Ultimately, to stay fit. But when I just set my goal to 'stay fit' I usually end up turning off the alarm instead of getting up early to lift and/or swim. But if there is a meet on the horizon, I'm motivated to swim fast. So I get out of bed and workout, and stay fit as a result.
I heard this comment attributed to a former Olympic great and it resonated to me, "I swim because I feel better afterwards."
There's simply no other exercise that I do that leaves me feeling as simultaneously energized and mellow as swimming, even if I've had a bad workout. I use swimming very effectively as a drug to improve my professional performance: whenever I have a big client presentation, I try to ensure I swim that morning as they always go better when I do. More powerful than espresso!
I remember when my mom dropped me off for my first swim lessons. I had to quit because I was too scared to jump in. Years later I eventually learned to swim good enough to keep from drowning.
F-Fwd 35 years to my own children's lesson's when they encouraged me to try it out. After learning to do several laps without stopping, I noticed I got "high" from it and my body felt good afterwards, then I becamed hooked June 2008.
As far as the "shaving" option I voted for, I chose it because I figured no one else would. But the real reason I swim is because I am addicted to it physically, and when I see improvements it also becomes psychological.
Say you swim because you are both arrogant and look great in a Speedo thong.
Does this make you a haughty hottie?
I ask because I think maybe that's me.
Love that: Swim butterfly and soar like a chicken! :)
(know what you mean though. I feel like a dolphin swimming fly -- even though I lose that feeling after about 30 seconds)
Soar like a Chicken, or sore like a Chicken? :)
I voted Jimby because there was no option for "I've always known I'd be eaten by a shark and it can't happen unless I swim"
I voted for the fitness reason, but I also swim because I love being in the water. There is something so very seductive about water. I'm drawn to it like the proverbial "moth to the flame."
Just this week I had the most amazing experience while working out. At one point during one of my longer swim intervals, I completely forgot that I was in the water. It felt just as natural as walking on dry land. I never thought I would achieve Nirvana while swimming, but I can't wait for it to happen again. :)
Try weighing yourself before and after a hard workout and see if this assumption is valid.
Perhaps what you mean is, I can train hard and my copious amounts of sweat are hidden in plain sight by pool water.
True to a degree but it's more complicated than that.
See: www.swim-city.com/library.php3
Basically, you sweat less doing strenuous physical activity in water than on land.
Of course, what I meant in my post was that you do not feel sweaty.
