This morning found me in a horrendous mood. There was no particular reason, but there were some contributing factors - I slept miserably last night, I've been hungry and low-energy, I've had more "well intentioned" comments from others about my exercise and eating, and I've been watching my weight fluctuate and go nowhere all week long. Driving into the office, I was anticipating further comments and banter - something I just didn't have the resources to deal with today.
My solution? I withdrew. Fortunately, I didn't have any obligations after the staff meeting and I was able to leave the office as quickly as possible. And where was I going? After a quick trip to the sporting goods store, I had all the supplies for my adventure. I was going to another world....
Welcome to life in the Lap Lane!
I'd been thinking about trying out swimming. Back in elementary school, I was on the swim team for all of one season. I'm a decent swimmer, but there's no way I'm competitive. Dara Torres I'm not. However, it's not the elliptical at home and it's not out in the open like the cardio machines at the gym. (I was having spurts of random crying and didn't want to deal with tears while climbing steps in front of everyone.)
So I donned a swimsuit, goggles, and swim cap and immersed myself in the water. I didn't have to look at anyone. I didn't have put on a brave face. I didn't have to anything except move my arms and legs. And that's precisely what I did for almost two hours. I zoned out, didn't think about anything, and paid attention to how my body felt as it moved through the water. I wasn't particularly graceful or quick and that's okay.
All told, I swam 108 lengths (I guess there was counting going on in addition to the moving). I believe the pool is 25 meters, which means I swam 2700 meters (translated to approximately 1.66 miles). It was a mix of freestyle, breast stroke, using a pull buoy or a kickboard, and running - 4 lengths of one stroke before switching to another.
My heart rate didn't get all that elevated and I only burned about 450 calories in the 110 minutes. If I had been on the elliptical, I probably would have burned at least twice that in the same amount of time. But I was conceptualizing this as a resistance workout as well as a cardio workout and wasn't stressing too much about the numbers. Honestly, I don't think I could have continued long enough to get the calorie count up to 600.
By the time I got out of the pool, I felt MUCH better! I relaxed in the steam room for about 15 minutes and then took an incredibly hot shower. I then put on some cozy lounge clothes and have been enjoying downtime on the couch all night. Allowing myself to disconnect this afternoon was just what I needed to take care of myself and recharge for the weekend.
Food Log
- Meal 1
- 2 egg whites with peppers, onions, and salsa
- 40g oatmeal
- Meal 2
- Pear-apple
- 1oz almonds
- Light string cheese
- Meal 3
- 3oz chicken
- Meal 4
- (Homemade chicken fried rice with soy sauce)
- 3oz chicken
- 3/4 cup brown rice
- Peppers and onions
- Tablespoon of peanut butter
Exercise
- Time: 110 minutes swimming
- Distance: 1.67 miles
- Calories: 450+
Weigh-In: 143.4
I started adding swimming to my weekly routine about a month ago. One day a week, and I'm up to 20 lengths in a half an hour. This usually follows a half hour of either elliptical or treadmill, so I get a full half hour. And the Steam Room is my best friend after that. Keep up the good work. Remember, "Illegitimi non carborundum". If you don't know the translation, your husband will.
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