I feel GOOD.....

Today I did something I've been wanting to do for a long, long time....SWIM LAPS!
And I feel good! really good....although I used muscles in ways I have not moved in many years! I already know I'll be hurting tomorrow. (took Advil when I got home to prevent some of the pain!) One of my problems/excuses for not swimming before was that I was not comfortable walking around in the indoor pool area in front of all the other fit and trim Swedish mothers....but today I decided it was now or never....and most of them have already seen me in a bathing suit before when we all were in Baby Swim classes together so.....who cares, right!? right. The timing was perfect because Maya's swim class was just about to start when I left her in the area where they meet with the teachers. The first & only person I met going into the "lap lane" was the director of pre-school programs for Perstorp, someone I know, and who is also a stocky person like me! Great...not sharing the lane with a Nancy Hogshead type! (ok, most of you don't know who Nancy Hogshead is....she was an Olympic champion who used to swim on my High School team...although on the Wikipedia--I just looked her up!-- I remember she transferred to a HS in Jacksonville.) So you can see that I was very glad NOT to be sharing a lane with even a former Nancy Hogshead! Malin, the person I was in the lane with, was so welcoming and encouraging to me for making this dive back into the water! I thank her...although I know she 's not reading this!

OK---so I had exactly 30 minutes to swim before Maya's class would be over and I'd have to "collect" her from the other pool. Goggles on, take a breath and plunge!!!! Oh shit...when was the last time I moved my arms & shoulders like this!? and my back...oh my back! breath...just breath....whew... made it across 50 meters doing breaststroke (the laziest of all strokes in my opinion). Now at the turn I decided to try freestyle (my favorite stroke)....arms ok, feel like lead but ok....is that my bum floating? no sleek propelling through the water (not that I ever propelled sleekly through the water as I have ALWAYS had an ample bum!) ....oh my God...am I having a heart attack after 75 meters of swimming? No, I"m not...the heart is just working hard...really hard...hasn't worked this hard since? well, since I used to go to the aerobics classes at the gym in Los Angeles over 9 years ago! It's a good thing, really...blood pumping all around! Keep going...just make it to the wall and I can change strokes again. A small voice inside my head was saying "CHEATER BEATER" and I know, I just KNOW it was Sara Sandeen's voice! (Sara, if you read this....I swear you were in that water with me and I was NOT cheating....because Coach Dee did not tell me I couldn't change strokes at the wall so just be quiet! I'm doing 50 meter intervals of whatever stroke I want because I'm coaching myself this time!) Next 50...side stroke left, next 50...side stroke right, next 50...upside down breaststroke, next 50...freestyle ( feels better than the first time), next 50...wimpy breast, next 50..."real" back stroke with arms UP.....and so on.... I moved my lumpy body for 28 minutes! Then it was time to get Maya.

Actually changing strokes each time was really good for my body because I worked and stretched many different muscles so I avoided getting any cramps. I did stop to stretch my lower back...that hurt the most but I didn't dawdle too long at the wall. My goggles didn't leak but I couldn't see anything of significance outside the water....as my goggles are not prescription. As my friend Lori said on her blog...that was probably a good thing because then I wasn't watching the time so much or clocking my laps which would have really depressed me! When I got home Bo asked how many laps I did in 30 minutes...I said I had no idea but that wasn't my goal...I just wanted to move my body safely without stressing the joints. Another time I will count laps....but later. Feeling comfortable in the water was the goal today. Floating freely in the water was wonderful for this 45 year old body! (Am I really 45 years old?)

I'm going to buy a 6 month card to save some money with the entrance fee (40 kronor = $5.00 for the pay each time fee, that's too much for 30 minutes!) .... with the card I will try to go each time Maya has her lesson and another time during the week directly after work is best. Bo will support me by taking care of Maya when he is not working. Yipee! Ideally, I'd like to go before work....but the pool is not open then so I can't be like Nancy Hogshead who used to practice before school each day! I guess I won't be making it to the Olympics yet again! But I can train myself for a healthier and happier ME! and that feels GOOD!

(and I about flipped out now...According to Natalie was also swimming today! weird, huh? so far yet so near! It's a Small, small world!)