A few years ago I started lap swimming after quitting swimming at 20 years old back in 1977. I never thought I could swim butterfly and swim a 200 meter breastroke race and win my heat at a meet. I was an average age group swimmer as a kid and an average masters swimmer in the meets for my age. But the swimming helped me loose some weight. I think for many of us the swimming helps are conditioning. I know that sometimes I'm a pain in the butt writing about different subjects but I'm surprise that I able to do workouts again over the 3,000 yard mark. Anyone else who is one of the average swimmers feels that the physical benefits outweight being just one of the swimmers.
Because I swim alone, the benefit of swimming is definitely NOT because I am a part of some wonderful fraternal group, (although I have been a part of some great RMM and Pacific Master's teams in the past). The physical part is a definite benefit, but for me it is the mental aspect that keeps me going. I try to concentrate on a good quality workout, but at least once and maybe more times during a workout, I "transform" myself into a sleek dolphin gliding though the water. And when I do this, I am at complete peace with myself, and there is a harmony that I really can't describe except maybe to other swimmers who might understand. Don't get me wrong.... I try to be focused most of the workout but sometimes, the REAL reason I am there is because my head needs clearing out, and a few laps of being "one" with the water is my way of doing so.
barb
Because I swim alone, the benefit of swimming is definitely NOT because I am a part of some wonderful fraternal group, (although I have been a part of some great RMM and Pacific Master's teams in the past). The physical part is a definite benefit, but for me it is the mental aspect that keeps me going. I try to concentrate on a good quality workout, but at least once and maybe more times during a workout, I "transform" myself into a sleek dolphin gliding though the water. And when I do this, I am at complete peace with myself, and there is a harmony that I really can't describe except maybe to other swimmers who might understand. Don't get me wrong.... I try to be focused most of the workout but sometimes, the REAL reason I am there is because my head needs clearing out, and a few laps of being "one" with the water is my way of doing so.
barb
