Day 12: Swimming Clinic for the Triathletes & Indoor Running
Who is that in the mirror?
Monday evening, my first swimming clinic is from 8:30-9:30PM, and I arrive early to get a run in on the indoor track before the class. Listening to my Motivational Playlist, emailed to me by my sweet daughter, Ariel, I start doing laps, alternating between walking and jogging for 30 minutes. This is my third day in a row of this C25K challenge, and even though I am supposed to give myself a rest every other day, I forge ahead feeling just fine. The music spurs me on and I have tears of joy until I catch a glimpse of some one and wonder who she is. It is me and I don't recognize myself with the unflattering fanny pack and clearly unglamorous work out outfit. What a perfect before picture this would be!
The track runs around an internal weight room and in two spots it has walls of mirrors and inspirational pictures. I move through the track easily now, proud of how well it's going, and feeling like I can do this. I find a good pace and actually start rocking to the music a bit, not caring if anyone sees me. I am strutting to the music and having a fine time. The beauty of age is that I just do what I want and don't really care what other people think and I think I'm all that right now.
There still is some time before the swim clinic and I sit in the hot tub watching the kids in the swim team. They are so young and great swimmers full of energy and determination. Even though this is a Jewish Community Center (JCC) the team members are diverse. The coach for us is the same and he introduces himself. He gives us our own lanes and the water is a perfect temperature to do laps. It's as if I had never swam before, that's how bad I was. Swimming was supposed to be my best sport of the three and I was terrible. How can this be? I competed as a kid. Our mother coached the swim team. We were a swimming family, all of us. I found I had difficulty with the breathing. Somewhere along the way I had stopped breathing properly and that is true for all aspects of my life. I hold my breath and I don't know why. This triathlon challenge has gotten me to breathe again.
The coach said I had enough skills that he could work with me. I did 800 meters (or yards, I keep forgetting how they measure) and it was hard on the arms (the hand movements have changed) and pacing myself. By the end of the workout (he let me go early), I had made progress. That's the best part, ending a tough session and taking the lesson with me.
Just breathe and dance.