A fish out of water, Barb learns how to swim

Learning how to swim at 41 years old was never my dream.  In fact, I had to sign up for a triathlon to make myself learn to swim.  My triathlon is August 21 in Medical Lake, Washington.   First the swim, then bike, finished off by a nice run.  

My best friend, Angela Brown is a bit to blame.  She said, "hey, want to do a triathlon with me?"  Can I really say no to my best friend?  Yes, I can if I had good boundaries and her pleading and cajoling didn't work.  I told her I didn't know how to swim back in March when we signed up.  She explained that the "Y" teaches swim lessons.  Well, the "Y" does teach beginning swim lessons.  They begin in May.  May came and went and I still hadn't taken swim lessons.  

Then June.  No swim lessons.  July came and I still hadn't entered the water.  Why?  Hydrophobia? No, I am not scared of water.  In fact, I take a shower everyday.  Was it procrastination?  

Yes.  

I suffer from what psychologists, Schraw, Wadkins, and Olafson have proposed; three criteria for a behavior to be classified as procrastination: it must be counterproductive, needless and delaying.  Similarly, Steel (2007) reviewed all previous attempts to define procrastination, indicating it is "to voluntarily delay an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for the delay."

So, after doing a bit of research,  two weeks ago I took my first tadpole class with my infamous personal trainer, Grant Smith. Thank you to Kevin (my surrogate father), I was learning how to swim.  I've had four lessons now and my real test was swimming in lake water this week.  I attempted twice and lived to write about it.  In fact, I swam 1/4 mile in 22 minutes.  

I know three strokes:  

1.  the crawl (which isn't very pretty and seems to steam up my goggles and adds additional water up my nose)

2.  the breaststroke (had to scrap the legs on this one - I don't have rhythm and couldn't perform the necessary moves to successfully pass the Grant test)

3.  the side stroke (otherwise known as the picking apple stroke and God knows I love apples)

And, one lifesaving technique - how to tread water.  Yes, Grant, that might have been helpful to learn day one.

I think learning how to swim in your forties isn't a good idea.  It probably would've been better at age 4 however I am learning other lessons about myself:

1.  patience

2.  don't panic under pressure

3.  enjoy the moment

4.  experience new things

5.  lake water doesn't taste good

6.  when friends are hitting you repeatedly (while swimming next to you) to get you used to triathlon swimming, it creates bruising on forearms and legs

7.  self reflection

8.  seaweed is nasty

9.  never underestimate the power of prayer

10.  signing up for something with your best friend is a commitment