I posted a version of this on the non-swimming related posts, but I'm posting here again because I'm trying to figure this out more specifically.
I want to swim faster but I want to do other stuff in my life. This week I went to hear Emily Elbert at Berklee College of Music as part of its Rock and Pop night (she is awesome!), practiced speaking bad Spanish with a neighbor, but this was fun nonetheless, went to an African dance class and then walked from this class to the pool, where I proceeded to swim wearing a T-shirt and tights for drag, which is supposed to help me improve my catch. At home, pretty wiped out after dance/drag swim combo.
I want to see if I can get faster and stronger as a swimmer, but this takes much dedication. I am not of the elite variety but qualify for distance events at nationals and probably at long course nationals. So I want to train for long course nationals.
But I don't want to be obsessed. My exercises to keep my arms attached to my shoulders, my back in line, and my knees strong take me about an hour. I'm supposed to do them every day. I give practice my all and generally am a noodle for the rest of the day. I have a book project due that I have procrastinated because of "fatigue" from swimming (nice excuse).
Swimming makes me happy but I want to do other things. It's sailing season, for example. And tennis is fun. And doing more creative work is a goal. Is it possible to be well rounded and not be obsessed with swimming, but still get stronger? As in, a lot stronger? Without devoting all my spare time to it?
I do seem to have plenty of time to watch America's Next Top Model, Gossip Girl, other trashy TV. I'd like to read more books and ditch the TV. That will be tough.
Sleep also is a goal. Hard to come by. I do continue to write my soldier (never met) in Afghanistan and realize I have no reasons to complain about anything in my life, given what she is up against.
Still, balance? Swim speed = intense swim focus? I swim four times a week, about 14,000 to 16,000 yards a week.
hi isobel,
mission accomplished, that's what I was trying to do, but if you talk with masters swimmers, you'll probably talk about swimming & swimmers, thus furthering or deepening your obsession. Masters swimmers are some of my favorite people and best friends.
isobel, now we know you:
+ speak spanish
http://www.google.com/ig told me:
""a table" to reflect another curiosity that I love. There are many people in Boston who speaks Spanish, I speak with them when..."
+ like to sail, even though it took you 14 times to pass your helmsman test,
+ Love blizzards more than swimming &
+ have a trick where you fold a quarter in a dollar then toss it
which by the way I need to see video of your dollar / quarter trick
btw you inspired me to begin the Stupid human Trick Thread drop by and give us more details
Do you (or anyone else) have any other Stupid Human Tricks you'd be willing to share with us, I know some folks here have skillz?
Ande
You make me laugh! Don't socialize with masters swimmers. ha ha ha ha. They are my favorite people, most of them.
Boston is fine. Some other obsessive people are running 26.2 miles today (I think that's the conversion). You couldn't get me to run a block, or "uno cuadro," to reflect otra curiosidad que me gusta mucho. Hay mucha gente en Boston que habla espanol; hablo con ellos cuando they will let me. Not a good idea to talk about your "tricks" with Spanish-speaking strangers on the bus. (I have this great trick where I fold a quarter in a dollar bill and toss it over the tracks at Park Street T Station to the street musicians. One night I did it and suddenly all these tourists were handing me quarters and dollar bills to toss over over the tracks for them. Very difficult to describe in bad Spanish without giving wrong impression. "El truco" finally one guy said who had been pretending to look out the window but was actually listening.)
I swam by myself yesterday and then went sailing. I need to learn my vectors. Kept going up and down the river not IN to the dock. The wind was blowing straight off the dock so the guy at the boathouse told me it would have been tough for anyone to get in. I managed to dock without crashing, an accomplishment. The teenagers at Community Boating love me; it took me 14 times to pass my helmsman test, kind of a record! And the windier it is, the more they encourage me to go out, then I think they time me and take bets as to when I will go over.
Boston is chilly. I love Boston. I love how it looks. I love blizzards more than swimming.
There: I love blizzards more than swimming! We haven't had a good blizzard in three winters. I may have to move to Calgary.
hi isobel,
mission accomplished, that's what I was trying to do, but if you talk with masters swimmers, you'll probably talk about swimming & swimmers, thus furthering or deepening your obsession. Masters swimmers are some of my favorite people and best friends.
isobel, now we know you:
+ speak spanish
http://www.google.com/ig told me:
""a table" to reflect another curiosity that I love. There are many people in Boston who speaks Spanish, I speak with them when..."
+ like to sail, even though it took you 14 times to pass your helmsman test,
+ Love blizzards more than swimming &
+ have a trick where you fold a quarter in a dollar then toss it
which by the way I need to see video of your dollar / quarter trick
btw you inspired me to begin the Stupid human Trick Thread drop by and give us more details
Do you (or anyone else) have any other Stupid Human Tricks you'd be willing to share with us, I know some folks here have skillz?
Ande
You make me laugh! Don't socialize with masters swimmers. ha ha ha ha. They are my favorite people, most of them.
Boston is fine. Some other obsessive people are running 26.2 miles today (I think that's the conversion). You couldn't get me to run a block, or "uno cuadro," to reflect otra curiosidad que me gusta mucho. Hay mucha gente en Boston que habla espanol; hablo con ellos cuando they will let me. Not a good idea to talk about your "tricks" with Spanish-speaking strangers on the bus. (I have this great trick where I fold a quarter in a dollar bill and toss it over the tracks at Park Street T Station to the street musicians. One night I did it and suddenly all these tourists were handing me quarters and dollar bills to toss over over the tracks for them. Very difficult to describe in bad Spanish without giving wrong impression. "El truco" finally one guy said who had been pretending to look out the window but was actually listening.)
I swam by myself yesterday and then went sailing. I need to learn my vectors. Kept going up and down the river not IN to the dock. The wind was blowing straight off the dock so the guy at the boathouse told me it would have been tough for anyone to get in. I managed to dock without crashing, an accomplishment. The teenagers at Community Boating love me; it took me 14 times to pass my helmsman test, kind of a record! And the windier it is, the more they encourage me to go out, then I think they time me and take bets as to when I will go over.
Boston is chilly. I love Boston. I love how it looks. I love blizzards more than swimming.
There: I love blizzards more than swimming! We haven't had a good blizzard in three winters. I may have to move to Calgary.
