The Joy Of S

Swimming.

I have never been much of a swimmer. Only once in my life had swimming ever been a part of my regular exercise routine. That once was 20+ years ago when I figured that I could finish a triathlon as long as I didn’t drown during the first leg since I was running regularly and I knew how to  ride a bike. Over the past few years I would get in the pool once every few months.

The last 4 weeks I have made it to the pool each week. So where is the Joy you ask?

The first time,  I was barely able to swim a lap. After every lap I had to stop and catch my breadth. For me, swimming a lap is equivalent to out-and-out sprinting — even though I am and will always be the slowest swimmer in the pool. (Old ladies, 4 year olds and people working on their dead man float all pass me.)

So where is the joy?

Four weeks later and I am up from 10 laps to fourteen. I still have to catch my breadth between most laps but I twice went 1.5 laps and once completed 2. The beginning of Joy.

Then came today. In case you don’t know, it is cold and full of snow in Chicago. But today I swam outside. Fourteen laps. All it took was a 4 hour plane ride and an hour in a car. I am just outside of Key Largo. I will be here for less than a day. It is a business trip. I will then have a 6 hour trip back home.

However, for 30 minutes I got to swim outdoors in the middle of February.

The Joy of swimming.