Light Swim Going Into The Weekend

I gave my legs a break today and only swam. I checked out my swim schedule so I wouldn’t get caught during some aquaerobics class. Late morning on Thursday is extreme time, apparently. There was the WWI vet I talked about yesterday with his flippers and snorkel, and he wasn’t alone. There was a young guy with a snorkel. He didn’t have flippers but what the hell? I don’t understand how you can get better like that. I don’t see runners training on rollerblades. There were also a couple of triathletes starting their training for the Florida Ironman. The most interesting guy was the guy who didn’t get the memo that breathing was necessary. He was doing fifty yard bursts underwater, even though there’s a sign that says you’re not supposed to, but Navy SEALs get to do what they want I guess. I know he was a SEAL because I asked him if he was training for something specific and we got into a conversation. I was the only beginner/non-retard in the pool. I’m starting to like being a new swimmer because I’m getting better every time I swim. I’ve been running all my life and I’ve been lifting weights for twenty-five years. Improvements in either one come only with tremendous and constant effort. My body is still getting accustomed to my swimming so it’s changing rapidly. I swam two and a half times as far as I did in my very first time in the pool. I remember that first session almost killed me, but today I thought about doing a few extra laps because I wasn’t hopping on the dreadmill or the elliptical machine. My competitive side still wants to compare my performance to whoever happens to be in the pool with me, but tracking everything I do in the pool and reflecting occasionally helps me stay focused and not get discouraged, which if it was going to happen would have happened today with the more experienced swimmers lapping me time and again. I can’t believe I put off swimming for so long. I enjoy it so much more than lifting weights and running, even though, or possibly because, I’m so much less comfortable doing it and at the end I don’t hurt. Like I said, I’ve increased my swimming workload 250% and have yet to be sore.