This is not me.
When I told you last month about my three goals for 2013 you might or might not have noticed that I had no specific exercise goals for the year. It’s true. In fact, at this point, I have no running goals, which is rather unusual for me.
Ever since the half marathon, I’ve been pretty relaxed about running. Most of my runs have been in the 1-4 mile range, with nothing longer than 6 miles. I do have three races in the 5K – 4 mile range on my radar for later this year, but I’m currently experiencing some sucky middle-aged aches and pains that might or might not allow me to do much running. (More on those in another post.)
This is not me.
Last month I was having some arthritis pain in my knee. Yes, that one. (It’s better now.) This is an issue that was around long before I tore my meniscus and which was mostly better after surgery. But the pain reappeared right before Christmas, so I cut way back on miles and looked for other ways to stay active. Surprisingly, I decided on swimming.
I know, I know. I have waxed not-so-poetic about how much I don’t like swimming. But there’s a terrific indoor pool just a couple miles from Jenworld and swimming there is inexpensive. A friend dragged me over and into the water I jumped.
This is also not me.
I am a terrible swimmer. There’s no false modesty in that statement. I am slow and lumbering and very awkward in the water. I have no style or form or anything. Mostly I just kick a lot and eventually make it to the other end.
I also hate — hate, hate, hate, big stabby hate, HATE — to put my face in the water. In the post I linked above, I mention that several years ago I signed up for a swimming challenge and that I backstroked most of it. Last week, I was in the second swim lane from the wall and when I was finished, I had to duck under those lines that separate the lanes in order to get to the ladder that would take me to dry land and freedom. I realized that I was going to have to put my head under the water, which caused me to hesitate and then spend a full minute determining if I had any other options. I did not, so under the water I went. It was only a few seconds and it was not fun.
This is really not me.
Instead of backstroking my way back and forth across the pool, this time I’m freestyle/dog paddling with a kick board. If I had more vanity, I might possibly be embarrassed, but I am so delighted to be able to swim without getting my face wet or worrying about ramming into the pool wall head-first while backstroking (did that so much that it’s a wonder I don’t have brain damage), that I don’t care.
At the end of last summer, I bought two new bathing suits on sale from Lands End. (I love that you can search their offerings by bra size.) My previous suit (yes, that one) was lost somewhere in Australia or New Zealand, but that’s okay, because it was too large anyway. I bought two, more for the fact that they fit and that they’d look cute, than for doing any serious swimming in them.
Ladies of a certain size, I can now reliably inform you that this style, while cute, is not good for lap swimming. It’s possible that your girls will try repeatedly to escape their confines and that you will possibly flash other swimmers. Ditto any halter neck swim suits, with the additional news that that you will have neck strain from having all of your mammary weight supported by a single strap around your neck. It will not be comfortable. I have ordered a suit specifically made for serious swimming (or attempted serious swimming) and am hoping it will keep things contained.
I still find swimming to be boring, but not as bad as it used to be. I’d like to figure out a way to take my iPod in the water so that I can have music to amuse me, as well as keep pace with faster music, but I haven’t yet figured out how to waterproof my Nano.
In the meantime, I have found that I am much less self conscious about appearing in public in a bathing suit, which is a HUGE milestone for me. Hell, I have even posted photos of myself in a bathing suit on Facebook and this blog, which is almost worthy of a ticker tape parade. Here, I’ll do it again. >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
It’s not a great photo of me, but I don’t care. Baby steps, people. I look at that photo and remember having a wonderful day in the Bahamas with my family, not that my cellulite was visible for all the non-caring world to see.
So that’s the latest on my fitness goals. As in, I don’t have any and I’m totally fine with it. Swimming is turning out to be more fun than I thought it would be, which is a nice thing.
Who among you swims? Do you have any advice for waterproofed tunes while I pretend I’m a mermaid?
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I’m the same way about putting my face in the water! I always felt silly at pool parties as a kid. I just didn’t enjoy going under water.
I can doggie paddle with the best of them. But don’t ask me to do any other strokes. In fact, I still hold my nose, like a small child when I jump in the water. The old SNL skit of the synchronized swimming brothers where Martin Short says “I don’t swim at all actually”? That’s me. For real.
I know at some point I should work on this, I know swimming would actually be a far better work out for my bum knee than most of the other stuff I put it through, but I really HATE swimming. My idea of a good time swimming is sitting by the pool with a good book. And if I can’t have a pool boy bringing me beverages, then I want a fully stocked cooler within arm’s length.
I hate putting my face in the water too! And going under water too. The thought of water entering my respiratory system is terrifying,
#1 I HATE, HATE, HATE, STABBY HATE putting my face in the water. When we go to Punta Cana we might go on a snorkeling excursion and I am bound and determined to get over that fear.
#2 Amazon.com, dude
http://www.amazon.com/Overboard-Underwater-Waterproof-Case-Touch/sim/B003O9I81C/2
I am a swimmer who hasn’t swum in a few years. One of my post-getting-my-kids-through-college goals is to landscape my backyard and add a pool. I want to teach my grandkids to swim, as I did my own children and some of my friend’s kids.
I remember deciding at Disney World’s Blizzard Beach that I wasn’t going to let bathing suit anxiety prevent me from having a good day–and it did not. Of course, any time you’re at Disney there will be 50% of the other guests that are substantially larger than you are, so that helps.
You really are such a great model of choosing health.
I also hate — hate, hate, hate, big stabby hate, HATE — to put my face in the water. Me, too!!!
When I go lap swimming (which I haven’t yet been able to do since my foot surgery… soon!), I look like a frog. I don’t care. When my neck gets sore, every couple of laps, I flip onto my back. The lines on the ceiling keep me mostly in line, but heaven forbid if someone is making waves nearby. Water splashed in my face — and specifically into my eyes, nose, and mouth — will cause a near-panic attack.
I like to mediate while I swim. It might be actual meditation or prayer, or it might just be thinking big, wide, expansive thoughts. And then the “Mom and Me” class begins in one section of the pool and I can enjoy the babies laughing and crying while adults sing “The Wheels on the Bus Go ‘Round and ‘Round”.
huh. I actually LOVE to swim. I’m part fish, I’m sure of it. My mum couldn’t drag me out of the pool as a kid and I love to take my own kids now to the local pool with the lazy river and buckets and fun kid stuff to do. I was a lifeguard trainer and swim instructor in college – it’s how I got to go to Grad school for free – But, my social nature, I hated to lap swim. It’s so boring. Not talking to other people. Rhythmically counting strokes and not hearing what’s going on. My tendency was to take group exercise classes and get out of the pool for my workouts.
It seems that now that I am a mom it would be fine by me to keep my head in the water – if only to keep the sounds of ‘momma, mommy, momma, mom, hey mom” from bothering me.
I have no issues with putting my face in the water – which is useful as I am a qualified lifeguard – but I cannot cannot cannot swim in the sea out of my depth ever since 2 terrifying episodes! (One being stuck in a rip tide in Corfu and the other snorkelling in the sea in Mauritius, looking up to find the boat had moved, at which point I had a full blown panic attack in the middle of the Indian Ocean).
Good on you for a) finding a new sport when the others are causing you grief – b) getting out there in your swimmies and feeling confident and c) not being worried about the whole kickboard thing. My mum swims lengths with her head above the water because she gets eczema in her ears if she gets water in them whilst swimming (ouch) – she is the master of breast stroke!
I considered getting one of these http://www.splashgear.co.uk/ for a while but the pool at school has a sound system so 90% of the time if I am swimming there is music playing which helps me a lot!
Hmm . . . I love swimming, and I love putting my head under the water. Apparently there aren’t that many of us.
Although, I don’t so much care for my hair afterwards.
Here is what keeps me from swimming laps in a pool: what do you do if the pool is busy and there aren’t any lanes free? So, you go all that way, change into a swimsuit, and then find you can’t actually get your exercise done. Do those of you who swim laps have to share a lane? How does that work for us slow swimmers? All of that keeps me from using swimming as an exercise.
Cassi, it’s easy to share a lane with another swimmer. Each of you stays on your own side and stays generally aware of where the other is. If I have to share a lane, I suss out all the swimmers first and figure out who is the splashiest or appear to have a wide, sprawling stroke and then I avoid that person.
Me too!!!
Me too on the loving swimming/being underwater, not sharing a lane.
Oh, that’s a shame. I LOVE water. I wear Carve swimsuits to give me coverage while playing hard in the water.
Maybe rowing is more your water sport…
I’m like Cassi: love to swim, love swimming underwater. Love diving off a raft and opening my eyes as I swim upwards and see the sun coming through the lake water. Damn. Now I wish it were summer. I’m glad you found a way to do it your way, and I have no idea on the waterproof tunes.
I’m a fish out of water in that I do not have a pool handy to swim laps and I MISS it. The boy has now mastered his basic doggie paddle (meaning he won’t drown if I’m not handy). It’s time to get the girl going so I can be hands free again.
I miss putting my face in the water. I need to get lasik so I can open my eyes underwater again. That doesn’t work well when you wear contacts (and don’t even suggest goggles. Those things are demon spawn).
No shame in the kickboard! I loved mixing it up with one. Great way to “focus” on certain muscle groups. Our aquatic center also has an awesome walking channel. You can grab these foam “weights” and walk either with or against the current. It’s a great workout. Made extra great with a 3 year old on your back.
I have a hard time putting my face in the water, but swimming with my head up really strains my neck. I assume you wear goggles? A good pair of goggles helps immensely with the face-in-the-water thing.
Do tell if the new swimsuit is good. Currently I have a halter neck, skirted bottom tankini – bad at both ends for lap swimming!
I hate swimming. I can never keep going long enough to make it a workout. Good for you! I just walk/jog for exercise as I have horrible knees (probably because I ran almost every day in college, and most of the streets we ran on in Williamsburg are cobblestone…not good for knees).
OK…really dumb question but do you have enough space in your yard to do an above ground pool? When we had our big one I would literally just walk in circles. You can buy ankle weights specifically for the pool. It is great exercise if you go for awhile. Also have you checked a water aerobics class? Have fun swimming!
When I was a kid, my cousin and I used to walk to a totally deserted, not-supervised-by-a-lifeguard beach, and swim with no adult supervision whatsoever–when we were as young as ten. I shudder to think of it now, because I actually don’t like swimming very much and we totally could have been sucked into an undertow and drowned. What were our parents thinking? I hate water on my face and always seem to get water up my nose. I have very little upper body strength–even with weight lifting, I can’t seem to develop any strength in my arms and shoulders, so swimming for exercise is a nightmare for me and it’s definitely my last choice as a form of exercise.
Oh, and when I was a rower, in the winter our coaches made us swim to stay in shape and we were forced to practice with the MEN’s team and have mixed-sex relay races. Absolutely awful. I’d be happy never to have to swim again.
I love swimming, any water sport. You don’t sweat! I’ve found X-back swim suits to be the best for any serious swimming.
When I used to swim laps I would do fractions: the first lap was 1/60th (say), the second was 1/30th, then 1/10th – you feel like you’re moving fast. I also used to change my stroke every lap – freestyle, breast stroke, free style, backstroke.
Water is wonderful.
Jenny