Hi, guys, I'm 20 years old and I've decided to take up some swimming classes for my next quarter. I have been out of athletics for a very long time (for seven years). I haven't done any consistent exercise since my sophomore year HS PE class, and that was almost five years ago. On top of that, I am a writer with all the usual cliché ambitions so I spend a lotta time on my ass. I was looking at some writers' bios recently and you know what I noticed? Very many of them have short lifespans! Haha... oh no. So I realized very quickly I needed to develop a "core exercise" for myself. Since it's a bit late to do anything that's a team sport, it obviously has to be individual. I hate running. Lifting is a bore. Golf is... not ideal. Actually, to be honest, the decision was rather quick. I chose swimming. Now this is very odd for one reason... I'm hearing impaired. How will I hear the instructor/coach? Believe it or not, I actually hear better, much better, when I'm in the water. Go figure. Obviously, not as good as when I'm out of the water with my hearing aids in, but there's something about being in a pool or a body of water that just helps me hear better. For example, I did some laps recently. When I checked in with the lifeguards, I had to ask them to repeat themselves. Then I got in a lane and struck up a conversation with a very buoyant, soft-spoken fellow next to me and not once did I say, "What?"
Maybe the soundwaves bounce against the water and, naturally, my head is in the thick of it?
But I digress...
I'm going to swim. Thankfully, I already know how. I'm sure many of the technique junkies are ready to contend this! I took swim lessons when I was a wee lad, loved it all except the springboard. Then I jumped and I loved that too. I can't dive, though... I do the, what is it, the bunny hop? My legs bend when I go into the water. Anyway, hahah, once I remember arguing with a swim instructor at a Water Babies school (and he was an Olympian) about the word "freestyle"... it was my first argument over semantics. He tells me to do some freestyle and then I start swimming backstroke (my favorite back then). I figure, "free... style", right? So I do whatever I want! How did they start calling it "freestyle" anyway?
So my swimming never really got anywhere but then along comes eighth grade and I'm figuring out what I want to do with high school. I let the family know I'm interested in swimming or water polo... something water related, you know? My brothers absolutely hated the idea. They tried to get me interested in football and wrestling, even started teaching me moves... well, of course, I hated that idea. My goal the entire time had been to distinguish myself from the rest of the family, you know? Well that did go somewhere... I ended up joining nothing at all. Not good. But on the flip side, I did write more than I would've, and that's always good.
So for most of high school and the beginning of college, I was extremely inactive. I also gorged myself on sodas and candy. Plus, I all but eliminated breakfast from my diet. I wonder if I stunted myself at all. I know for a fact I measured 6'2 without shoes in my sophomore year and then about a year ago my dad measured me and I was 6'0... oh dear God. At least I put on weight well. In senior year when the homeroom teacher asked us all for our weight, and I said 234, everyone in the classroom was audibly disbelieving. But the scale does not lie.
Now that I'm getting back into things, I've been on a diet. Quite pleased with my results so far. After losing about seven pounds last summer for my brother's wedding, I lost about another four pounds until the week of Thanksgiving last month when I eliminated soda and candy. That hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. I've gone from 223 to 208 where I am now. I also measure 6'1.5 now. Naturally I've been curious about some of my bodily dimensions... I'm quite pleased to have a 6'6 armspan. I wish I had larger feet though (size 12). I don't think there's much I can do about that.
Sorry if this is all very long-winded or totally tl; dr!
I like this forum a lot. I've been lurking here for about a week and looking at threads old and new. It's awesome that you all capitalize the beginning of your sentences and end them with periods.... unlike some other places I could name.
So now... whose bums do I have to kiss? :bow:
I think you will notice quickly that this is not the typical internet forum (filled with LOL, OMG, WTF, and so on). I assume that is at least in part based on the fact that many of the people on this forum come from the pre "internet lingo" generations, which I consider to be a good thing by the way.
Anyhow, welcome to the forum (and to USMS). I think you will find swimming to be a great way to stay active and in shape, though you might still want to add a little dry-land training on occasion!!
Stretch cords and/or resistant weight training is a good example of "dryland training". I tend to do high rep/low weight type of weight training, always good for both cardio and muscle strength.
As your swimming skills develop, I also like to throw in paddles and do some upper body strength building in the pool. There is a wide array of swimming equipment (paddles, fins, parachutes, leg-bands, pull-bouys, snorkels) that can be mixed in to sets to build strength and concentrate on good technique. Also keeps things "fresh and new" at practices if you tend to get bored with a more "lap swimming" based practice.
Couroborus,
Actually, you are referring to my great, great, great Uncle Franz Gruber who wrote "Silent Night". Yes, and he and his friend Hans were on SNL many years ago.:D
Former Member
I have been out of athletics for a very long time (for seven years).
:)
Couroboros, welcome to swimming and the forum. Hopefully you will enjoy the sport for much longer than a very long time.
Swimming regularly will do wonderful things for you, even if you never swim competitively. Like make you tired, and hungry and give you dry skin. Also, it will provide you with good health and a heaping helping of endorphins.
Former Member
Welcome. You should know that some of us really do appreciate people who can capitalize and use periods!
Thanks! I noticed your name is Glenn Gruber. Any relation to Hans Gruber? :) I'm sorry, you've probably gotten that joke a thousand times now.
Jim: You, sir, are a riot. And you're right, I do have a literary bent. I made this username with two things in mind- 1.) when I was swimming recently, I realized swimmers kind of do an Ouroboros thousands and thousands of times over, for a seemingly endless amount of time, because they're always circle swimming or going back and forth in a lane. 2.) I added the "C" because a nickname of mine is "Cor."
As for the whole leading you all out of the wilderness thing... uh... I wouldn't know anything about that. :bolt:
pwbrundage: dolphin2, huh? But yes, I shall ask and I shall, hopefully, receive.
I think you will find swimming to be a great way to stay active and in shape, though you might still want to add a little dry-land training on occasion!!
Sure, I'll definitely keep that in mind. What kind of dryland training do you recommend?
orca: Thanks. I hope I ask good questions!
qbrain: much longer than a very long time? Holy... that sounds like a pretty long time! :D
The last sports I did were volleyball and basketball. I wasn't very good at the latter, but boy could I serve the hell out of a volleyball.
I will probably swim competitively. I want to swim competitively, at least. Put it this way, last month when I suddenly developed this huge urge to swim, I originally intended to just get back into shape and stay fit through swimming as a lifelong activity. But I'm continually finding myself lured towards the whole competitive aspect. I can't help it.
As for feeling like crap, well, I like it. I'm so sore I feel like I've been beaten with a sack of potatoes, but that's alright. I even love the feeling of leaning to one side ever so slightly while the other side of my torso protests. Does that make me a masochist? I don't know... but I just find pleasure in the fact that my body is deporting my weakness.
So now... whose bums do I have to kiss? :bow:
Ask your questions and ye shall receive wisdom (from others like Jim, Fortress, Ande, Aquageek, Paul Smith, and many more). I think the bum kissing is optional and you'll soon learn which forumites prefer it (me: no).
My only advice -- read dolphin2's posts and then approach the forum with a diametrically opposed attitude/line of reasoning.
I think you will notice quickly that this is not the typical internet forum (filled with LOL, OMG, WTF, and so on). I assume that is at least in part based on the fact that many of the people on this forum come from the pre "internet lingo" generations, which I consider to be a good thing by the way.
Anyhow, welcome to the forum (and to USMS). I think you will find swimming to be a great way to stay active and in shape, though you might still want to add a little dry-land training on occasion!!
OMG…I totally didn't think about it, but you're right, there is a noticeable lack of internet lingo. I feel old now.
With regards to the swimming/exercise/competition thing, the best thing to do is to stick with it and take days off when you feel you need it. Since you're young you should be able to reach a good amount of yardage fairly quickly, but it may take some persistence. Just stick with it and be ready to soak the learning up like a sponge (pun intended). Good luck.
:banana:
Welcome, Mr. Couroboros!
Your name is so unusual I decided to google it, and came up with something similar, though not exactly the same:
The Serpent biting its own tail is first seen as early as 1600 years BC in Egypt. From there it moved to the Phonecians and then to the Greeks, who called it the Ouroboros, which means devouring its tail.
The serpent biting its tail is found in other mythoi as well, including Norse myth, where the serpent's name is Jörmungandr, and in Hindu, where the dragon circles the tortoise which supports the four elephants that carry the world.
Alternate spellings include: oroborus, uroboros, and oureboros.
It is possible that the C at the beginning changes everything drastically, like a k before night or a b before itch.
This concession notwithstanding, and given your literary bent, I find myself wondering if you are indeed a Magical Phonecian fated to find our liltte lost island of babblers, and having found it, and under the illusion of asking for our help, will in fact deliver us from our wandering about in the wilderness.
In an earlier post, you wrote about yourself, "I am no one."
I ask you if, in fact, this is an understatement. Are you instead, Mr. Couroboros, the one?
We have waited so long for your arrival. And now, at last, you've come!
