of my unfitness
I felt a little stir crazy this morning as I had to stay home to await my meals on wheels food delivery, and even though the lady came early, it had been pouring rain all morning.
Phyllis and Kosov were cuddling down in bed as the raindrops banged on their window. They did arise around noon, and promptly had a moment on my smart new carpet. There were no stains.
The rain stopped and I went into town after Debbie brought my meals on wheels. I had coffee and cake at Flinders Street Station, then caught a train to Southern Cross Station where I thought I might have more food. But no, I caught a 58 tram home as I was on a promise.
We will swim, in our building's pool, proclaimed Phyliss and Kosov. I haven't been there since Ray died, and even then, over the last few years I only went there to take photos of Ray and the greats when they visited.
Phyliss said he would not swim, so Kosov and I swam and then took a spa, even though the jets had failed. The spa water was a warm 37/99 degrees and it was cold outside now. Phyllis read his book.
Shocko. I can no longer swim. I can lie on my back in the water and go backwards, but I can't swim forward over arm. I couldn't get my bottom half up from the bottom of the pool. I was kind of half dog paddling. Before you say it, I know a swimming trainer would get me swimming properly again, but I find swimming rather boring.
After forty minutes of water experience, I returned upstairs to shower the chlorine away. Phyliss with his book and Kosov in the water stayed on. Kosov can swim very well although he said leg muscles were hurting. Good Kosov. You need to swim often to build your leg muscles. Yes Andrewwww. You can swim with me too. Fine Kosov, we will swim when I get up at 7am. That was the end of that.
About an hour and half later, I looked at the pool reflection in the glass building next door, and there was mop of black hair in the spa. Phyliss is in the water. They stayed at the pool for at least two hours, maybe more.
So there you go. Today I learnt that I have lost the ability to swim and I am aerobically very unfit. I'm not surprised about the latter but losing the ability to swim? WTF?
.jpg)
Sweet photo.
ReplyDeleteI never had the ability to swim so no danger of me losing it!
You have reminded me that I need to get back to swimming. It helps with the pain and is virtually the only exercise I can sustain. I did discover that my legs virtually come along for the ride - my arms do the work.
ReplyDeleteLove that P and K are testing/expanding your world.
I would have to agree with you, WTF! Those boys sound like they have a good time and they've pulled you back into life which is good.
ReplyDeleteDon't be too hard on yourself about fitness levels or abilities—it’s a journey, not a destination. Maybe set small, manageable goals that make the process enjoyable rather than a daunting task. Plus, having supportive friends like Phyliss and Kosov around certainly helps.
ReplyDeleteI've never had the large coordination to swim, no idea what my legs are doing unless I can see them!! So you and I could have been a pretty pair floundering together there.
ReplyDeleteFreestyle is difficult, even you are feeling well coordinated. So enjoy the pool on hot days while relaxing with breaststroke.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if our body mass changes as we get older and we don't float as well? I haven't been swimming for decades. The last time I was in a pool was 5 years ago for rehab after my knee replacement and no swimming was involved. I admire you for trying.
ReplyDeleteI love to swim, and it's good on the joints as we age.
ReplyDeleteSomeone suggested trying breaststroke - good idea. Arms do most of the work, your legs don’t have to ‘pump’….they just follow along with a little groggy movement.
ReplyDelete* not sure where groggy came from- should be froggy (as in like frogs legs).
DeleteYour non-Australian readers may not realise just how shocking this is.
ReplyDeleteAs we are always being told: use it or lose it! If you really cared, you probably wouldn't have lost it (yet).
If you do still care you could try some (short, swimming rather than diving) flippers, since as you describe it the issue is getting your legs up far enough to make freestyle feasible.
I say this as a terrible swimmer who nevertheless can feel the benefit in my lower back from a swim when I get around to it. And breaststroke doesn't really give the same lower back benefits, at least as I am able to do it.
Sadly my local pool which I really appreciated is being rebuilt and I find I lack the motivation to travel further as it no longer becomes a case of popping to the pool and back within the hour. And of course the redevelopment is going to take years (I cynically think that councils don't mind because they lose money when they operate pools so the longer the closure the greater the saving).
I know I will not like its replacement as much if I'm still here when it comes. Modern "aquatic centres" are built with indoor pools as well as the outdoor one and the changing rooms are now pokey, ill-ventilated and permanently wet on the floor. The result is a veritable verucca-and-tinea factory - which just adds to the faff if you have to take sandals for showering. To add insult to injury the "upgrade" always leads to a price increase.
This is weird Andrew and I haven't tested swimming in a while even though Niece has a gorgeous inground and keeps urging me. I was never a good swimmer but a semi-capable one. I love ocean swimming, and always hated chlorine. those boys are making you adventurous though!
ReplyDeleteXO
WWW
That would be a shocking thing. But it might not be a bad idea for you to try some water aerobics classes to strength you. If they have such a thing there.
ReplyDeleteWell at least you went in the water Andrew. Guess you will venture in again sometime and I'm sure you will eventually be able to swim a little at a time. I guess I would sink!
ReplyDeleteI used to love swimming when I was young. I represented my school in swimming carnivals. I even had to swim against Ilsa Conrads. (Do you remember her? Her and her brother John were very young Olympians.) As I've grown old, my love of swimming has vanished. We have a pool in the village. I've tried it a few times, either for exercise or playing with Grand Kids. It was okay, but the dressing and undressing and rinsing togs and washing towels is all too much bother now. And it didn't help with my pain. However, if you can keep going to the pool with your new friends it would be beneficial for your fitness.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely about the bother, Diane.
DeleteI am also aerobically unfit and cannot swim properly since I tore my rotator cuffs, they healed and I can do most things, but cannot rotate my arms through water though I can do backstroke, just not well. And I never did learn to flutter kick properly or at all if I'm being truthful. I am glad you made the effort to try though.
ReplyDeleteLittle by little and you will achieve it! It's good that those young men are expanding your horizons
ReplyDeleteIt is often said that as people grow older they experience a second childhood. For this reason you need to invest in some inflatable armbands or what was known in England as "a rubber ring" - sounds a bit rude now.
ReplyDeleteMy tip would be to do some learn to swim classes. Yes, really. After my lower limb amputation, I tried swimming again, but it wasn't so straightforward. I have enrolled in some learn to swim classes, invidually and then as a group, this year because I think I need to learn again with my new body. Maybe there is something for you in this also? You don't have the body of a child, when you learned to swim all those years ago. Maybe a couple of classes might help you learn to swim with the body of an older ma??
ReplyDeleteI started back swimming about a month ago, after decades away. It has taken time to get back to it. It feels good to move through the water. And no-impact is easier on the body.
ReplyDeleteI've never been able to do the crawl stroke well, due to an abnormality in my neck and shoulder construction, but I love to swim and do the breast stroke or side stroke or backstroke, these I can do. Maybe its your neck arthritis preventing you from doing one stroke style? Lke the crawl?
ReplyDeleteSuch a nice couple. They look like they're barely out of their teens.
ReplyDeleteI guess it is the old "use it or lose it" thing that haunts us all. I haven't gone for a swim in years either and wonder if I still can. It is the same with bike riding and ice skating. I wonder if I still can do it?
ReplyDelete