I am a swimmer. I have been since I was 2 years old. I was a water baby. I love being in the water, under the water, holding my breath, whooshing back up to the surface. Although I enjoy the aqua fit classes, I do find that they aren't challenging enough for me. The average age is 60+, and I love meeting up with the ladies to exercise and socialise. But let's face it, I'm quite a bit younger and I need to move more.
Two months ago, I changed my work hours, so instead of giving up work on Monday and Thursday mornings to go to aqua class, I now work every morning, starting at 7am, and aiming to get to swimming at about 11.15am. This works well for me, as I concentrate hard, and just when the elevenses are calling, I'm off for a swim.
I vary the workout according to the time I have available, and the number of other people splashing about. If the pool is very busy, then no butterfly or backstroke in my swimming medley. I stick to alternate lengths freestyle and breaststroke.
If I only have 20minutes, I swim like a mongoose. It's a term Mr B coined some time ago. His work schedule is heavy, demanding, to say the least. He fits his marathon training around the on-call rota and emergency admissions. He maintains that a 20 minute run at 11pm is better than nothing - so run like a mongoose. It hasn't done him any harm. He runs two marathons a year.
I'm not into running. I'm not competitive, although I did swim competitively as a teenager. I've always been fast, not a sprinter, more long distance. I actually get better the further I swim. It's a luxury, though, to have more than 30 minutes to swim.
I jump in, pull on my goggles, spot the other talent, push off from the wall. The first 400m goes quickly. I stop for a sip of water. I'm off, another 400m. That's 15 minutes. Another 8 lengths of the 25m pool and I've 1000m. Stop. Stretch. Cool down. Sip of water. 20 minutes and I'm done.
It does hurt, mainly in the heavy legs afterwards, when I'm walking the dogs in the woods. But it does help to eat something soon after swimming.
The cardiovascular benefits are obvious. But the greatest benefit is meditative. I start swimming with my thoughts all jumbled up. Gradually, only the most important thoughts persist. Then, they are 'batted' away, acknowledged, to be dealt with later, with a clear head. By the time I'm in the zone, my freestyle stroke makes me feel 10ft tall. I have an aura. I'm aware of it. I breathe evenly. I glide through the water.
Boy, that mongoose can swim.