 |
| My Training Lanes & View of the Swimming Course (1.2 miles) |
The first hurdle was signing up. Honestly, I was terrified that I couldn't swim across the lake. So, I ignored all of the friendly e-mail nudges from my friends (some were a bit more than just a nudge--perhaps a shove). My husband suggested that I was only a failure if I didn't try. My friend sent the words that pushed me into signing up: Just do it. Sign up. You can do it. So I signed up.
When my "Ahhhh, this is so great!" enthusiasm faded, I realized that I actually needed to start swimming. I needed a swim suit appropriate for a swim; after all I reasoned, to swim a mile I wasn't wearing a tankini. (I later learned that this was faulty logic as I have swam with others wearing--yes, tankinis!) I went to the sporting goods store and bought the only suit in my size and a swim cap. I floated out of the store. Yes! I could do this. I was going to look great in my new suit.
Oh, yeah, now I needed to actually get in the water and swim, so I went to a local gym, paid my day pass fee, and approached the pool. It had four lanes, and I thought, "That looks do-able. My goal is ten laps." I took off my glasses and moved into the only empty lane. Then I began swimming the doggie paddle, and when I reached the far end, I leaned against the side huffing and puffing from such a hard workout.
I looked at the other lanes, filled with fast swimmers who knew how to turn underwater. My eyes squinted to decipher what I really was seeing. "Hmpf! What have I gotten myself into? I can't even swim a lap without gasping for air, and how am I going to swim a mile in the lake if I can't even see where I'm going?!" I stood breathing like I was in heavy labor and decided that I at least had to swim to the other end to get out of the pool. So I did. I swam 12 laps that day, and I think that it took me about an hour.
I share this beginning slice of my journey as I swam 104 laps today, which is about 1.5 miles. This seems impossible as I just started swimming toward the end of June, a mere six weeks ago. I went from barely able to swim a lap to about 1.5 miles. How did I come so far in such a short time?
I must confess that part of my success was the encouragement from my sons. They would stand at the end of each lane (in the above lake picture) and yell, "Come on, Mom! You can do it!" When I felt like quitting in those first few days, they would encourage me and tell me that I could do a few more if I just tried a little harder. They were right. I swam a couple more laps each day.
One day, they gave me several small rocks that they had mined from their own lake diving adventures. "Here, Mom, these are for determination. You need determination to do this swim because you have to swim a lot more laps." I carried them in my bag and smiled at the determination of my nine and eleven year olds.
In addition to my sons' support, I am deeply grateful for my body. I am truly in awe that my body, which I have neglected and been ashamed of, was able accept the support that the water offered as I pushed it a bit further each day as I trained for this charity event.
To be honest, I have not trained as an adult for any physical event, even childbirth I approached gallantly like, "Lots of women do it. How hard can it be?" (Famous last words!)
I loved the sound of being in training, but my upper back, shoulders, and neck were very sore. I could barely move, but as a former athlete, I pushed through the pain. After a couple of weeks, the pain subsided.
Then while brushing my teeth, in the mirror, I noticed a tiny birthmark below my collarbone. I hadn't seen that in years. I was tan again! I looked at my tanned skin and grinned; I looked good tan, and I felt so much healthier. This was an unexpected gift that my body and the sunshine gave me. Yay!
Now, as the swim is a mere two days away (a mere 32 hours, but who's counting?) I am so incredibly grateful that I am able to release the stress in my body in the first 40 laps. The next 60 I am able to gaze at the clouds and imagine what pictures are there for me to see. I must have truly relaxed into the water because a dragonfly landed on my nose while I was doing the backstroke.
I am grateful for a healthy body that has supported me in my efforts to train for an event that benefits so many others who no longer enjoy the healthy bodies that they once had. Instead, Hospice offers physical comforts to ailing bodies. In training, I have found a healthy body longing to really live free of burdens and too much weight.
I thank all of the gentle, and not so gentle nudges.
Namaste,
L
No comments:
Post a Comment