Swimming | Half of Jess

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Just Keep Swimming

by Jess on June 15th, 2010 in Swimming

I’m still recovering from my Half Marathon. I’ve decided to stay off my feet for at least a week or so. The last thing I want is an injury related to over-use and over-training. I do have a Full Marathon coming up, and I don’t want to cause any unnecessary delays to my training by rushing back into running too soon.

Just because I’m not running doesn’t mean I’m being a bum. I recently overcame my insecurity about being seen in a bathing suit. Since then, I’ve been taking full advantage of my gym’s pool.

I do have a triathlon to train for as well.

Tonight, I decided to go for it. All or nothing. Balls to the wall. Gung-ho status. I was determined to swim my heart out. Before tonight, the longest I’ve swam for was 800 meters freestyle nonstop.

Tonight, I blew that out of the water (no pun intended). As a matter of fact, I doubled it.

1600 meters freestyle. Nonstop.

Yep, that’s right.

One freaking mile.

For some reason, swimming a mile in the water feels infinitely longer, farther, and harder than running a mile on land. Although I honestly believe that everyone is meant to be a runner, swimming does not come that naturally.

Why?

Well, for starters, we can’t breathe underwater. If I could sprout gills like Aquaman, I would, but unfortunately, I’m not blessed with that particular genetic mutation.

Secondly, being in the water just feels different. I’m removed from my natural element. I love the feeling of being in the water, but it takes some adjusting to. Nobody plops into the water and transforms into a dolphin. Not even Michael Phelps.

Swimming is not second nature. It’s difficult because it’s different. It’s strange. It’s weird.

But, as with all things, the more you do it, the more you get accustomed to it. The more you get accustomed to it, the better you get at it. Eventually, it will become natural. Practice makes perfect.

Swimming a mile was tough. I wanted to stop at 900 meters, but I convinced myself to get to 1000. I wanted to quit at 1400 meters, but I was only 8 laps away from 1600 meters. I knew I’d regret it if I stopped at 1400. So I carried on.

Just like running, swimming is also a mental game. And just like running, I will keep practicing until it becomes second nature. I refuse to quit.

Even though swimming a mile left me out of breath, light-headed, and on the verge of puking, I still finished. I still did it. And that’s a win in my book.

Is there such a thing as swimmer’s high?

Do you enjoy swimming? What do you do to cross-train?

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Day 108: Overcoming Insecurities

by Jess on May 20th, 2010 in Revelations, Swimming

We all have insecurities. No matter how trivial they may seem, our insecurities make us feel like the weakest, smallest, most vulnerable, most useless person in the world. They gnaw at us inside because our insecurities are all mental. The fear our minds have created consume us, leave us immobile, and the only person who can overcome a mental roadblock is ourselves. It’s tough to overcome insecurities, especially if it’s related to the body.

I am insecure about my body. My calves are too big. My arms jiggle. My belly, well, it’s definitely not flat. My thighs touch each other. Love handles? Yep, I’ve got them.

A few weeks ago, I said that I would start swimming after I hit the 170s. For some reason, I was convinced that I would magically be happy with my body when I reached a certain weight. For some reason, I thought that by being in the 170s, I would immediately feel comfortable about wearing a swimsuit in public. For some reason, I was holding myself back, waiting instead of living.

The more I read about triathlons, the more I wanted to swim. I’ve started my cycling training and I am The One when it comes to running, but I just couldn’t muster up the courage to swim. I had debilitated myself before I even began. I had sidelined myself before I even started trying.

I finally realized that it wasn’t the number on the scale that would make me comfortable. Everything I believed about myself was all in my head. All the “oh, people will judge you”, all the “they’ll think you’re fat”, everything, was a mental fabrication. If I stopped caring about what other people thought and truly started caring about myself, then it doesn’t matter what weight I’m at when I hop into the pool.

I was the only one hindering myself. I was the only one preventing myself from training for a triathlon. I was the only one stopping myself from becoming better.

It was time to stop holding myself back.

On Monday, I went to Ross and bought myself a one-piece. It was on sale for $20. I also got myself a pair of Ironman goggles from Big 5 for $7. And then, I tackled the gym. My gym has a public pool. The last time I was seen at a public pool in a swimsuit was at least four years ago.

But it was time to get over my insecurities. It was time to overcome my fears and do what I really wanted to do: train and swim.

So I got into my swimsuit, hopped in the pool, and busted out 150 meters nonstop. It felt great. For the first two laps, I had to remember how to breathe properly, but the more comfortable I got in the water, the more things started falling into place. I ended up swimming a total of 500 meters, and I was proud of myself. Proud of myself for getting back into the pool. Proud of myself for starting my triathlon training. Proud of myself for overcoming my bodily insecurities.

It is liberating. Getting into a swimsuit and hopping into a pool has led me to believe in myself even more, to have more confidence in my abilities.

And I honestly believe that everything happens for a reason. The guy swimming laps in the lane next to me stopped to ask if I was training for a race. I told him about my goal of becoming a triathlete. He told me that I swam well, that my form was great, that he could tell I was dedicated. He encouraged me to not give up, to keep practicing, to continue to push myself.

A stranger’s compliment was the perfect pat on the back that I needed, not for my swimming, but for my ability to overcome my insecurity about being seen in a swimsuit.

I realized that I’m not out there to impress. I’m out there to train for myself, to live for myself, to achieve for myself.

I’m doing this for myself.

What insecurities have you overcome? What insecurities do you WANT to overcome?

THE DAILY BITE

Beef & Pork Chow Mein – Dinner: pancit noodles stir-fried with ground beef, ground pork, white onions, green garlic, yu choy, cabbage, mushrooms, bean sprouts, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Sriracha, and Shaoxing wine.