The return of swimming

Last summer, I got so tired of being hot! I was constantly sweating, I hated walking or running outside, and I just felt like I was burning and melting when I stepped outside, especially for exercise. There was just no getting away from the heat. I belong to a gym, but seven days of gym isn’t ideal for me either. I took up swimming.

The gym we belong to has a great outdoor lap pool (pictured above) that is clean and open year round. I had not swam laps probably since childhood learning to swim, but I just wanted out of the heat. I bought a swimming laps bathing suit, goggles, and a cap and just started swimming. Luckily, I swam at an hour when a class was going on and the instructor gave me pointers while the other people swam. I learned to look down, kick with hips and not knees, and breathe every other stroke.

I signed up for a short distance swim + run and completed it in August. I started to really enjoy swimming.

I stopped swimming when I picked up more running for half marathon training, and when the temperatures became tolerable outside. I think that was in September.

Now a new summer has arrived, and again, I feel like I’m melting and burning when I walk outside. Back to the pool I’ve gone.

I am trying to add one day each week of swimming in the lap pool. Two weeks ago, I went on a Friday morning and a class was going on. The instructor (same as last summer) asked if I wanted to participate, and I said I haven’t done this in about nine months, but ok. He said no problem, he’ll modify or let me swim at my own pace. He called the drills and gave pointers. Now I have a better understanding of what I can do in the pool to occupy an hour’s time besides just swimming front stroke over and over and emptying water from my goggles.

I lose track of counting, but I rotate between swimming with a kickboard, buoy, and fins and doing mostly all front stroke, or just arms or just legs. Fins are awesome! They make you go so fast.

The water doesn’t feel too cold when I jump in, and it is so refreshing to not sweat while outside.

It is a little boring without music, but I actually don’t think about anything but my strokes and breathing. Kind of nice to just chill out. It does get annoying to wear a swimsuit and get awkward tan lines on your back, and my goggles do give me a look of a black eye under my eyes when I finish. But I know it’s a great workout, gentle on my body, and a nice way to change it up.

Yay for swimming!

Are you a swimmer?