Fundraising via swimming is a good thing. In this case, swimming two, one-hour shifts as part of a 24-hour relay was a really good thing.
Not only did our relay meet the key objective of raising money (nearly $1,000) for a worthy cause, the Molly Bloom Foundation (mollybloomfoundation.org, but I feel as if I accomplished the personal goal of “get outside my usual swim box.”
Here’s why:
–I swam in a new pool, something which never gets old for me. Before the event, I didn’t even know it existed. The Skyline Tennis and Swim Club turned out to be a charming little facility. After crossing a foot bridge over a little stream to enter, you faced a grassy area dotted with picnic benches and shade trees as well as three pools and what is probably a concession stand during normal hours in the aquatics area. It had a nur-nur feel and thus brought back many childhood memories for me.
–I met swimmers of all ages. Some ladies “water aerobized” their hour away. Age groupers asked me to race them and then told me about their goals for the upcoming season. Both times I swam with one of the lifeguards who was swimming two hours on, one off over, the 24-hour period. Plus, I caught up with members on my own team that I hadn’t seen in a awhile.
–I swam at a weird hour. Absolutely, the kick-off leg I did at 10 a.m. was pretty par for the course. Swimming a few hours later than the norm in the morning wasn’t a problem. In fact, it was kind of nice to have enough time to digest a regular breakfast vs gulping down a drink of some sort pre-a.m. swim. The 10 p.m. hour turned out to be just as fun. I was worried I’d doze off before even diving in since I normally go to bed early (got to get those early workouts in!) but the cool air and enthusiasm for swimming energized me. Once in the water, it was really cool to be surrounded by an inky black sky with stars. And, I really liked the glow in the dark bracelets event organizers gave us to wear!
–I did my first “double” since my age group days. Doubles were the norm during my summer and scholastic seasons. As a master, I figured this might not be the best approach for an aging body, even though I know some masters who successfully incorporate them into their trainiing regimen. Honestly though, after some initital stiffness during the first 300 yards or so, I was fine. Good to know my body is stronger than I suspect!
Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist