If reincarnation is real I was definitely a fish in a previous life. I absolutely love the feeling of gliding effortlessly through the water. There is nothing better in my opinion.
I have not swam regularly since I took a lap swim class in college. That was in 2007. Unfortunately, when you haven't been in the water for awhile, there is no such thing as gliding effortlessly through the water. Your body remembers how to swim but your muscles are not strong enough to actually do it for a long period of time. I was not looking forward to my arms feeling like lead and struggling to breathe after swimming a 50.
Regardless, I typically woke up around 5am and swam various workouts that I created throughout the month of June. I slowly increased the difficulty of my workouts and noticed that after the first two weeks I could complete one without feeling completely exhausted. The workout below is one of the most difficult ones that I completed individually. My goal was to swim two miles a day (3300 yards) and average eight miles a week. I was able to do this for most of the summer.
In July, I joined the FAST Masters group. Since I am a competitive person, swimming with other people took my workouts to another level. I felt myself trying harder during practice and I could tell that my endurance was improving. Waking up at 4:30 in the morning wasn't always easy, but it was definitely worth it.
I can now consistently swim a 50 (without a dive) in :32 and a 100 in 1:06. Although these times are not fantastic, I am proud of the progress I've made. My goal is to swim a 50 without a dive in under 30 seconds, so I will definitely continue swimming.
Thank you to my friends Jennifer and Justin for swimming with me throughout the summer!
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