Which fool sets their alarm for 8:15am on a Sunday morning? Me! Why? To overcome a fear I've had for years. 'What is this fear?' I hear you ask. WATER is my response! Not drinking water you silly billy but swimming in it. If you saw me last year in a pool or in the sea at shoulder depth that meant I was about to drown. My fear came from a few different experiences, obviously not pleasant and as I had never tackled this fear it increased year by year. I'm guessing this adds to the reasons as to why I don't like summer. I don't believe in new year's resolutions because I figure if you're really keen to do something you can start it any day of the year, having said that it was my summer goal to tackle this fear. One main personal reasons led to this decision, the main reason I set out to do this at the time was actually not to overcome the fear, weird I know, but when this reason soon became no longer relevant I thought 'pfft why bother'. One of my besties said to me 'Fuck that Cass, just do it. Do it for yourself otherwise this "reason/fear" wins'. True she was. So after about 4 weeks of contemplation I went to the counter at my gym and asked to enroll in the adult beginners swimming lessons. That was the most embarrassing and challenging part of the process. Talking to someone, most probably younger than me, and admitting I didn't know how to swim. 'so do you want to enroll in beginners beginners or intermediate?' 'umm, beginners' I said as I blushed (I assume I was blushing). 'So you can't float or...' ,'No', 'Oh, ok'. So I signed this, signed that, was told pay this amount of money and be there at 9:45am every Sunday morning. Uggh!
I rocked up to my first lesson, almost as embarrassed as I was when I had signed up. One of the kiddy classes was next to me. All of these 10 years olds swam better than me, obviously. Could it get any more embarrassing? Nah! My instructor rocked up. When I saw him I thought 'phew, he'll definitely be able to pull me out of the water' (that at the time didn't go above my chest) as he was a big muscly guy. I later found out he plays water polo. I was "in good hands" (which he did have to use once).
Well now I'm in the intermediate class. My alarm goes off half an hour earlier than it used to. I'm sure you can make the connection as to why. I was 10 minutes late this morning but better late than never. The water depth is 3m in the pool the intermediate classes use. I was just as scared the first lesson I had in the intermediate class as I was in the beginners class. There is no way I can put my feet down if I freak out or give up now. After a month or so I forgot about the depth. Every now and then I think about it and freak out. That happened this morning as I was half way through a lap of freestyle. It's amazing the power that positive thinking and reassuring yourself can have. I'm still here. Watch out you mofo of a fear, I'm winning! I'm not bad with the freestyle, if I do say so myself, improving on the backstroke, still a fair way to go with the breaststroke but I'll get there. Next week will be my last lesson for a while. I was thinking of getting my trainer a thank-you card, does that cross the line?
Screw tumble turns!
Most of the time I'll spend another 10-20 minutes swimming after the lesson finishes before heading up to the BodyBalance class. Jumped straight out of the water this morning. Not really sure why. I love BodyBalance although the balancing part isn't my strong point in the class. If you've done it, you'll get it. If you haven't I challenge you to and then you can decide whether to laugh at what I just wrote or sympathise with me. I'm going to miss this class. It's such a great way to relax yet at the same time it's a pretty good workout, it's got nothing on BodyCombat though. That one gets every bad vibe/feeling/negative emotion out of me. I must admit one's mindset does help to achieve this during the class or maybe it's the trainer. She's wicked. Another challenge for you.
I got a coffee on the way home, every-time I order a skinny flat white I regret it, just go the full fat version, they taste better. No point in going a skinny when you add sugar anyway is there.
I was almost home and this car was driving towards me with their wipers going full speed. Who forgets to turn off their wipers? 5 seconds later I realised they didn't forget to turn them off. Crazy!
Watch this space, news coming, possibly! It takes courage to share some things but that's one reason I started this, to share. Isn't that one reason you do it or read them?
I hope this blogging doesn't become an addiction.
Don't really know the actual story behind this song but the lyrics fit to the overall themes of this post! Haven't even watched this clip ha!
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