Just Keep Swimming...

This morning I did my first swim workout in far toooo llooonngg!! Okay one main reason for that was the lack of a bathing suit made for lap swimming in my size. Yes I had one that I have had for years that was WAYY too big, but I just never could get around to buying one that fit. (See: my fear of buying bathing suits in general! :P)

So finally yesterday I decided that since I had a 16 mile run on Saturday, I wanted to get a low impact workout in on Friday and what better way than in the pool. So I asked the wife to borrow one of hers. She is a good 2 inches shorter than me, but I thought it would be able to stretch enough to make it work. I set that aside and proceeded to dig out my goggles and swim cap.

Ohh it felt good to even take those out of the bottom draw!

After my final Weight Watchers meeting of the week, I hit the Boston Sports Club pool near my house - since they always have at least 3 lap lanes available at all times - and was ready to get back to the pool.

---

Growing up I always loved swimming. My mom always said I was a natural born fish. I was on a swim team constantly until I hit High School. In junior high, I even coached my own little swim team at the local Boys & Girls Club - Dani's Divers - and had a blast.

But then it just went to the wayside as other sports took the forefront of my time. I tried to get back into swimming after college whenever possible as a way to get back in to shape .

Thankfully our gym in Chicago had a pool, but it seemed every time I tried to hit up the pool it was jam packed.

So I was psyched when we got the Boston to find that this pool always had a couple lanes open and since my schedule is more flexible now I could pay attention to when it is dead.

---

So this morning I put the suit back on and I can tell you it felt awesome! I was excited since my ActiveLink (Weight Watchers activity monitor) is actually waterproof so I could wear it in the pool as well! :)

I went into the pool without a clear cut plan and just made one up as I went along. I couldn't remember how much a mile was in "lap" speak so I focused on getting into the rhythm instead.

I felt AWESOME throughout the swim. I loved how I didn't have to worry about my back or my knees or my ankles. I could just let go and swim.

---

Since there isn't much thought needed in swimming laps or outside noise to bother you, it is a GREAT time to just think. And as I swam I thought about how it relates my life and my weight loss journey.

No matter how long it had been since I was last in the pool or the last time I even thought about lap swimming ... as soon as I started the freestyle it came right back to me. The breathing. The strokes. The kicks. It was second nature.

My weight loss journey has been the same way ... especially this summer.

As many know I used to work many days straight without a day off when I worked in baseball, which led to a much more regimented schedule - which overall lent itself very well to weight loss and Weight Watchers during the tricky summer months.

Well, this summer is completely different, I feel like a New Member trying to navigate the world of Happy Hours, weekends away, BBQs, etc.

But, I am learning that even if I take a couple of weeks of what I call a "relaxed adherence to the plan" (thanks fellow WW Leaders for that phrase), I know that I can get right back into the swing of it when I need to.

I just need to jump right back in and start swimming...

---

So in the words of Dori when it is time to bear down and get back to basics: