I'm going back into the pool today, and still trying to get my schedule and packing together so that I can dash in, dash out, take my shower, get dressed and hit the road efficiently. I'm still stumbling a bit, and not least because I'm still trying to nail my music/books and my routine. But, it's wonderful to even think about being back in the water again, so as the saying goes ... "I will persevere".
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I think I managed close to 1/2 mile on Monday. I'm going to try to do that, or maybe a bit more, again today. I'm just so happy to be going back to the pool again. Whether I can do my full mile or not ... I'll get there eventually. |
Today, after Monday's disappointing goggle mess, I'm bringing a set of goggles that I'm pretty sure work well for me, as well as a set of wired underwater headphones and my underwater iPod. I'll just continue to listen to the adventures of Amelia Peabody instead of tunes today and I'll be just fine. It's going to take several weeks of practice to get my morning routine back into shape, and I've got more goggles coming in (goggles, thank goodness, are the least expensive part of my swim gear), so I'll soon have lots of options for either a book or music for my morning swims.
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I think I have at least six different sets of underwater earbuds that I can use. They're not bone induction, so the sound isn't as good, but there's sound and something I want to listen to, and that's all I need for a successful workout. I'm hoping I'll have a productive swim, while Amelia and Emily leave and go south along the Nile towards Amarna. |
On Monday morning, as I was catching up with Rosemary, she mentioned that our mutual friend Meg had a stroke while swimming in the outdoor pool at the end of July. I had spoken to Meg while she was out walking her dogs, no more than three weeks prior to this, so it was a complete shock. Apparently she lost the ability to move her left arm while swimming with her usual group of friends, then also lost the ability to move her left leg. The YMCA contacted an ambulance and she was loaded up and taken away.
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I love my friends, and my swimming and exercise buddies at the YMCA are very dear to me. We lost John over the year off, and we miss him every time we're waiting at the door. But the rest of us are still there, still coming, and still swimming. It's a great group of people. |
But Meg was in the locker room for a 6:00 am swim time on Monday and we intersected. She said it was hard ... really hard, for her to come back from the stroke, but she fought like a crazy woman to get her mobility back, and that it had almost completely returned. There was a little bit lost in the top arc of her forward stroke, but she was still working on getting those muscles back to full function. Such an inspiration! When my mother-in-law had a stroke, she basically collapsed and was never the same again. She had been extremely sedentary, and the stroke made her one step away from being a total invalid. Meg, on the other hand, is one of the most active and athletic people I know, and she just refused to let her stroke get the best of her. I'm so happy she's almost recovered in slightly more than two months.
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I'm eternally grateful that our pool doesn't get this crowded. I've actually seen photos of some pools in China that are this packed! Our pool, especially now with reservations required, limits the total number of people per lane to two. That means 10 people can reserve a spot every morning. I already have 5:00 am reserved for Friday. |
So, short and sweet today. I have my swim bag and locker bags ready, I hope my audio book transmits OK through my headphones so that I won't be adjusting them constantly, and I'm really hoping to get a good workout in the pool today. I'm woefully out of practice for my water exercise, and getting to my full mile in the pool again soon is my primary goal. A mile in the water every time is an excellent workout and I miss it. Have a wonderful and extraordinary day and I'll be back tomorrow.
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