The Discomfort Zone

I've been swimming 3 times a week (>9K/week) for the last month. Compared to the pro's, top AG'ers, and swimstuds it's hardly a sneeze. But for me, a card-carrying member of the Flail Stroke and Splashing Inefficiently Club, it's an all time high in yardage. I asked for it because my beginning of the season swim test was abhorrent. After IMLP in July, I took a 5 month swim vacation. I basically didn't want to swim because I suck at it. So no big surprise with the swim test, but disappointing nonetheless.

I spoke to someone with whom I used to swim Master's about it. I said that though I've been swimming more since training for Ironman than I did when I just swam Master's, I still really don't swim much faster on the 100. Her response was,"And yet you persist." Ouch!

So I asked for an extra swim each week. I really, really like that I'm swimming that much. However, I don't like DOING it. It's an extra hour a week that I spend doing something at which I'm not very good, fast, or even remotely graceful. I have very little upper body strength or mass--something my mom is very happy about because it makes me look "delicate and feminine." So my scrawny arms and shoulders scream with every catch and pull. More than 10 x 100 on T-time and my roadie noodle arms are gonna fall off---and then there are 5 more 100's to go! And pulling with paddles for longer than 200 yards? I'm ready to keel over. Alot of my swims are at the Nazareth College pool--an old, dark pool that is 25 METERS. It's really not much longer than a yard pool, but I'm gasping for my last breath at the wall between sets to make T-time.

By the end of the 3rd swim of the week, I'm exhausted from the waist up and utterly overjoyed with my effort. As I said, I like that I'm doing this. I just don't really like doing it. My 100's are the fastest in my meager swim history. I am reminded of muscles in the arms, shoulders, and back that I had forgotten about (I don't operate on those parts and probably missed that day in Anatomy;)).

I have a friend who says that you've got to get out of your comfort zone for at least one month a year to feel really alive. I think he meant climbing Mount Kilimanjaro or ice climbing--but I think I've found that zone in some heavily chlorinated water. I have no intention of leaving this discomfort zone anytime soon. In fact, I'm looking forward to the day when it becomes a comfort zone.