Why I love Swimming

For the longest time, swimming was the reason I refused to do a triathlon.  I would hang out at the triathlon "functions" and get asked by numerous tan, skinny, rich, middle-aged women if I too, did triathlons.  In my head, I would answer, "Yeah, right." and out loud, I would answer "I just run.  Two adults training for three sports with three small kids is just too much."  They would nod their blond heads and think, I'm sure, how it was better for them, because if I did compete, I would kick their butts (ha ha).  Well watch out ladies, I'm all in now.

When I thought I was going to do a triathlon a couple of summers ago, the swimming is what made me quit.  I felt like a wet cat just trying to stay alive. I knew I had to look ridiculous, and the whole endeavor (one month of swimming at the Y) exhausted me. I felt I never got stronger, faster, or even looked better doing it. My husband told me that even when he was first learning to swim competitively, he was still enjoying himself.  I was NOT enjoying myself, so I figured I was not cut out for swimming.

I don't know what made me decide to try this crazy triathlon thing again.  I think it was my husbands nonchalant passing down of his FELT road bike.  His true reason behind the "gift" was so he could get a new road bike for himself, but this went over my head.  I decided it was a sign that this was my year to do a triathlon myself.

So I read and read as much as I could about swimming.  I watched videos on youtube and ordered books from Amazon and then... just jumped in.

And now I honestly love it.

I love how quiet swimming is.  Underwater, there is nothing but silent bubbles in my ears and my thoughts in my head.

I love how it works every single muscle in my body.  It is a stretch, strength, cardio workout all in one.

I love walking around the locker room in my competition style suit and fancy TYR swim cap.  I know this sounds ridiculous because I'm not very pretty in a swimming suit, but I feel like a hardass when I'm strutting my stuff in the showers.  No one has to know how super slow I really am.

I love not wearing makeup or not doing my hair and having the excuse "I'm swimming later today" or "I just finished swimming."

I love how solitary swimming is.  Even when all the lanes are full, you're in your own world underwater.  I sometimes imagine I'm swimming out into the middle of the ocean, nothing in front of me, nothing besides me, and everything below me.  I hope I can dive in the middle of the ocean for real someday.

I love that if I was in a shipwreck, I could totally survive for an hour or two, at least.

I love that I'm setting a good example for my kids.  I desperately want my kids to be confident swimmers.  Swimming is by far our family's favorite summer pastime, but I will never get over the fear of my kids drowning.

I love how clean I feel afterwards.  Weird, I know, but I'm not sweaty or smelly after swimming.  I do shower after each swim, but the faint scent of chlorine follows me everywhere I go.  I like it because it reminds me of a freshly cleaned sink.