Susan gave me some framed pictures from our cruise for my birthday, photos of me in the water. Such happy memories from our cruise. Thanks Susan! I look really happy. And that’s the thing. I love being in the water. I’m not scared of fish. I’m not worried about drowning. I can tread water and float really well. It feels great moving in the water.
But you’ll never see that smile indoors. And swimming, here in Canada at least, is mostly an indoor activity. Also, my swimming isn’t at a level where it’s a fitness activity. I’m not sure why, bad technique probably, but unlike running and cycling, I don’t seem to get faster with training in the pool. When I trained with the university students’ triathlon club I was the anchor person of the slow lane. New people came and then after a time moved up to a faster lane.
Then last week this article made its way into my newsfeed, Revel in the joy of doing things you’ll never master.
And I wondered, could I enjoy swimming without getting any faster? Does everything have to be about speed and improvement? Couldn’t swimming just be pleasurable even if I remained a slow swimmer?
I begin swimming lessons later in September. I’ll let you know how it goes!
In the meantime here’s me 11 years ago, with Susan, after the Kincardine Women’s Triathlon. I was happy but I was also last out the water of those who weren’t rescued. The thing is I was in zero danger. No need to rescue me. But I was just slow, as usual. Maybe that’s okay.
Maybe part of my learning to love swimming means getting comfortable with staying in the same place?
How about you? Do you have a thing you’re not good at but that you love anyway?
This is interesting. I think your general point about being bad at something and doing it anyway is a really good one. BUT, swimming is also SO form-focused, that it is very likely that you will get faster if you take lessons and get better at your form.
This is me for most sports to be honest! I’m working on accepting that I’ll never be really ‘good’ at anything, at best mediocre, and still have fun. I do hope you enjoy your swimming classes though! I still remember when I was learning crawl as a kid, one day I figured out the right rhythm and it was like somebody had flipped a switch. Once you get your technique sorted it’s so much less effort!