Inaugural Swim

I'd like to put a shout out to Sara Burns. We swam laps at the Triangle Aquatics the other day. Sara is a swimmer. A Swimmer. While I have swam laps at some point in my life, this felt like a first again. The last time was when Rachel and I decided to swim laps at Ridge Road Pool when the girls started kindergarten. Last Fall. Senior Citizens were lapping me. And all those triathletes. Good grief. Timing themselves, watches set up on fancy boards, goggles, swim caps, waxed bodies. Now I will say, that at one point, with the sun blinding my eyes, a figure stepped into view and this shadow asked if he could share lanes. What could I say? "Sure." He happened to be hot. And I fought the urge to ride on his back down the lanes. My only fond memory.

So, I watched Sara put on her swim cap and I donned mine. I made sure my goggles were right side up and she made sure they were on my head properly. Then we swam. Now here's the very cool part. I know Sara through our kids being in preschool. I'm not sure that we've spent much time together without kids in tow. Watching her swim, in a relaxed manner but with total confidence was so cool. I learned something new about her today. She is a swimmer, with the little flip turn thing at the end of the pool, her feet crossed at the ankles as she dips her body down and changes direction, then pushing off and passing me -- of course, I'm behind her. She gave me some great tips and introduced me to the little pool buoy that helps position your body properly and helps build upper body strength. This is what it's about. Some camaraderie, helping one another train, and empowering one another. I swam more than I would have by myself and as we used the kick boards for the last couple of laps, we kicked side by side and chatted as we propelled ourselves to the opposite end of the pool. Gone were the feelings of anxiety and self-consciousness. I left there feeling relaxed and more confident. Actually, a little excited, too, because I actually had fun. We're looking forward to swimming together again. At least that's what she said. ;-)

Sara gave me pointers on what to pick out for swim caps & goggles. Goggles are an amazing piece of technology. You can really see clearly underwater! If you ever felt silly in a swim cap, it sure is nice not to have your wet hair clinging to your face while trying to catch a breath. If anyone wants to swim with us, the plan is to swim in the mornings while the kids are in school. I think Sara usually goes on Tuesday and Thursdays and I'm happy to tag along. We may try Pullen Park next.