Life Lessons Learned in Swim Class: Part 2

Yesterday, I wrote about how I've never enjoyed being in water and my desire to be able to swim confidently. I've learned that when a person is relaxed, she floats. When that person panics, she sinks. So ... staying relaxed when swimming? Very important.

Taking up swimming and working to get over my fear of drowning have been incredibly beneficial for me. I've learned that it is possible to do things I've never done before. Before now, I have never taken on the task to just swim as fast as I can for a certain period of time. I would never have thought it possible because before, I wouldn't have been able to stop thinking, "I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown. I'm going to drown."  

But - now? I'm trying to beat the guy swimming next to me. I'm pushing myself to swim in the deep end. I'm working on improving my front crawl. And I'm not thinking about drowning.  

(Well ... okay, I am still thinking about drowning. But just a little bit. And definitely not as much as before.)

I wanted to run a marathon by the time I turned 30 years old. So I did. I wanted to be able to swim. So I took a few lessons.  

I've set the bar a little higher now, but when I finish two marathons and see myself swimming in the deep end and think about these things that I would have never been able to accomplish 10 years ago, I think to myself, "My God. I can do anything."

The point is, I've proven to myself that I can do things now, at 32 years old, that I couldn't do when I was 20. Which means you can too - if you want to.

We may get older but that doesn't mean we can't improve. It doesn't mean we can't succeed at new things or learn new tricks. We just have to try.  

I'm 32. And I'm kicking ass.

© How I Met Your Mother

Life Lessons Learned in Swim Class: Part 1

I had a breakthrough this weekend. I've always been scared of drowning but I went to the pool yesterday and swam in the deep end for the first time since I was a kid.

I know, I know. As if training to run a marathon wasn't enough, I'm gonna go ahead and conquer my fear of drowning at the same time. Why not? I'm a good multitasker. Plus - it's good cross training. 

As a little girl, I did learn how to swim but was always fearful of being in the water and never got comfortable letting go of the edge in the deep end. A few months ago, I decided to work on this.  I enrolled in a Learn to Swim class and worked my way up from there.

Fast forward to the present and yesterday's private swim lesson in the deep end. At first I freaked out. But then I re-learned how to tread water and then, amazingly, I was swimming and not sinking.  

I still panicked a little bit, especially when I saw that deep end below me; I guess old habits die hard. But I just have to think about what my instructor told me: relax! And remember that I do know how to keep my head above water. 

As with so many challenges in life, we could all use advice like this. Relax and remember to breathe. That's all it takes.

Frankie Goes to Hollywood. These guys are so wise. 

Non-Resolution Run. And Swim.

I don't make New Year's resolutions - not because I don't believe in goal setting (clearly I do, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this blog) but because I've always been more of a set-your-goals-when-you-need-to-as-you-need-to kinda gal.  

The Running Room has, for 26 years, hosted a Resolution Run. This takes place each year on either December 31st or January 1st in various locations across North America as a way to kick off a new year of running. I've never done the Resolution Run but I think the spirit behind it is admirable even though New Year's resolutions are not my thing.

But since I'm back on the proverbial horse and am currently working to build my base mileage, I went on a 10 km run yesterday ... my first run of 2012! The weather held out and, based on my Garmin stats, I'm already seeing pace improvements after being sedentary for so long. Sweet. 

See?  Getting a bit faster.  I'm sure this won't last.  

I also got my ass handed to me tonight by my new swim instructor. I'm signed up to an Adult Level 3 swim class and have never really worked on my swim endurance so this first class was a bit painful. But it's the only way to improve. Right?

Happy New Year!