Just Keep Swimming...

“If I were dropped out of a plane into the ocean and told the nearest land was a thousand miles away, I’d still swim. And I’d despise the one who gave up”. ~Abraham Maslow

We watch a lot of Finding Nemo at the house now-a-days. My all time favorite quote is by Dori:

“Just Keep Swimming... Just Keep Swimming... Just Keep Swimming, Swimming, Swimming...” ~Dori

My grandmother does this awesome thing when she gets an inkling to visit a new country. She goes to the Goodwill and searches for a shirt with the countries name on it; “Africa” or “China” or “New Zealand”. While her and grandpa are saving the money to pay for the trip she wears her shirt everywhere. It keeps her motivated.

I have been employing the same discipline the last 2-3 months with swimming. I have been thinking swimming, dreaming swimming, and talking swimming all day long. I came to the realization that if I am going to be a good swimmer, it is only going to be because I LOVE swimming. I am going to have to LOVE it, and to think I am GOOD at it. I’m going to have to “fake it until I make it”.

It’s working. I can tell. Getting up at 4:40am most days of the week to hit the pool isn’t easy. Fear is not going to get you up that early...but LOVE will, and LOVE has. At first I had to employ some fake tactics...new cute two-piece swimsuits, new flashy swim cap, pink pool buoy. But after some time, I got up in the morning because I just loved to get in the pool and swim.

Steve has offered this month to get in the pool with me every Thursday and swim a workout with me. This is a great opportunity for me and of course I took him up on his offer...then I started to get nervous.

What if I haven’t progressed? What if my form is still wrong? What if I’m still too slow? What if What if What if.....

BLAH!

So we swam yesterday. It was great. I have progressed, my form is not “all wrong” (there are always things to fix), and I am not too slow. But most of all I had FUN swimming with Steve and progress is being made. I can’t describe what I relief that is.

So...it’s working, and I’m not having to fake it any longer. Annie had a bad night last night and was in bed with us most the night (this means I end up sleeping in a 2 foot by 2 foot square usually reserved for the dog). The alarm went off at 4:40...the second alarm went off at 4:50...I was up and out. I always tell myself in my sleepy stupor “If you are tired when you are done swimming you can nap when Annie does”. This tactic always gets me out of bed on a rough day and I only end up taking myself up on my offer about once a week (if that).

It’s working. Three months ago I was swimming my 100 Meter repeats in 2 minutes with 20 seconds rest. Today I swam them in 1:45 with 20 seconds rest. It’s working! I LOVE SWIMMING.