Water Adventures

I live on lake so technically I can swim whenever I want at least from May through September. But I don’t. I don’t like to share my water with fish and they were there first, so I stay away.

Even if I could coexist with fish, there are jet skiers and boaters who don’t observe the “no wake within 50 feet of a dock” rule. It’s the same reason I can’t bike on our narrow country roads. I’m going to get the worst of any collision.

There is a pool at the YMCA in town. DH swims there all the time.

Today I couldn’t take the pollen anymore & decided to workout at the gym. I really was in the mood for something different & noticed a water aerobics class on the schedule. Maybe I would try that. So I packed a bathing suit just in case.

Problem 1:
The schedule said class was 10:00-11:00, but when I arrived at 9:45 it was well underway. Both the website and the printed schedule were wrong.
Since I was already in my suit I decided to join them anyway

Problem 2:
The class was huge. There was very little room left. Although they were rather packed in along the wall, they made room for me. Nice ladies. Obviously a popular activity.

Problem 3:
They had a set routine that everyone seemed to know except me. I had flashbacks to step aerobics and Zumba when I was always standing on the leg the instructor wanted me to kick. I flapped around for awhile trying to watch the lady next to me.

Problem 4:
I was slipping and sliding, but the others weren’t. Finally I noticed that everyone was wearing water shoes. I didn’t think about that piece of equipment.

Time for an alternate plan. I was already wet and two lap swim lanes were open.

Fortunately my swim bag contained a cap and googles and my nose plug. I got all my gear on my head and noticed a toddler staring at me. He was about to have a swim lesson. I bet I looked like a big frog to him.

I’m not a natural in the water. I learned to swim at age 28 after having 3 kids. I couldn’t even float. I never even put my face in the water.

Growing up in Brooklyn in the 50s, water to me was jumping around in the waves at Coney Island, or running through the spray from the fire hydrant that the boys used to open up in the summer until the police would arrive to shut it down.

I alternated freestyle and breaststroke for 30 lengths (750 yards) and felt pretty good considering I hadn’t swum a stroke in 3 years. I could tell that my recently rehabbed frozen left shoulder was weaker than my right. Maybe I’ll try this once a week to strengthen it.