My Splashy Happy Place

Whilst swimming recently, I was thinking of what I love about swimming. I was lucky enough to receive regular swimming lessons as a child and went on to train and race as part of a club. I am not very competitive so was never very into racing; I often came fourth against females younger, faster and much more pressurised by their parents. I always wished there was a medal for fourth. I did earned numerous bronze medals too. I may have owned one silver.

Despite being less than keen on racing, I loved swimming as a sport and an all-body work-out. At 16yrs I left school and attended college. I was being encouraged, by the new swim club manager, to race and he regularly had the whole team practice their sprints and trials to improve their PBs. I became frustrated by this and said to my favourite instructor, with whom I was cheeky and had a good rapport. I requested a lane for those (my friend and I) who wanted to swim recreationally, for exercise, and didn't care for racing. I think there were a regular four of us who swam two or three times a week and paid a reduced club fee. After college, I left to work with Camp America (as a Lifeguard and Swim Instructor) and the recreational team/lane apparently dispersed.

I thoroughly enjoyed my most recent swim, as I do every time I swim after a long break and enjoy feeling my muscles ache over the following couple of days. This time, as I pounded through the water with smooth precision (haha I'm not that big-headed, I just though that sentence sounded cool!)... where was I?! Oh yeah, whilst swimming, I thought about the things I LOVE about swimming:

* It's a natural massage for your body as the water provides a gentle resistance
* No equipment necessary; all you need is your own body
* It can save your life or take it - knowing how to deal with and feeling comfortable in water can prevent drowning
* Adventure & Surprise - I was told after swimming laps in the Indian Ocean (whilst volunteering with dolphins at Monkey Mia, Western Australia) that a dolphin had been swimming beside me as I swam.
* Other reasons I thought of whilst swimming but forget now I can log them!
* It's my happy place - I feel so free when I swim

The time before this aforementioned swim sesh, I swam in Lake Simcoe, between two floating buoys on a final random blast of warmth which followed a cool period. Everybody flocked to the beach. I had to work at 6pm but massively enjoyed the swim; the lake was still warmer than the sea and less salty! Hold On.... the salty memory reminds me that I did actually have the pleasure of swimming in the sea at St Pete's in Florida in November. The other thing I love about swimming is that it can be cost-free.

I'm losing concentration (I have four started and unfinished blog posts >,<).
I've tried desperately to find some relevant photos of my own but without luck (or access to external hard-drive) as yet.

Thanks for stopping by.