Just look at that. Ain't I cute? Man, I wish I still had those goggles. And look how happy I am! I'm a little skeptical that this is actually me... I have no memory of ever wearing a swim cap, nor of ever being that overjoyed about being in the water. I do vaguely recall that swimsuit, though; I think it had ruffles on the hips. Memory in general is not my strong suite, so I'm willing to give the photo the benefit of the doubt.
With this image as my inspiration, I went for a swim last night, hoping to find some childlike glee in the experience. I did a few drills and swam 6 or 7 laps before dragging my exhausted self to the hot tub. Did I mention that I'm now swimming a full lap? I still rest... for a long time... between laps, but after a few warm-up lengths, I swim whole laps. In case you're wondering, that's really, really far. Really.
So did the photo help the swim, you ask? Well... maybe. I did imagine myself swimming in a lake with all sorts of fish swimming below me wondering what kind of strange fish I was. Perhaps that visualization helped--I am a fish, therefore I swim like a fish? Who knows. At this point, it's still exhausting and kind of hard on my back, I'm noticing more and more. I had an adjustment this afternoon that helped a lot, but I was hurting this morning. Swimming uses so many core muscles that other activities just don't access at all! The back and shoulders especially are problem areas, at least for me. I don't swim far enough or fast enough for my legs or arms to tire out much, but holding my body horizontal in the water is hard work for my low back; and the side-to-side breathing thing is sometimes a challenge for my neck. I wonder if there are targeted back exercises that are swimming-specific. Anyone know?
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