Trying New Things

Today was my first swim "lesson" with a young college-age woman here in our neighborhood.  She normally does lessons for kids, but I swallowed my pride and asked if she'd consider doing 3-4 lessons with me super early in the morning.  (The early thing was as much a courtesy to David so he wouldn't have to solo it during the evenings as it was a chicken move on my part because I desperately hoped we wouldn't have an audience at that hour.)   I know how to swim, but I don't know how to do it well.  I wanted to learn some proper techniques so that I could feel confident enough to use it as a form of exercise.  I've heard it's an amazing workout and it's obviously easier on your joints than running.

I decided that before I had my first lesson, I had better get in the pool and see what I remembered.  It has been years since I've gone swimming for exercise.  And, frankly, I may have only done so about 4.5 times ever.  BC (before children), time at the pool was about getting a tan.  AC (catch on yet?), time at the pool is about wearing out the kids while simultaneously keeping them alive so that we can all take afternoon naps.  

So anyway, yesterday I set my alarm for 5:40am and woke up to a dark room.  Running in the dark is one thing, but swimming in the dark?  Alone?! Uh, CREEPY.  I sighed, slid out of bed and into my new Speedo one piece, and whispered to David, "If I'm not back by 6:45, I've drowned.  Come recover my body before the neighborhood swim team finds me and is scarred for life."  

While I have grand goals of running to the neighborhood pool, swimming, and then running back home, I opted to drive for the first couple of times.  I punched my code into the gate, half wishing it wouldn't work and I'd have to go back home.  It did work and I pushed it open and breathed a sigh of relief that the pool and deck were completely vacant.  As I strolled towards a chair to set my towel down, motion-detected spot lights triggered on one by one.  I felt like they were illuminating my steps into an Olympic event...or a firing squad execution.  At least it was getting light out at this point, so it didn't feel quite as foreboding.  

All I could think about as I slunk in the pool was a recent conversation I'd had with my brother.  I had gushed about my new undertaking:  "I'm convinced that trying new things is what keeps you young.  Getting over yourself and going for it is important!  It teaches your brain and your body to be used in different ways and it's refreshing to your spirit, too."

"Try new things," I'd said.  "It's refreshing to your spirit" I'd said.   Know what else is "refreshing"?  The pool water at 6:00am.  Telling myself to get it over with quickly, I held my breath and dipped under.  It actually wasn't too terrible!  After having a brief internal argument about whether to stretch or not, I opted not to.  I adjusted my goggles, breathed in deeply, and pushed off the wall.  "Just remember," I silently coached myself.  "WWKD?" (What would Kara - my dear, sweet friend who has swam and coached for more than half her life - do?  I'm not sure I knew the answer, but I did know I desperately wished she was with me!)

I did what I've since learned is called the freestyle stroke down to the other end and stopped, absolutely out of breath and heaving.  My lower back hurt in a weird way and I whispered out loud, "Seriously?!"  My astonishment was two-fold:  1) I had made it in a semi-straight line and didn't totally suck.  Or at least, I didn't think I did.  2)  It was exhausting.  I had taken about ten days off of exercise and even before that, my cardio hadn't been half-marathon level for some time, but still...I was in decent shape.  You certainly couldn't tell it from the looks of me after one length of the pool, though!  I rested another second...or 50...and then swam back.

After two more laps this way, I thought I'd try the butterfly stroke.  Big mistake.  I swallowed half the pool.  

"Okaaaaaay.  So that needs some work." I thought.  "What the heck are your legs supposed to be doing back there anyway?"  I made a mental note to Google "butterfly stroke" when I got home and read up about it.  

I opted to finish out my time in the water with the back stroke.  That lasted all of one lap because, even though it was light out, I've watched way too many murder mysteries and crime shows and I didn't like not being able to see whether someone was about to grab me from the side of the pool and attack me.  Morbid, but that's how I roll.  

I toweled off and drove back home, a little bit pleased and a lot of bit tired.  Like, embarrassingly tired.  Even though I'd only gotten about six hours of sleep the night before, I knew most of my exhaustion was due to my 20 minute swim session.  Pitiful?  Maybe.  But I was also a teensy bit proud I gave it a shot.

This morning's alarm went off a little bit later and my nerves were in high gear.  I checked the forecast and didn't see any rain in the area, but it was 67 degrees and had stormed the night before, so I expected it would be pretty chilly in the water.  I tried to push the idea of what great running weather it was out of my head as I suited up and climbed in the van.

Kelly, the coach, was just getting out of her car when I pulled in.  We'd met last summer when she did Audrey's lessons, but we kind of reintroduced ourselves while we walked to the pool.  There was one older lady and an older man doing laps in the pool, which added to my nervousness, but didn't totally intimidate me.  

We began the lesson with what I'd imagined would be one of the hardest parts - learning to put on a swim cap.  She showed me her tricks and explained everyone is different and some people do goggles on top while others wear them underneath.  I opted for on top and asked her if they looked right.  "Well, I think they're upside down," she said kindly.  Strike one for me.  

We got into the water, which was surprisingly about as warm as the day before, and I admitted to Kelly that I was nervous.  She put me at ease by immediately confessing that she was as well.  I assured her that I had two small children and was quite used to blunt honesty.  I told her she wouldn't offend me easily unless she just couldn't stop the hysterical laughter long enough to tell me what to do, in which case I might feel a teensy bit hurt.

Once we both relaxed, I began by doing the freestyle stroke.  (Thank the Lord she told me that each way in our sized pool is a lap, because I was seriously questioning my abilities when I thought I had to go down and back to equal a lap!)  She swam alongside me and watched me closely.  As I finished and planted my feet, I breathlessly asked, "So, how'd I do?"  She replied, "Um, good!  Except that you kept your head up the whole time."

Right.  I kept my head UP the whole time, y'all.  As soon as she said it, I looked at the lady swimming a few lanes over while simultaneously having flashbacks to what few swimming events I've watched.  Head down, swim a few strokes, side breath, head down.  DUH.  

I laughed hard at myself and apologized that she was dealing with such a novice.  She sweetly reassured me and we began to pick apart the proper way to do the freestyle.  After a few laps, she convinced me that I'd do better just taking breaths on one side.  I hesitated, but realized she was right.  There would be time for getting technical, but for now, I needed to work on not drowning.  

The rest of the lesson went really well.  Kelly was so very kind and patient as we went through thirty minutes of freestyle, then breaststroke, then backstroke, and back to freestyle.  (Neither of us felt I was ready for butterfly stroke.)  Backstroke was hilarious because when I rotated my arms back, she said I'd do this big "umph" kick with my legs.  She had me practice just kicking from one length of the pool to another and I somehow got myself so crooked I was nearly perpendicular to the side.  Again, she reassured me and promised it was really hard to focus your eyes on something when swimming outdoors.  I didn't have the heart to tell her that I'd actually had my eyes closed for most of the time.  Oops.  

We finished up and I thanked her profusely.  I made a comment about the small of my back hurting way more than I'd anticipated.  "I expected my upper back and arms to be sore, but not my lower back," I commented, surprised.  "Is that normal?"  With tact, she pointed out that it was probably because I kept my head up so much.  Right.  The head up thing.  That would probably be it.

So, in conclusion, I survived.  And I'm really glad I'm trying it.  I have two more sessions with Kelly and she's encouraging me to do some homework in between:  2 laps, rest 30 seconds, 4 laps, rest one minute, repeat.  She said I can do any stroke, but I can tell she wanted me to work on freestyle a little...or a LOT...more.  

I'm not sure whether this will turn into a regular form of exercise for me, but I am very thankful to be learning enough about it to feel like I have that option.  I do still whole-heartedly believe that attempting new adventures keeps you young.  As for "refreshing the spirit"...well, I don't know about that part of my big speech.  One thing I do know for sure works every time for refreshment is a nice, cozy nap.  I'd better go check just to be safe.