Since this week has been a Manic Monday every day – must be Monday’s Revenge since we had it off – I’m going to reminisce of simpler, less manic, times.
First thing that comes to my mind,…is swimming.
I’m happy and proud to say that the pain in my arm that I was afraid would hinder my English Channel training has subsided. Still not sure what caused it but I am glad it’s gone. I can’t help but wonder if it was because of my training that it went away.
I’ve always found water to be almost medicinal – whether it was from the overwhelming smells of an enclosed indoor pool that almost act as a laughing gas if breathed in long enough, or swimming in an ocean, or pristine mountain lake. Or jacuzzi.
Both my father and I weren’t feel so hot during Memorial Day weekend. So, I convinced him to take a dip in the jacuzzi and he said it helped a bit. For me, it definitely helped. I can think of no better way of relieving cramps.
And, the next day, I was doing laps in Lake Elizabeth in Grafton. This was actually the first time I attempted to do a swim work out in open water. I was scared.
Not because of the possibility of cramps, or even that my arm pain might return, I just really don’t like swimming in a body of water where I can’t see what is under me – specifically what might be swimming under me. Blech. But, then again, it might be better not to be able to see.
This is something I obviously really need to get over, especially if I plan to swim the English Channel next year.
So, I dipped in the water which initially felt very cold since I had warmed my body in the sun. As I swam more, the water did feel nice in the heat and humidity.
After a short warm up exercise, I finally started doing the freestyle stroke and put my head in. That sight of kinda-mucky, brown water is not fun. I couldn’t see beyond my own hands, and I kept mistaking my own hands for fish so I’d jump and scare myself every few minutes.
Put me in front of a horror movie and I’m fine, but apparently put me in a lake (with fish, and snakes, and beavers, and pike) and I get all creepy-crawlied out. Still, I swam on and made it to the other end of the lake (about ¼ mile).
I thought I’d give myself a break from looking down into the “abyss” – it’s only like 20 feet deep – and swam backstroke for a bit so I got to look up at the blue sky.
As I was finishing up my laps (I just decided this inaugural swim would be down and back), I saw a cloud that looked distinctly like a clown fish.
I couldn’t help but think to myself that God might just be looking down and telling me that I either look like a fish…or a clown. In any case, I think I had his/her support.