all, but you just don't feel legit in a tankini when you lifeguard! You need a speedo! So last week, my old swim suits came out of retirement.
Who ever would have thought that my suits that I wore in middle school and my freshman year of high school would still fit me?! I mean, that means I am pretty much the same size I was when I was 13! I'm not too sure what to make of that...
ANYWAY...
Today we made our way to the river to swim laps. I really, really enjoyed it! I have missed swimming a lot. I just didn't really realize it until I dove into the river today. I was a little anxious about my re-entry into the swimming world. Would I be able to swim any distance at all before getting so tired and out of breath that I would be wishing for a life jacket? Would I be able to keep up with the other girls? Would I remember the technique at all? Thankfully, it was much easier than I anticipated and it all just came back naturally.
The only setback to swimming in a river is that...I am TERRIFIED of fish. Not like Nemo fish or cute little fishies you keep as pets. I mean gross ugly river fish. Or really any kind of fish that is bigger than my hand. If they are bigger than my forearm...oh dear. Well, there are plenty of large bass and catfish in the Nueces river, and I think it is an understatement that we are not friends.
As we swam, I kept pulling up short in my stroke and frantically searching for Anne or Stacie because I thought I saw a huge shadow coming at me, which of course means some sort of giant mutant sea monster fish has heard that I was in the river and is out to get me. (This is just further evidence that I can never be a mermaid like I dreamed of being when I was little)
Oh, and to make matters worse, at some point camp is supposed to be getting some crazy 4 foot long fish in our river because they like to eat the river weed, and we have too much. I don't know when this is going to happen, but someone had better give me a heads up when it does so I can avoid the river like the plague. I mean, I had a nightmare about it the other night!
ANYWAY. I like swimming. Hopefully I will continue to have a great variety in my workout schedule with great friends and lots of laughs. And hopefully I will make it down to the river a little more often than I have (and have no run-ins with giant fish of death).
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