I thought it might be interesting to share a bit of my fitness background for whoever reads this blog... and if nobody out there is reading it but me, it will serve as a reminder of what I have been capable of in the past.
The Swimming Years
At the age of 3 or 4, I was lucky to have a father who was into just about everything and whose parents were members of the local swim club. I can't even remember a time when I wasn't swimming. It seemed to come naturally to me. I'm not entirely sure if my mom & dad could truly afford those swim club dues, but I loved swimming so much that they somehow managed. I started swimming at such a young age that I never developed a fear of the water. By the time I was about 5 or 6, I was already swimming a proper freestyle stroke and was on the club's swim team. Over the years I developed a natural knack for all four strokes... which, in the eyes of all of my future swim coaches, made me perfect for individual medley races (butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, freestyle). I swam competitively all through elementary, junior high school and high school... burning out when I was about 17. I never swam my senior year. I had just had enough. Over the years I learned that swimming is about the mastery of proper technique and conditioning. If you think running is difficult, swimming is right up there... perhaps even more difficult in many aspects b/c you have to work against the resistance of the water. To be an effective swimmer, you basically need to be a year-round swimmer. I was probably at my best during 8th and 9th grade when I 'was' swimming year-round. When I was only swimming seasonally, I never really seemed to reach peak fitness.
Swimming has always been 'my sport'. It's not the sport that I love the most (that would be tennis), but it's the sport that I'm most familiar with and most suited to (with my broad, muscular shoulders, narrowish hips). Unfortunately, I don't swim very often. I have a 40' lap pool in my backyard... built with the intention that I 'would' swim in it; however, my stroke is too effective for a 40' pool. I can get about 4 butterfly strokes in before I have to turn. I make myself dizzy. We probably should have put in one of those 'endless pools' so that I could swim against water pressure.
Swimming IS something that I would like to get back in to. Perhaps that will be my next goal after I complete C25K... seems right on with wanting to eventually do a sprint tri.
The Dancing Years
I started dancing around age 4 or 5. I should preface this by saying that even to this day, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE performing. Singing, dancing, acting! Love it! Anyway, I danced ballet, tap, and jazz until I was 11 years old. When I moved school districts, I also moved too far from my dance studio. To substitute my need to perform, I ended up becoming a Varsity cheerleader in high school. I cheered during my 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years (football and basketball).
The Tennis Years
Tennis is a sport that, unfortunately, I discovered too late in life... and one that wasn't very popular in the area that I grew up in. I picked up my very first tennis racket in 9th grade. I stunk like a cow pasture, but I loved the sport. I played for two years in high school when I eventually had to choose between cheerleading committments and tennis. I chose cheerleading. Living in Florida for the past 6 years has spawned a renewed interest in tennis. I'm better now than I ever was in high school and I have a true love for the sport. It's the physical activity that I turn to when I don't want to 'dread' my workout. For those who haven't ever picked up a racket but would like to experience the benefits that tennis offers, give CardioTennis a whirl. You can probably find a class at a fitness club near you! I adore it!!!
The Soccer Years
I started playing soccer around age 5 or so and I played every season until age 10. I was a goal keeper... and a darn good one. Not too much to say about soccer. It was just the 'something else' that I did outside of swim season and around dance classes.
Yes, so there we have it: the swimming years, the dancing years, the tennis years, the soccer years... my fitness timespan in a nutshell.
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