It’s not accurate to say that I have a Love/Hate relationship with swimming. Rather, it’s a Like/Loathe situation for me.

Neither of my parents knew how to swim. Therefore, my brother and I were subjected to lessons at an early age. My brother took to the water; I did not. Starting at age 8, every Saturday morning was spent in misery at the local YWCA. It took me 4 tries to pass Beginner’s, primarily because of my refusal to put my face in the water. I loathed my instructors, the typical one a retired Drill Sargent who NEVER entered the water and yelled out instructions from the pool deck. The best day of my life occurred when I acquired Plantar’s warts from the Shower Room and my lessons stopped.

What I did enjoy was diving. I wasn’t good at it, but I liked the challenge. Unfortunately, that phase ended when I attempted a platform dive. I didn’t extend my legs and slammed into the water, sinking like a rock. This life-threatening event solidified my rejection of water for years.

Fast forward to my college years, where my college had a swimming requirement. I believe we had to be able to swim 50 yards-2 lengths of a 25 yard pool. It was there that I realized that I wasn’t nearly as bad as half of my class, many who had never been in the water before. I had no problem passing the class.

More years passed, and I started to run. Nothing else mattered. All I wanted to do was run. I was now in my 40’s. Inevitably, I sustained an injury that prevented me from running. The fitness center that I was a member of had a wonderful lap pool, and for some crazy reason it was calling me.

And so, I swam. And I really enjoyed it for the first time in my life. I loved the mechanics of swimming. Technique was everything. You could see who “had it” and those that simply flopped around in the water. I started to become a snob, mocking those people who I called “bobbers” (the old ladies who attended the water exercise classes but never wanted to get their hair wet.)

I started my Triathlon phase in my 50’s. Now, it wasn’t just about swimming-it was swimming in a lake. My first triathlon was the Cleveland Triathlon where the swim was in Lake Erie. It was here that I learned that I truly sucked in open water. I was completely unprepared for this part of the triathlon.

Well here I am again. After taking a year off from triathlons, I’m training again. I have 2 warm up Sprints this Spring leading up to my first Ironman 70.3 in July. I’m learning to like swimming again. The workouts are really tough, but the satisfaction I get when I’ve completed each one makes me feel like I’ve grown a scale or two. 🐠