Swimming

I love swimming. I love the feeling of weightlessness that the water brings me. I don't feel fat, or heavy, or anything else. Swimming doesn't have weight limitations like other sports do.

Try running. If you're overweight, it's going to slow you down dramatically. Same with biking. Downhills are nice, but those uphills, those are killer if you're dragging extra poundage around with you.

But swimming doesn't feel that way - it's just me and the water, and I can forget about the fact that I'm fat for a while. Until I get out. Then I have to return to earth and reassume my heavy form, and feel gravity dragging me down.

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Today, we did a fast set. Swimming fast is so much different than gliding through the water. The water becomes your enemy, something to be tamed.

5 100's. 50 kick, 50 swim on 3 minute intervals.

All of us kick off together. Kicking as hard as we can, breathing hard too. Get to the end, turn, damn board is in the way, and kick back, hanging on for dear life. Throw the board up on the side and go, go, go. Swimming as fast as you can, even faster if you can make it. It's only 50 but you feel like you're going to die.

2:08

Rest - heart beating, breath pounding in and out. Maybe I'll stop here. Maybe I'll just rest. I'm going again. Not thinking about it, just kicking, kicking, kicking. Turn, trying to make it faster this time. kick back, faster, faster. Toss the board and start to swim. My legs are dead. They feel like they're not going to move again for the next million years. That's ok - hit the wall, flip turn, gasp for breath as my head breaks the water. Swim back, turning over my arms as fast as possible, breathing in with every stroke.

2:10

Damn- I was slower that time. Lie back on the water, let it cradle me into it's embrace as every fiber tries to reset itself from this insult I've pushed upon it. Get ready to go - 3rd one, we're in the middle now. Kick again. Fast, fast. I feel the tiredness creeping up my legs, but I ignore it and only think about kicking faster, faster. Hit the wall, throw the board, hear the coach yelling "Go, go!" and I go. Swimming like a shark is after me. Flip turn at the wall, I know I'm going to die from oxygen deprivation from the flip turn, and head back. Realize that I just barely have to turn my head to the side to breathe because of the wake my head is creating in the water. Think about this for a second, as I swim as fast as I can into the wall as the coach is calling out times.

2:07

2:07? 2 seconds faster than the first one, and I feel like I've won some kind of record, as I pant, and pant, trying to regain my breath. Only 2 to go. Kicking again, and my legs are really tired now, but I ignore them and kick as hard and fast as I can. I'm going to keep the same time. I feel like I'm going faster, just a bit. Hit the wall - toss the board and swim. My legs really are dead this time, but my arms are strong. I see the water splashing all around me, this isn't any smooth glide I'm doing here but I've got turnover. Try to bounce off the far end as fast as I can, just because I need to BREATHE! Come up with a huge gasp while my arms continue to churn like windmills and I make my legs help out.

2:09

I don't even care what the time was. I just want to rest. Float on my back hearing my heart beat pounding in my ears. 1 more. Only one. I can do it, it's only one more. At least this is what I tell myself as I line up once again on the wall. And we're off, and I'm not even thinking now, I'm just kicking for all I'm worth. My legs don't like this, but I tell them to shut up, cause they're going to do it whether they like it or not. Hit the wall, toss the board, and go. Trying to get the turnaround faster, faster. I'm breathing like a bellows now, and I can feel the tiredness in my shoulders, my back, my arms. But it's only 50. I can do it for 50. I flip at the wall, dragging in a huge breath as I surface, and head back. All I know is that I'm almost done. I'm trying to finish strong but my tired arms and legs are holding me back. Finally I'm there, and as I grab for the wall the coach says

2:08

Now I can feel the muscle tiredness through my whole body, but I turn and do some more laps, I know I need to work this out so that I feel good tomorrow.

As I get out of the pool, the coach says "Good job, you were really pushing there."

Effort forgotten, I float off.