To Become A Champion, You Must Love What You Are Doing!

Winning is not the most important thing.  Winning is a byproduct of having your life in balance and keeping what's most important in perspective........     To become a champion, you must love what you are doing, and have fun when it counts the most.  Happy swimmers are fast swimmers........ Be happy!!!!!!!!!!!

That is the sign on the wall at the CMU pool where I swim.  Sometimes I forget to have fun and to be happy.  Life is meant to be lived and enjoyed!

Be happy!

A quick update on me.  I know that my wrist is NOT broken and that my wrist does NOT have arthritis.  Two really good things to know.  I am taking two weeks off of "lifting" anything with my right wrist.  I just completed week one.  I see the Rheumatologist for a scheduled appointment next week and then I should know more after that.  I am still on course with my 20 week plan.  I've added an extra day of swimming in these two weeks.

I love swimming for a variety of reasons.  It brings back really happy memories.  It reminds me of my college friends.  I enjoy the solitude of swimming.  It's easy on my joints.  It's one heck of a cardio workout.

Ten years ago I swam one Masters swim workout.  The coach said I had a great breaststroke and would I like to join the Masters team.  I said, "No, but I will once I hit a certain weight."  That weight number was 175.  It is now ten years later, and I have still not hit that weight. 

Me swimming breaststroke (today.)

I made this same argument with Trainer One in the Fall of 2015.  His response was along the lines of "If you love swimming, you should be swimming.  Don't let your weight stop you from doing something you love!"  So I found a suit big enough and I got in the pool at Gold's Gym -- all 250 plus pounds of me.  I could swim 100 yards without stopping and then I was POOPED!  I kept swimming but only one length at a time.

October 2015 - if you love swimming - SWIM!  (Trainer One)

Today I am swimming faster and much further than I was when I started.  I'm always smiling when I swim (well except for when I need a breath.)  The pool just feels like home to me.  I love the smell of chlorine - many happy memories with that smell.  I was thinking today had I waited until I weigh 175 to get in the pool, I still would not be swimming today.   So the take away from this post today is don't let your weight hold you back from doing something you love!  You may have to start slow and you will not be as fast as your younger self, but I bet you'll love what you are doing!

Me today - Butterfly (without fins).  This means my abs are getting stronger!

Photo cred for the today pictures goes to Whitney Robison