Swimming

I have been forced to stop running for a while so my injuries can heal once and for all. I have been battling leg pain on and off since last year, and I need that crap out of my life. The doc suggests at least six weeks off my feet, and then a very gradual return program.

In the meantime, I decided to try swimming to keep my fitness up. I haven't been much of a swimmer since I was a kid, but it's probably like riding a bike, right? Sort of. I do remember how to keep my head above water, but there is so much more to swimming lengths than just flailing around at the surface (which is largely what I used to do as a kid).

Some things I've learned since I've been frequenting the pool:

Swimming pools are really gross. Nothing like immersing yourself in a tank of bacteria to get you fit and healthy! Other people's sweat, snot, and saliva mingling with your own - gag.

The swimmers' society is a world unto itself. The lean, bathing capped, goggle sporting, speedo clad torpedoes shooting to and fro in the lane pool have an exclusive club with rules, etiquette, and protocol that is confusing to newcomers. Which lane do you choose if you are faster than the old ladies in the "slow" lane, but can't keep up with the serious swimmers in the "medium" lane?

The delicate balance of oxygen and exertion. Trying to get enough air without drowning in the process is a fine line, and takes practice and finesse. You can't just breathe whenever you feel the need as you do in the entire rest of your life's activities.

The equipment. Yes, running has a lot of gadgets and equipment too, but the swimming ones are foreign to me still. I see some swimmers with fancy snorkels, some with different types of earplugs, strange devices I can only guess are for keeping one's legs in a certain position. And of course, most of the other people I see in that end of the pool wear special sporty bathing suits that don't feature ruffles, polka dots, or jazzy embellishments.

How far is far? I was starting to become familiar with the running distances and speeds, what runs are respectable in context of effort and in conjunction with the other adjacent runs. But swimming is entirely new. How many laps is a "decent" workout? How fast is "good"?

I really suck at swimming! Learning a new skill takes time. I feel like I'm just learning to walk - toddling a few steps at a time before falling on my butt over and over again. Trying my best but not really covering much ground.

Patience. Whenever I wish I was better at something, I try to remind myself that with patience and perseverance come the rewards one seeks. And in the meantime, swimming is affording me an outlet for exercise while I am forbidden to run. But it has given me a new appreciation for the simplicity of running; just going out and putting one foot in front of the other seems so easy once compared to the many faceted phenomenon of moving through water.