I met the challenge!

This will be short today.  Mainly I'm writing to say that 2 days early I have met Stacia's Pool Challenge, which was really a challenge to get into your local swimming pool at least 3 times before June 21.  Today I completed my 3rd pool workout by swimming laps for 35 minutes.  But it certainly won't stop now that I've actually met and completed a challenge in blogdom.  I swam twice this week, Thursday and today, and doing it in such close succession really "installed" into me how great it feels to swim. 

It's thanks to Stacia and her fantastic blog Swimming It Off that I actually fulfilled the "dream" alluded to in my blog's URL - willswimagain.  For too many years, including most of my children's growing up, I did not go into the water because I couldn't bear to bare the bod in a swimsuit.  Vanity is such a mixed bag of mental bullsh*t at times.  It can be a good thing in that we want to look neat, well put together, attractive....but so detrimental when it limits us from fulfilling not only potential, but joyful activities.  I practically swam into the world wearing flipflops, as swimming was a daily and often several times daily activity for me from age 4 on when my parents moved to Florida from New York and immediately joined the local swim club.  I was a total fish - loved swimming and how my body felt sleek and agile in the water. 

Prior to starting this blog, I hadn't swum since I was pregnant with my youngest son, who is now 21!  He was born on August 30th 1988, and that summer, a big 'ole pregnant woman, I joined the annual 1000 lap club at our pool.  It was a saving grace during that long hot humid summer.  Again - even at the end of my pregnancy, by body felt so fantastic in the water.  And that baby, Marky (Mom is still allowed to call him that when no one is around) was a natural unmedicated birth after I'd had 2 C sections with the prior kids.  I think my amazing VBAC experience was a success because I was in such good shape from the 1000+ laps of swimming in the previous 3 months.

Today in the pool, I could feel my freestyle stroke starting to really smooth out.  My 204 (maybe less, didn't weigh today) pound body felt agile and sleek in the water.  I finally got the nerve to try some somersaults in the water - forward and back.  Hadn't tried that before as I wasn't sure my brain wouldn't explode or something.  It all felt awesome.

So today's 3rd swim since Stacia offered up the challenge in May won't be the last.  It will be a several time a week addition to my workouts.  I'm so glad I finally put more than a toe into the water!

Tomorrow I will post the winners of the giveaway.  Probably won't be until late in the day, as I haven't even compiled all the entrants yet!  Need to get crackin'!  Good luck to anyone who entered - I hope you win!