This "guppie" starting to LOVE swimming!

When I did my first triathlon, a sprint distance at Devil's Lake, in 2003, I swore I would never do it again. It was the most awful experience. The 400 meter swim about killed me! I had never been good at swimming, and to prepare for the race, I plundered through a few yards in the pool at the club.
The morning of the race, the weather conditions were horrible. It was in the upper 40's and raining. Having to wait 45 minutes for my wave to start, I was already hypothermic when I entered the water. I was shivering with the cold, my teeth were chattering, and my feet and fingers were numb. The cold, spring-fed lake took my breath away. I could not put my face in the water. The lake was choppy, and all I wanted to do was get back out before I died. I dog paddled my way to the first buey and thought, "This is nuts. I need to get out! Maybe those nice people in the boat will haul my butt out of this damned water!!" The nice people looked at me, didn't say anything, and gave me a strange look. Maybe I was hallucinating at that point, but I interpreted their look to mean, "Look at this chick. It's only a 400 meter swim and she wants to get out already? What a woosie!" I got MAD...and I did everything I could, WITHOUT putting my face in the water, to finish that swim. I did dog paddle, side stroke, and back stroke...which was mainly floating on my back and gasping for air. When I FINALLY stumbled onto the shore, I looked at my watch and was stunned to discover that it took me almost 14 minutes to do that swim. It truly felt like an hour! Of course, almost 14 minutes for a 400 m swim is less then stellar. (My friend Susan, who is a gifted swimmer, can swim 1000 m in less time!) By the time I got on my bike, I was wrecked. I was nauseated, numb from cold, and had a headache. The first mile of the bike is an uphill climb. I got off my bike and pushed. I did this two other times during that ride. Then came the run. YES....my strength! I had nothing left. It was more of a slow jog, but at least I was still upright! I finished the race...and I said, "NEVER AGAIN!!"
But, like childbirth...again with the pregnancy analogy...the pain is not forgotten, but muted by the love and joy of the experience. I wanted to do it again! My dream of participating in Ironman was just starting to form. This week marks the 5th anniversary of my ruptured Cerebral AVM. My plans to run a fall marathon and pursuit triathlon were put on hold, indefinitely.
After my Craniotomy, my neurosurgeon strongly discouraged me from participating in triathlon. There was, and apparently still is, a risk for seizures as a result of the surgery and the presence of the two remaining CAVM's. He worried less about running and cycling, although these were still issues. But, he said, "If something happens in the water, especially during a mass swim, you may not get noticed until it is too late". That scared me enough to put me off for awhile! However, after a couple of years without any seizures and having successfully completed a few marathons, the triathlon bug had bitten again. I wanted to go for it. I rationalized about the slight risk, and held true to my general philosophy of life. There is a risk to every choice we make, to every step that carries us forward. In most cases, it is more than worth it!
Two years ago, Susan encouraged me to join her Master's swim class. She thought it would be good for me to swim with a knowledgeable coach as well as other swimmers. The class is divided according to ability, with lane 1 being the rock star lane....Susan is in this lane, and lane 6 being the beginners. I quickly started calling it the "guppie lane". There were only 2 or 3 people in the guppie lane, and I was buy far the worst! The first day, it took me the whole 75 minutes to kick...with a board...200 meters!!! :-O I would kick, and not move forward at all! Jerry, the coach, looked at me....and shook his head and laughed!! That's all is took. I was determined to learn how to swim!!!
A few weeks ago, Jerry moved me out of guppie lane. It took me TWO YEARS to get out of guppie lane. I want to go back, but Jerry is not letting me. He says, "It's time to start pushing you." I'm having a very hard time keeping up with the other swimmers in my lane. I've gone back to feeling like I did on that first day. But when I look back at where I started, and the SLOW and painful improvements I have made over this time, I feel very proud! It's still very frustrating, I'm still fairly slow, but I'm feeling much stronger and more comfortable in the water. My endurance is MUCH better! And there are times, much like the runner's high that I sometimes feel, that I think, "yes, this is it. I could swim forever!" I'm finding my bliss in the water.
Enjoy this day! :-)