I LOVE swimming

When I was a baby/toddler, my parents took me to swim lessons at the YMCA. I evidently loved the little plastic frog they had to play with there, but disliked the diving board (I once displayed my displeasure by pooing on it.) I feel like I enjoyed swimming from a very early age.

When I was a kid, I used to swim quite a bit. We got a pool when I was 13, the hottest summer I can remember growing up. Prior to that I would swim at the neighbor, who had an in-ground pool. There were the occasional visits to campgrounds, other friends, YMCA trips, and the times at summer camp.

Summer camp was Camp Tawanka. I went 3 different years, and my favorite time of each trip was at the waterfront, swimming. During my trips as a teenager, I was a strong enough swimmer to be allowed in deep water, and even completed the lake swim. Back then it seemed like a long swim, easily the longest swim of my life. When I pull up Marr Lake on google maps today, it turns out that swim was roughly 2/3rds of a mile, round trip.

This leads up to last night. Rachelle and I have been working off an Ironman training plan she found online. Because we're doing a 70.3, we've been cutting the training plan roughly in half. Our training plan is fairly aggresive, I think it's written for someone already in excellent shape, or with previous Ironman experience. I've been careful to back us off when I think a workout is too much this early in our training.

But last night called for a 1600 yard swim. And I was READY. I can't say I was super fast, but I did it. Under an hour, and some of the time was spent on slower strokes (breast stroke), or doing pulls (where a small float device holds your legs up and you swim with just your arms).

It felt fantastic, and not only is it one of the 3 primary triathlon disciplines, but it's a fun way to workout. You dont get all sweaty, and it's tremendous exercise for the whole body, plus cardio. And it's an area where just getting in the laps and building strength I can definitely make some strong improvements.

I just can't wait for summer to start swimming outside at Walden Pond again.