Proof that I am TOTALLY crazy. I just signed up to do a 2km 'ocean' swim. On Sunday. The guys in my swimming squad talked me into it.

It actually isn't in the ocean. As such. It's in the harbour. Which makes ALL the difference (!)

The day's events comprise a 2000m swim, a 600m swim (around the jetty)... and a 250m. I did the 600m swim a few years ago, and found it easier than I had anticipated. OK, so I wasn't fast, but then, I'm never fast and never will be. The challenge for me is in the doing, rather than the winning, really. (That time when I emerged from the water, some marshals were exhorting me to run to the finish line, and I was all 'are you kidding? - me + swimming costume = not doing anything that might promote wobbling or jiggling of any uncovered parts. Plus I had Marc lined up to drop my towel down to me from the jetty so I could cover myself asap!)

So. A challenge. It has to be the 2000, because I've already ticked the 600m box. I actually have no idea if I can do it! Could be a bit embarrassing if I have to be fished out of the harbour. I just hope that my 2 x one hour swimming squads per week (in which we total over 2000m in a combination of warm up, drills and various speeds and distances of freestyle) will have given me the fitness I'll need. Sometimes we do a 1km swim in the class. 40 laps of a 25m pool. A lot of turning at each end, though. No turning at any ends with this! (Which is good and bad. It does mean you can get into a rhythm. But it means no assistance from pushing off a wall umpteen times.)

I was never a swimmer when I was a kid. I did learn to swim classes, and once I could manage 50m, that was it. I could 'swim'. About 5 years ago as I watched my 9 and 7 year olds trawling up and down a pool for an hour in their squad classes, I realised that they could swim better than me. Serendipity provided an adult swim squad at the same swimming centre, and I have been going either once or twice a week ever since. It has improved my swimming unbelievably, and it has also improved my fitness. And it re-introduced me to those exercise endorphins, whereby even if you are totally stuffed while trying to do the class, you feel all zingy-zing-zing the rest of the day.

I don't know that I'll feel any zing after attempting 2km, but, bugger it. I'm going to try.

Let's call it 'Mum putting her 'money' where her mouth is in regard to giving things a go.

Or you can just call me CrazyTrace.

Labels: endorphins