I got back in the pool.
Swimming is so hard! I didn’t remember it being so difficult. I quit swimming last year when I joined the gym. And I’ve told you about my challenges at the gym ... and why I quit.
But I didn’t want to stop exercising, so I got back in the pool.
For me it’s all about the timing. Well, the timing of the breathing. I remember telling my 10-year-old son, when I saw him gasping for breath at the end of a race, that athletic-induced asthma ran in our family. I probably heard it from my mom, who does have asthma. Later, when he was about 20, he said that he was probably just out of shape!
Whether it’s actual asthma or the placebo effect, I know that if I don’t concentrate on breathing IN and breathing OUT, I’m in trouble. My lungs give out way before my legs do. My friend Ruth suggested a swim mask that has a center-mounted snorkel so I wouldn’t have to turn my head to breathe. I think she suggested it when I asked her about swimming in the ocean. She swims in the ocean. I love the idea of it ... the freedom, the sunshine, and the beautiful blue water. The one time I tried swimming in the ocean, I swallowed about a gallon of saltwater and only made it about 100 yards before succumbing to the waves. Besides, if I’m struggling to swim in the pool, the ocean seems impossible.
I will say that I’ve collected a lot of swimming equipment in the hope of improving my technique and my workout. I’m sure I look ridiculous to anyone passing by.
Let me explain …
Our pool is tiny; it takes only three strokes to get from one end to the other. So, I got a swim tether, which is really just a fancy bungee cord. I attach one end to a tree and the other around my waist. And it works! I can swim and swim without going anywhere.
Next comes my “Bubble Head” swim cap. The name is my invention and it’s a product I’ve dreamed about for years. My swim cap would not flatten my tresses. It would allow me to swim without damaging my hair with chlorine or ruining my hairdo. However, I can’t seem to get it out of the design phase. I’ve purchased several styles that don’t work. This latest prototype is a shower cap my daughter gave me for my birthday. It doesn’t smash my hair – that’s the bubble part of my invention, but it isn’t tight enough to keep the water out. Add to that mirrored swim goggles, a pool noodle, and a pair of lime green swim fins, and I look more like an accident waiting to happen. Either that or a deranged maintenance worker.
My husband likes to remind me that the pool was my idea. When we first bought our house and the kids were little, I was adamant that we needed to have a swimming pool. He was just as adamant that he would not be the one to take care of it. That theme has continued throughout our marriage in many ways. I love a new project as much as he resists one!
Swimming is supposed to be one of those life-long activities that is good for your heart and flexibility, with less stress on your joints. In practice that is true. I’ve spent much of my life believing that if I worked hard enough, practiced long enough, or bought the right equipment, I could figure out just about anything. And for the most part I have. I just haven’t figured out how to look good doing it!
The way I did it. Making waves.
This is part of what I’m calling Expeditionvision—my quest to find what a meaningful life looks like. One experiment per week: Possible strategies for a happier life. Trying things on purpose and paying attention to what happens. I’m not offering advice or giving instructions. I’m just sharing the way I did it. If there’s something that you’ve been wanting to try—but haven’t—I’d love to hear about it. I’m open to reader suggestions for future experiments.
Field Notes: For Paid Subscribers
Paid subscribers, I’ve added a short field notes section below with what surprised me the most, what I didn’t expect, what I might do next time, plus things I’m still working on.