Since I stopped swimming a few days ago, I felt like a weight has been removed from my shoulders. I wasn’t expecting to feel this way. I guess all the little annoyances that accompanied swimming bothered me more than I had realized. Or, I put up with them because IIWII. But now that I don’t have to, it’s a relief.
Here’s what’s changed:
- I pay little attention attention to the weather forecast. When I was swimming, there was a constant threat of being kicked out of the pool if it thundered. Although this only happened a few times a year, it made me check the weather forecast daily (and sometimes hourly) to be prepared to rearrange my schedule if the forecast called for storms.
- I haven’t driven my car in two days. Instead of logging 15 miles a day commuting to the pool it looks like I’ll only be driving for errands and groceries. I expect my total monthly mileage to drop dramatically. I don’t have to spend a minute thinking about road construction, school zones or rush hour traffic.
- I’m not as cold and don’t dread any part of my workouts. The pool water was never warm enough for me. Every day I’d sit on the edge dangling my legs in the water while I psyched myself up to jump and get moving. Eventually, after a few laps, I’d usually warm up enough to feel fine for most of my workout. Getting out was another matter. I was always cold and would race to dry off and bundle in dry clothes. In the winter, the heated air was never warm enough. In the summer they would open the garage doors and the wind would whip through me. The locker rooms were always freezing in the summers from the AC too. Now I workout in my warm house then take a warm shower with no chilled air freezing me half to death.
- I no longer have to think about school schedules, maintenance closures, swim classes, aerobics schedules, swim meets and other events that routinely took up multiple lanes in the pool. I can schedule my workouts whenever I want because they affect only me.
- I cancelled my YMCA membership which was my backup pool when the city pools were not available due to holidays, maintenance and summer busy seasons.
- I’ll never have to pay the exorbitant $50 day rate at Lifetime Fitness to swim on holidays when every other pool is closed.
If you would have asked me a week ago about swimming, I’d have told you I love swimming and that I’m fortunate to have 4 indoor pools conveniently available at a reasonable cost. It’s true.
I didn’t dwell on the negatives because there’s a price to pay for anything. For me, that price was worth it.
But, it’s kind of nice not to pay it too.
Follow up a few days later after seeing the Orthopedic PA:
I don’t have a rotator cuff injury! The PA cleared me for swimming and working out. That is both fantastic…and interesting. I will not be going back to a 7 day a week swimming regimen. I’m thinking about alternating swimming with biking and hiking to avoid repetitive motion injuries, to mix things up and to help me be more well rounded.
Ironically, right now, I’m kind of enjoying not swimming. This injury was something I needed to shake up a routine that had become stagnant. I’m not happy I got injured – but it could result in pushing me toward the next chapter of my life.