here we go...

Today was my first day back in the pool in umm.... I would say at least 6 months. I have been in an out of the water, a few days here and a few days there for the last 6 years. That is pretty shocking to me since I swam non-stop for 10 years. And for those 10 years, I lived and breathed swimming. I really did not care about anything else.

I am starting this blog in order to help me stick with swimming this time. I want it to be a constant again in my life. I don't care if anyone reads this. This blog is more of an accountability thing. Every day I will write the sets and yardage that I complete. If I skip a day.. or quit... well, the world could know. It has been very hard for me to swim without teammates along side of me pushing me to try harder and entertaining me along the way. This blog is kind of like my coach... and I must report to practice!

Today- I walked into the Monroe County YMCA in Columbia, IL. My husband and I will be living in southern Illinois for the next 6 months so I wanted to get back into swimming shape. The pool is a nice 6 lane, 25 yard pool. The water is a little warm for my liking (if I were doing 6,000 yard practices), but it is probably perfect for my joints. I have had rheumatoid arthritis since I was 4 years old. I am 28 years old now.

My parents got me interested in swimming early on because it is beneficial for arthritis. Since I have stopped swimming competitively, my arthritis has been flaring much more frequently. I am also trying to make it as long as possible before I need to get a right hip replacement. One of my goals with getting back in the water is to get that kind of exercise and hard work that only swimming can provide and to hopefully get my arthritis on a smoother course.

Today I swam ONE MILE! 1650 yards. I used to race that distance competitively in college (and completed it in less than 1/3 the time it took me today)! I am really going to try and not dwell on the past though.. or the shoulda, coulda, wouldas that haunt me with my swimming past.

Total Yardage: 1650 yards

500 yard warm-up (mostly freestyle but some backstroke and breastroke pull)

5x200 on 30 second rest intervals (drill, kick, pull, swim with free, back, and breastroke)

150 yard cool down