One fish, two fish, red fish, blue fish...

Since the beginning of the year I have been swimming. Remarkably, it is something that I have stuck to to great effect (and my great amazement).

First, I should note that I *hate* exercising, I loathe gyms, and I can't play many sports.  I like to walk, dance (a dance class is great!), practice yoga, cycle here and there, hike/walk in the woods, and swim.  In general, I'd like to think my physical activity is integrated to my life, but not sure if that would pass muster.

So, at the beginning of the year, full of stress and anxiety, and with a very short fuse, I knew something had to give, and I probably needed to work through it with exercise.  It was so bad, I almost joined a gym, but knew myself well enough to know that I would ultimately fail at that, and not only fail for not working out regularly enough, with "adequate" intensity or frequency, but also because I was just wasting my money.  A double whammy, and certain to just demoralize me further.  Biking?  Not sure I'd actually get the bike out of the shed often enough.  And dance classes were just too confining with a specific class on a specific day at a specific hour.  A no-go.  I even thought of taking up running  - clearly, I was desperate. 

I realized that there was a renovated public pool in my neighborhood - totally free to DC residents.  I wouldn't be wasting money, but actually being virtuous anytime I'd go.  Plus I couldn't fail at *not*spending money should I not work out.  As mentioned, it's sticking, and here's why I think so:

• I set the bar low.  2x/week for 30 minutes (20 minutes if I feel awful, but usually, I get going, and can't stop, and on a rare great day, I keep going and going and going for 50 min).
• I go *whenever, however,* preferably not 2 days in a  row, but otherwise, no rules.  My training week runs Sunday to Saturday, so if I know I have stuff going on I go Tuesday and Friday - but could also go Monday night and Saturday afternoon.  I'm willing to play hooky from work, or use some "found time" to go to the pool, if necessary.
  
• I have *no* fitness or weight loss goals.  I do not try to improve my time, my splits, my stroke, my technique.  Never.  This only sets me up for failure. My sole goal is to "clear my f-ing head."  I cannot lose with this one.  It *always* clears my f-ing head.
• I do not beat myself up if I don't go; I only praise myself when I do go.  This paradigm shift does wonders!
• I do not have to carry a bunch of crap with me.  Sure, many people say what discourages them from swimming is changing into a swimsuit and getting into the water, but I find a swimsuit, cap, goggles and hand towel mean I'm pretty much always ready.
• It's free. I mentioned that.
• It feels good.  I like the rhythm and the breathing (about the closest I get to meditation with "conscious, rhythmic breathing").  I feel weightless, graceful, and hydrodynamic gliding through the water.  So much preferable to the thump, thump, bang, bang of running or the stress of traffic and potholes when I'm cycling.

Sometimes, however, a good blog gets in the way of a good swim.  :-)  I'm off to the pool.