Just Keep Swimming!

So I think I've finally found my running substitute. and unsurprisingly, it is the other sport I've ever competed in (keep in mind this is in middle school, and I'm pretty sure for both sports I was never actually a top competitor, at all).

Could you guess that it's swimming?

actual pool that i swim in, see those lanes??

On Wednesday, I bought my pool tag for the summer (flat rate for unlimited pool access = totally worth it), gathered the swim cap and goggles, and put on the speedo one-pieced that I bought two years ago when I told myself I was going to swim and probably never actually wore. 

First things first.

Swimming is hard. Definitely not as easy to hop right back into as running, but I guess what can I expect 9 years after doing it with any sort of consistency. 

But being in the water was great. Really moving and getting my heart rate up was great. Feeling like I was doing something seriously good for me was great.

I alternated between breast stroke and freestyle. I used to be a badass at backstroke, but I'm scared that with my sorely out of practice arms, I would run into the lanemarkers over and over again, and I didn't want to embarrass myself yet. also have yet to attempt the flip turns, but I'll do it soon.

Today there was part of a swim team there doing some drills, so there was a large glowing digital stopwatch. I used it to time my lengths and found that my 25m free is about 25 seconds, and my 25m breaststroke is about 33. which I'm pretty happy with.

Random things of note:

- I can feel myself using muscles in my foot that haven't been worked in a month. I LOVE IT.

- I seriously need to get my hands on some serious waterproof sunscreen if I want to be without some very sexy tan lines.

- Any hardscore swimmer's out there know if I should invest in some anti-chlorine shampoo even if I always use a swim cap?

- $3 goggles from tj maxx are pretty damn good at keeping out water and allowing me to see all the nasty things at the bottom of the pool.

- Fingers crossed that this will build up my calves again. I was so proud of them when I was running, and lately I've been a little disappointed. 

- At the pool you apparently need to be 18 to swim in lanes. When I was there on Wednesday, I of course am asked to confirm that I am 18. GOOD LORD. do I really look that young??
- The foam roller is totally necessary for swimming as well as running. After these past two swims, I've had weird soreness in my neck (maybe from breathing during freestyle??) as well as random cramping in my calf, which i've had off and on since the fracture. Regardless, I will be foam rolling like a champ today.


I think the addictive personality is shining through on this one. Pool-going has happened Wednesday, yesterday, and will for sure happen today. It's similar to the running thing where as soon as the clothes are on (or the suit in this case), I will go.

So happy I found a sweat-once-a-day activity that I love again!

Do you enjoy swimming? Would you ever consider doing it as a form of cardio?