The Great 2011 Adventure

My last post was about all the things I'm most proud of from last year. Well, I do have to admit that what I displayed there did not reflect ALL that I did and am proud of which makes it even more rewarding to me. This year, I have a new adventure planned and yesterday was the first step on the journey that will likely last all year long and quite possibly longer. But before I get to that, I suddenly decided that I want to give some of the other things I did in 2010 the attention and curtsy they deserve.



Hiking in the Redwoods





Golfing



Swimming bliss

Belly Dancing classes and bought my very own finger cymbals

I was taking lessons in the beginning of the year then put my guitar down for a few months and recently picked it back up again. That's my happy place. I tried to name her Lucille but hubby said that name is already taken by BB King. :(

Down 2 notches.

Japanese cooking day was a blast and oh so good

Totally and completely landscaped my yard (front, back, and sides)

I invented the Tortizza. Yummmmm!

I managed to read a few books last year too.

 

And now, for the pièce de résistance......drum roll please....

Hubby and I are taking French classes together. First class was last night. And if you're interested, our teacher puts her lessons for newbies on her French blog. I took one year of French in high school after taking 2 1/2 years of Spanish before that. I just remember it being so frustrating because I would get the two languages mixed up and speak Frenish which no one understood but me.

Last night we went through tons of stuff.

• Pronunciation
• Body parts by way of singing head and shoulders, knees and toes
• Weather
• Gender
• Greetings

I have a list of homework and a text book that I can't understand. I thought it would all come back to me but so far...no such luck.

A bit of the story is still missing though. I left out the reason for my lessons.

That's riiiiiight! If all goes right this year, I will find myself taking my next international vacation sometime during the year. It's about time too. It's been about 5 years since my last hop across the pond.

 

What great adventures do you have planned for the year? Losing weight, exercising, running marathons, going back to school, getting a new job, starting a business, facing your fears, something else?

F is for ----

Attention, Attention Please!

I realized something the other day when I was doing my best to paddle around the pool with a gimpy arm. It was a thought that hadn't even crossed my mind yet this month. To be perfectly honest with you, I really don't know why my brain hadn't mentioned something earlier.

A lot of people are afraid of swimming!

I mean, duh!

I've been thinking about and talking about and writing about fears and such lately but because I'm not afraid of swimming, I didn't even consider that others out there reading (as if they actually are) this blog might not be interested in my lovely representation on this month's activity because of whatever personal limitations they might have. How rude of me!

So instead of ignoring fears that I myself might not have, I want to open the floor to discuss fears about fitness every week, whatever those fears may be. Sound good?


From this point forward, Fridays are to be known as Fitness Fear Fridays around here.



To kick it off in style, I think I shall make a list. You know how I love lists. I'm a list girl.

Swim Fears

• The obvious one is the fear of drowning in general.
• The fear of swimming in other human gunk. Not eloquently put but let me explain. I've heard of some people refusing to swim in a pool because they know others will pee or spit in the pool. Dead skin falls off in the pool. Hair falls out in the pool. Band aides fall off in the pool.
• The fear of swimming in lakes. I have this one. I just won't do it, I don't care. It's gross. Lake water is stagnant. Shit falls in there and sinks to the bottom forever with no where to go. The water is dark and icky and you can't see anything around or under you. Things get slimy and putrid in lakes. People dump garbage and whatever else they can think of in lakes. Not interested. No thanks.
• The fear of swimming in the ocean. People fear the great expansive ocean. They fear the depth of it. They fear the creatures of it. Maybe they just fear the mystery of it too.
• What about the fear of putting your face in the water? That's one.
• I've seen people have an unbelievable fear of floating on their back.
• Fear of exposing too much of yourself in order to participate in the swimming activity? Bashful?
• What else?

Ways to Overcome Swim Fears

• Try meditative or relaxation techniques when you feel yourself getting anxious about getting in the water or attempting something in the water that scares you.


• Deep breaths
• Visualize yourself enjoying doing whatever it is that scares you
• Go to your happy place


• Challenge yourself about the fear. We usually know that our fears are unfounded but we allow them to dictate our actions anyway. If that's ok with you, then fine, stay that way. But if it's not ok, perhaps it's time to sit down and have a debate with yourself.
• Sign up for swimming lessons. Swim teachers have dealt with every kind of fear in the water that you can think of so if you really want to overcome what's holding you back but don't know what to do or where to turn, check out your local community center pool and inquire about lessons.
• If swim lessons aren't an option for you, you can try asking a friend or family member to help you face the fear. Ideally, you want them to be a good swimmer and you want to trust that person. It's much easier to attempt swimming when you have a helping hand and watchful eye to help you out if you find yourself in trouble or to just sooth your nerves and give you the much needed encouragement.
• If you decide to face your fear alone or with a buddy, it's important to go it slowly. Don't think that you're going to just be able to do a cannon ball into the deep end on day one. Depending on how debilitating your fear is, you  may want to start just by dangling your legs in or wading in to your knees until you feel comfortable enough to push yourself a little. Allow yourself freedom to take whatever time you need to get comfortable with the water.
• Consider getting a paddle board to use for a little while while you get the hang of kicking your legs.
• What about a snorkel mask for getting use to put your face in the water?
• Goggles are great so you don't feel blind underwater.

There are all kinds of fears about water and swimming. Some may be founded but most are illogical and we usually know the truth for ourselves if we really answer the question honestly. If you don't want to let your fears hold you back from experiencing the kind of beauty and peace I feel while swimming, I suggest you challenge yourself. The only way to conquer a fear is to face it and walk through it.


Do you have a swim fear? Tell me...

And there is only one day left to vote for my August activity. Did you vote? Vote!

Swim Senses

• One thing I hear in the pool is the sound of the air bubbles bursting as I surface for another breath. I know I talked about this sense already but it really did move me enough to feel the urge to mention it again. What? No good? Ok, how about another one then.
• One OTHER thing I hear in the pool is the sound of the water sloshing against the tile walls. I really prefer it when I'm the only one in the pool because I like to play a game where I make as little disturbance in the water as possible. I mean, how much more exciting can it get if I can glide through the water without so much as leaving a wake in my path. Silently slithering through with nothing more than the top of my head disturbing the surface. I tell you, it's beauty. That's what it is.
• One thing I taste in the pool is the horrifying cologne that Mr. Fuzzy Hot Tub Man has bathed in before gracing us with is furry presence. Enough said?
• One thing I smell in the pool is the sauna. The steam room where I swim is just around the corner and when I'm taking a little swim rest at the shallow end of the pool, I can smell the wood planked room in all it's sweatiness. You know the smell right? It's the musky cedar that has been sitting a little too long so it doesn't have the crisp scent it once did but unmistakable none the less. I must admit, I love that smell.
• One thing I see in the pool is the reflection from the surface of the water on the pool floor. You know what I'm talking about right? It only happens when the sun light is just right. I'll be swimming along and come to one end where the afternoon sun is shining through the windows and I'm greeted with a playful display of watercolors in motion. No two portraits are ever the same and they change the moment you try to focus your eye on any of them. To properly appreciate the brilliance, it's most important to gently observe without expectation or judgement, letting the moving picture the freedom it needs. 





• One thing I feel in the pool is....everything. No, it's true. Swimming is an activity that literally engages every feeling I can think of. Not only does it make me feel, emotionally, but it also awakens the sense of touch on every millimeter of my body. Swimming is one big hug. It actually reminds me of my sweet Pollyanna. When Pollyanna cuddles, she doesn't just lay there and let me rub her belly. She throws her entire being into the cuddling experience. She'll nuzzle under my chin, meaning that she shoves her giant head into my throat with some very impressive force. Then she'll climb on my lap, meaning that she flings her body into mine which is impressive considering that she's old as dirt. Ready or not here she comes. She will wriggle around until she can successfully get as much of the surface area of her body to touch as much surface area of mine as possible. She just wants to be swallowed by one huge cuddle. Yup, that's exactly what swimming feels like.  

Princess Pollyanna Prissy Pants

Now it's your turn. See how this works? I go, you go. I go, you go. Ready?
What are your swim senses?
Are you swimming in a pool? In a lake (YUCK)? Or my favorite, the ocean?

Swim Song

In my last swim post, I talked about all kinds of things I love about swimming. I have another that I want to add to that list.

Years ago, when I was a chemical dependency counselor and worked with adolescents in both inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, I did all kinds of experiential activities with them. Not only are experiential activities fun and interesting but they teach some fundamental life skills that I think all people should practice.

One of my favorite exercises was one I started many of my group sessions with. It can be challenging but when you get the hang of it, it can do wonders for your mood. I would have everyone sit down and get comfortable then we would all take turns running through our senses. We would fill in the blank to the following statements and no one was allowed to say the same thing as another person.

1. One thing I hear right now is _______.
2. One thing I smell right now is _______.
3. One thing I feel right now is ________.
4. One thing I taste right now is _______.
5. One thing I see right now is _______.

The reason it's challenging is because we're not always aware of noises we hear if we're in a quiet room. What if we aren't eating anything, how can we taste something? If the room we're in is empty, how can we all come up with something different we see? I got all those questions/complaints and others. My answer is that it takes some training to really put yourself in the present and observe everything around and within you. No matter how many people or how bare the room or how long since you had your lunch, we are all going to experience our environment differently. It's up to each of us to become familiar with our bodies, our minds, our thoughts, and yes, our senses.

The other day, I walked into the pool area on a hot day and it was crowded. I mean packed! There are 4 lanes in the pool at my gym and normally 2-3 people share one lane if it's busy. There were 4-5 people sharing one lane on this particular day. It was craziness. I got into a lane and started feeling irritated with the over-crowding.

People everywhere, damn it!
Don't people know how to share a freakin' lane?
(if there are just two then split the lane in half and go back and forth on your own side but when there are 3 or more, play follow the leader going up one side and down the other so you don't end up swimming into and over each other)
I just got kicked by this stupid bitch!
Oh my god, I'm gonna smack someone!

So not a zen place to be for my swim experience. I decided I needed to just focus on what I was doing and stop worrying about everyone else. Of course, I enlisted my good ole experiential activity to get myself centered. I started going through my list and got stuck on the first one.

One thing I hear right now is _____?

Then it hit me. Have you ever listened to the sound of the air bubbles as your head bobs in and out of the water? I was doing the breast stroke so my breathing was very regular. Kick - exhale under water, stroke - inhale above water, kick - exhale under water, stroke - inhale above water. I noticed that as I was exhaling through my nose under water, the bubbles were passing by the sides of my face and as I came to the surface for another gasp of air, they made a popping sound right by my ears. No two bubbles sounded the same either. It was a symphony of air bubbles.

I spent the rest of my swim experience amazed by how fantastic it was to have my very own soundtrack. 20 laps and 40 minutes later, I was still surrounded by crazy flailing people swimming in every which direction but I was all smiles and felt like I just woke from a pleasant sleep as my swim song seemed to be a lullaby. I was calm, peaceful, centered, and thoroughly satisfied.

Since that day, I have enjoyed the sounds of the pool just as much as I did initially. And, I've noticed a couple others since then.

My challenge to you is to take a swim and pay very close attention to the sounds in your personal soundtrack. What do you hear? How does it affect your experience? What is your swim song?

I'd absolutely love to hear about your observations. Please comment to share your experiences or if you might be interested in guest posting your stories on Living Active, you can email me directly. Because I want Living Active to be more interactive and inclusive, I am looking for others who might be interested in guest posting every so often. Let me know if you're interested.

July Swim Love

Looks like July is all about swimming.

I kicked it off appropriately with an hour in the pool today and it felt GOOD.

20 laps back and forth in a full length pool doing the breast stroke.



I love swimming now that I know how to do a couple real swim strokes (thanks to my husband for teaching me). I mean, what's not to love about swimming?

• It's pretty much the only type of physical activity that anyone can do
• It's a very effective form of exercise working your entire body.
• It's good for cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength, endurance, stamina, and flexibility.
• While swimming, we actually end up working harder than we think because our body tends to maintain a lower heart rate while it's horizontal. So, if you check your heart rate after swimming a couple laps and it's around 120bpm, chances are that it's closer to actually 145-150bpm if you were standing erect.
• It's soothing
• It enhances mental focus
• It's just FUN

I'll be swimming twice a week if I can manage to fit it into my schedule. That's the plan anyway. I will be having to balance my workouts and time between weight training, cardio, and skating at least three times every week. Derby boot camp starts in 2 weeks and I'm starting my training now. I'm gonna be a busy girl.