Dog-Paddling
I've been taking the kids swimming at our neighborhood pool almost every day for the last week. I'm over the horror of appearing in public in a bathing suit. In fact, I'm almost feeling like I need to buy a new suit that maybe doesn't feature a skirt that goes down to my knees. Despite my use of sunblock, I'm also getting a wee tan, which I know I shouldn't be happy about, because aging, skin cancer, yadda yadda yadda.
Look, browned flab looks better than white flab. Think about bacon. It is just not as delicious looking when it is raw, you know what I mean? I imagine that I"m sizzling. I'm not TRYING to get tan. But I'm not going to cry about it. Or stay out of the pool.
Speaking of which - swimming is something that I'm never sure how to enjoy. When I was a kid, I was on a swim team, and while I was never one of the 'good' competitors, I won a few ribbons at a few races. But since then, I've never really enjoyed lap swimming. Besides, now that I'm paying to have my hair colored, I don't want to fuh-reak my 'do out with a bunch of chlorine.
That aside, it feels ridiculous to just stand waist deep in the pool while my kids swim around. I mean, I need more exercise - and I'm ALREADY WET AND STANDING IN THE POOL. No excuses!
I've been grabbing one of our pool noodles and using it like a kickboard, slowly kicking my way from one end of the pool to the other, as slow as can be. The fronts of my shins and thighs are killing me, by the way. Flutter kicking. Bah. But yesterday, I wanted to work my arms. Without getting my head wet.
I tried riding the pool noodle like a horsie, and doing breast stroke arms. That was a miserable failure, with a round-trip lap time of nearly 5 minutes. I ditched the noodle, and ended up doing the dog-paddle in chest high water, so I could keep my freshly colored locks dry. My kids were looking at me like I was a freak, and I'll admit, I was rolling my eyes (while working my thighs) at myself.
I've become one of those women I used to scoff at who refused to get their heads wet at the pool. But I did 20 laps, and I'm feeling it today, so I'm thinking I need to do more of that.
I'm putting up a new exercise challenge daily over at my CafeMom group - go add your own challenges!
Comments
I love swimming! I used to go regularly to our pool's daily water aerobics class. It is so fun and you can really get a great workout. I'd recommend attending a couple of those classes to get some moves that will benefit you in the water. There is plenty you can do underwater that will really work your muscles.
Have fun!
Posted by: Stephanie C. | May 23, 2007 9:55 PM
what about wetting your hair with normal water and wearing a good swimcap? would that help the not getting your hair wet thing?
also you might look into getting some of those underwater weights that swim classes use for arm training (or perhaps cutting up a swim noodle in into hand held pieces so that you can use that for under water arm resistance training)
Posted by: Casey | June 1, 2007 8:02 AM