(I somehow lost my post in the middle of reviewing it--sorry if this ends up posted twice! Now let's see if I can remember what I wrote.)
I was talking with a friend about swimming and she said she started "swimming for life" x number of years ago. I got the sense that she meant that it was more than a good workout--it kept her "alive." I have to admit that it has that kind of effect for me, too. At the risk of sounding too new-agey, it's nourishing in more than a physical sense.
What does swimming mean to you? How does that compare to other sports or activities you do? How does that meaning influence your goals and performance?
Parents
Former Member
Originally posted by newmastersswimmer
Swimming is a lot of things for me......First of all, it is a way that I can keep from blowing up to a giant ball of fat....seriously...up until about 4 or 5 months ago, I had blown up like Violet from Willie Wonka when she grabbed the 12 course meal chewing gum and shoved it in her mouth.
Great reference! But then again, it made me think of the oompah loompah song - and now it will be in my head all day!
Seriously though, here is what I love about swimming - the "high" after a hard workout where I feel wired for about four or five hours. I can accomplish almost anything in that time.
One thing that I find interesting is that usually, when I get in the pool, I can focus on swimming and completely block out the rest of life for an hour or so. But once or twice a month, when some particularly troubling thought is in my head (kids, work, money, will the Steelers win this week:rolleyes: ) I will go through a workout without thinking much about my stroke. Sometimes I get to the end of a workout and I am not really sure if I did what I had planned to do!
Those workouts will not always be the best ones for my endurance or stroke mechanics. But I have made many important decisions in the middle of a kick set!
Originally posted by newmastersswimmer
Swimming is a lot of things for me......First of all, it is a way that I can keep from blowing up to a giant ball of fat....seriously...up until about 4 or 5 months ago, I had blown up like Violet from Willie Wonka when she grabbed the 12 course meal chewing gum and shoved it in her mouth.
Great reference! But then again, it made me think of the oompah loompah song - and now it will be in my head all day!
Seriously though, here is what I love about swimming - the "high" after a hard workout where I feel wired for about four or five hours. I can accomplish almost anything in that time.
One thing that I find interesting is that usually, when I get in the pool, I can focus on swimming and completely block out the rest of life for an hour or so. But once or twice a month, when some particularly troubling thought is in my head (kids, work, money, will the Steelers win this week:rolleyes: ) I will go through a workout without thinking much about my stroke. Sometimes I get to the end of a workout and I am not really sure if I did what I had planned to do!
Those workouts will not always be the best ones for my endurance or stroke mechanics. But I have made many important decisions in the middle of a kick set!
