12 Times a Month

I quit the gym at work. It was hard, because I like the people there. The program directors, those who run the classes, they are all nice. The facilities are nice too - although they could use more fans by the treadmills. It was only 18 dollars a month. So, why did I quit? I quit because I wasn't going. It wasn't even that I couldn't motivate myself to go, although to be honest it was much easier to go when I wasn't the only one going. It was more...I didn't want to be at work any longer than I had to. I didn't want to get up early and go before work...and I certainly don't have time after work with all the after work activities. They aren't open in my building on the weekends, and it's a rather long way to go work out when I can walk around my block for free.

Instead, I joined the 12 times a month crowd. I joined the YMCA. Why the 12 times a month? Because to get my discount from my health care provider, I have to at least sign in 12 times a month. For me, this equals doing SOMETHING active 12 times, as the Catholic girl guilt would get me if I tried to just swipe and leave. Looking at my calendar (and excluding softball and golf) 12 times is 12 times more than I've been going lately. This month I think I have 5 times in...so I had better get on the wagon and get there more in the second half of the month.

That 5 times means I am doing something I haven't in a long time...swimming! And not the swimming that I used to do either. This is far more arduous. I am having Trevor teach me to lap swim for real, and actually pushing myself. I did kick board for 300 yds, and my little legs were jello after! Thankfully, they got better. My biggest challenge with the swimming...OK, two challenges: 1. Finding goggles that don't leak when I do flip-turns. (so far, the Junior sized Speedos are better than the reg sized, but I still have to adjust every 50 to 100 yrs or so.) 2. Breathing only when above the water. Seriously! I have a bad habit of beginning the breath before arriving at surface of water. My lungs have not yet adapted to breathing water. This usually requires me to stop where I am in the lap, cough a bunch, alarm the nice lifeguards, and then continue to catch up on what I was doing. I'm sure I'll get better. (though whether I mean at drinking the pool or swimming I'm not certain!)