Aquatic Aspirations

Swimming. Oh, swimming. I miss the pool I frequented in Chicago. Today as I was rallying myself to hit the gym, a coworker called and asked if I wanted to go swim with her at a 24 Hour Fitness up north. There's pretty much nothing I will say no to socially at this point-- beggars can't be choosers. So despite the fact that I haven't been swimming since ... sometime in October, I suited up and went. We actually did some cardio on some goofy machines (think elliptical on steroids...) for a bit then headed to the pool. I get nervous before any workout. Today, my baseline anxiety was increased due to the fact that it'd been so long since my last aquatic workout and that I was accompanied by someone I know and will see again on a regular basis. If I'm alone at a gym I can tell myself 'It doesn't matter how silly you look, you'll never see these people again.' Fortunately, it wasn't as bad as I made it out to be in my head. My workout companion isn't a super star swimmer so I didn't feel overly ridiculous, and we only stayed in the pool for about 15... maybe 20 minutes. Compared to what I did for swim workouts in the past that's cake.
Swimming today, though, made me wish I would swim more. 'Then do it, clown,' I think to myself... My excuse for not swimming is lame but apparently legit as it has prevented me from kicking and flapping since I got here: the only 24HF locations with pools are uber far away. Downtown isn't ridiculously far, BUT it IS ridiculously crowded and I cannot get over the paying for parking issue. The one we went to today is at least a 30 minute drive from me and that's without traffic. Boo! Perhaps there is hope though, as my coworker told me that she heard from a front desk attendant at the Express 24HF we both frequent that they are building a 'Sport' location not far from it. Supposedly in six months there will be a 24HF with a pool and spinning classes within practical reach. I want to believe it, I really do, but I can't help but think "Yea right." We'll see, I suppose. I'd love for them to prove me wrong.
I've had a love hate relationship with swimming over the years. I hated it when I started my freshman year of high school-- probably because I didn't know how to swim... but by senior year I loved it so much that I begged my parents for a membership to the YMCA so I could swim before school during the rest of the year after the season ended. In college I continued that habit-- while at Anderson I swam 3 days a week with a friend before classes. The pool there was DIVINE-- ohmygoodness, I get goosebumps just thinking about it. And the best part is that it opened at like 5:30am. Man of all the things I hated at that school, I sure loved their gym. Once at North Park I was worried that swimming wouldn't be possible, but then I was grateful to learn of the partnership NP had with a VERY nearby school that allowed us to use their fitness facilities, including their really good pool (even though I got WICKED pinkeye from it my sophomore year... I won't hold a grudge because it was so good to me other than that incident). So that discovery was great and then I saw a poster on campus for a swim club. While we were small in numbers we were fierce in determination and discipline. Man, I miss it!
So remembering all the swimming makes me want to get back to it. Lets see if I can rationalize the drive.. or the parking fee.. (ugh)...
When swimming today, even for a few short minutes-- my arms were like cement blocks thrashing through the water. I'm at the ground zero of fitness and I do not like it.

I also tried sushi for the first time today and was pleasantly surprised that it was not only bearable, but pretty good. I do keep burping seaweed though, which is less than awesome.