(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?
Here is a very good poem a friend of mine just sent me. The author is unknown....
I was born on land, but I am at home in the water.
It is in the water when I have my purpose,
where reliable habits and routines command my body.
Conditioned by countless strokes,
my arms and legs settle into a rhythm.
Kick, pull, kick, pull, and breathe.
I have only one mind-set:
To be faster than my opponents.
As time passes and the water removes my senses,
I concentrate on making my strokes stronger
And more efficient.
My mind focuses on practices I have already completed,
And
Visualizes races I have yet to win.
Pain consumes me,
Making me a prisoner of my own thoughts.
With this pain, I cry out into the void
Where no one can hear me.
Still
I swim.
My resolve strengthens as my arms tighten and my legs throb unmercifully.
A private war rages on as I swim, struggling to grasp a substance that cannot be grasped.
Every breath a treasure to my burning lungs.
I must battle my own body and mind as I push myself towards the end,
Knowing I alone will be responsible for my successes
And failures.
I alone,
A swimmer
Beneath the surface
Here is a very good poem a friend of mine just sent me. The author is unknown....
I was born on land, but I am at home in the water.
It is in the water when I have my purpose,
where reliable habits and routines command my body.
Conditioned by countless strokes,
my arms and legs settle into a rhythm.
Kick, pull, kick, pull, and breathe.
I have only one mind-set:
To be faster than my opponents.
As time passes and the water removes my senses,
I concentrate on making my strokes stronger
And more efficient.
My mind focuses on practices I have already completed,
And
Visualizes races I have yet to win.
Pain consumes me,
Making me a prisoner of my own thoughts.
With this pain, I cry out into the void
Where no one can hear me.
Still
I swim.
My resolve strengthens as my arms tighten and my legs throb unmercifully.
A private war rages on as I swim, struggling to grasp a substance that cannot be grasped.
Every breath a treasure to my burning lungs.
I must battle my own body and mind as I push myself towards the end,
Knowing I alone will be responsible for my successes
And failures.
I alone,
A swimmer
Beneath the surface
