Breathe in....Breathe out...

Swimming has recently become a new hobby. I don't even know if "hobby" is the right word. I'm following a training schedule for a half-marathon...and the part that says "cross training", I decided to do swimming. I was never a swimmer. Never really cared for the water. Mainly because I couldn't swim. I couldn't get the breathing, and the strokes sychronized. I put it up in front of me as a challenge...and fell in love with swimming. I can't believe it! I look forward to going to the gym to get into the pool. Who would have ever thunk?!

Swimming was HIS sport. Not mine. I even thought he could teach me how to swim. We went to the pool one time, and I just couldn't get the breathing. After one 5-minute lesson, I gave up. As my deaf sister would say: "I gave it up". When I decided to take up swimming, I knew it would be something I would have to master. I set out to become a swimmer. With a ton of doubt in my head.

The first time I went to the pool at the gym, I swam for MAYBE 15 minutes. It was SO HARD! I couldn't get the breathing. The water burned my eyes. My hair kept getting in my face. I swallowed water. Water went up my nose. I coughed. My arms flailed all over the place. I stopped mid-lap just to catch my breath. It was hard. I went to work and my friends told me to GET GOGGLES! So off I went to Sport Chalet. I bought a swimcap, and some goggles. Three days later, I went back to the evil pool to try again. I lasted 30 minutes. The goggles made such a difference! And the swimcap kept my hair out of my face. It was great! I went back again. And again. It was getting a little easier. I still don't consider myself a swimmer. But I'm sure much better than I've ever been in my life!

Tonight, I swam 30 laps. Not straight through. I swim one lap at a time. With a breather in between. But it was still THIRTY LAPS! When I got out of the pool, I sat in the hot tub. Just to think and relax. And I realized that swimming is probably the only thing that keeps my mind quiet. For the thirty laps, I don't think about anything else other than breathing in....and breathing out. I don't think about my husband leaving. I don't think about him being over me. I don't think about work. I don't think about bills. I don't think about weight. I don't think about growing old alone. I don't think about cleaning house. I don't think about the laundry. I don't think about getting my car washed. I don't think about ANYTHING! What bliss...

I said THANK YOU to the universe, for allowing me the health to swim. To rise to the challenge. To master something I've never done. I said THANK YOU for quieting my mind. Even if it was just for 3o laps, it was peaceful in my head. Peaceful.

I am in love with swimming. Because of the quiet it brings my mind. I took a picture of the pennies I took tonight. When I swam up and back, I moved a penny over. That counted as 2 laps. I had 15 pennies. When they were all moved to the side...I knew I had completed thirty laps.

Yes...life is good.