First Swim of the Year

I finally just sucked it up and did it.

I had a work meeting yesterday at 1pm. I wore my bathing suit under my clothes and went straight from my station to the Y so that I couldn't give myself the opportunity to back out.

First thing when I got to the Y, I peeked into the pool area (which I always do to make sure there aren't any swim practices or anything going on). The pool was packed and all the lanes were full. For one bleak moment, I considered leaving and going home (I really don't like sharing lanes... I always end up feeling pressured to go faster or slower to accommodate the other swimmer). But I slapped myself out of it and decided that I would wait for an empty lane if I had to.

A few minutes later, I was suited up and in my own empty lane. It was surprisingly warm. One thing I'd like to point out is how GREAT I looked in my bathing suit! Last time I wore it, I was over 15 pounds heavier. What a difference it made.

Since I hadn't been in the pool since September, I decided to take it easy. I only swam for a quarter mile. I was shocked at how good I felt. I expected to be tired and slow, but my lap times were pretty consistent with last year's. The only real thing that stopped me from going further was an aching pain in my right ear. I guess my ears just weren't used to getting all that water stuck inside them. Towards my last few laps, I was stopped at every end of the pool to shake out my head.

Overall, I'm really glad my first swim went well. It was a good start to hopefully keep me motivated to get in the pool more often.

I AM considering all your suggestions to go ahead and sign up for the triathlon. Pay $53 to ensure a new job? Makes sense. I have applied for over 45 jobs since the beginning of December without a single station contacting me. That's just sad.