diff'rent strokes
while on my running hiatus i've been letting myself follow my whims, as opposed to the strict regiments of a training schedule. for example, i had very strong whims for beer and desserts last night. i followed them.
this morning the thought of swimming crossed my mind. ample time and favorable weather got me out the door. k and i went to barton springs, the creme de la creme swimming holes in central texas (if not the country).
it should be noted that barton springs and i have had an interesting relationship over the years. back in 2000 when i lived in an apartment 2 miles south of the springs i would take my morning run towards it, jump in for a swim, and run back home. this "swim" would take approximately 10 minutes where i would cover approximately 100 yards. lifeguards and grandmothers would often watch me, grave concern written all over their faces.
a few years later, my sister--on a visit from PA--and i had a "race" at the springs. despite our similar genetic makeup, i was left far in her wake.
a little later still, my friend steven would teach me how to breathe off of my weak shoulder while swimming. it allowed me to get across the width of the springs (~33 yards) with some degree of ease.
more recently, barton springs has served as my icebath after many long training runs. i would perch myself on a submerged rock or simply stand and let my toes sink into the silt. after 30-45 minutes of getting creeped out by marine life crawling over my toes, occassional shivers and watching athletes swim by, i would extract myself from the 68-degree bath.
however, have i never been able to swim the generous length of the springs (200m). thus, this morning's task was laid out. k and i entered in at the north end. the water felt great. given all of my swimming experiences this winter, my confidence was at a healthy level. i pushed forward. what an experience to look down and see natural rock formations and algae, as opposed to the black-on-aqua test pattern.
with no lane stripe, i quickly discovered that i had a calibration problem--i kept pulling to my right side. not only did this give me tactical concern ("do you like making this swim longer than it needs to be?"), but it gave my safety concerns as well, given the number of other swimmers there were in the water. fears of demolition derby in my head, i pressed forward.
i crossed over to the deep portion of the springs (12'-15'). like that, everything faded to black. with nothing below to reflect the light and plugs inserted in my ears, i entered an area of sensory deprivation. every stroke, every chest pivot had no percievable progress.
[...]
i've done a lot of running in my time, but i every run i've done has had some flag, some arrow, some curb telling me where to go and had some houses, some streetlights, some trees telling me how far i've gone. i've never run in a open field of green grass, every blade looking exactly like its neighbor, stretching out in every direction as far as the eye can see. i now know what that would feel like.
[...]
i panicked. breaths were shortened, water is taken in. thoughts of the bacteria levels in the springs rush through my head, causing concern for my stomach. i regress back to 2000, feeling as if i've made no progress in the water over all these years. the thought jolts through my head: "how can anyone survive without any calibration!" with the diving board near the vicinity, i half expected to be right underneath it, with some child moments away from landing on my back.
i popped up. i was a little off from where i thought i was, but was still feeling disoriented. i head down again, trying to find the feeling of relaxation that i had at stacy this winter. no luck. getting through the deep was so very difficult.
i eventually made it to the south end of the spring, somewhat pleased with my accomplishment, if but a little winded. after a break and a quick chat with k, i headed back.
the return trip went much smoother. i purposefully kept close to the berm, to keep a means of tracking my alignment. i purposefully kept clear of the deep area, and enjoyed the view of plant life passing under me. and i swam purposefully as well, taking more frequent breaths, but having the mentality of wanting to reach the other end. although not a walk in the park, i was able to return back.
i discovered that our friend mich was swimming right beside me. "rich, i'm wearing a red and orange suit, and you didn't even notice me!" i like to think that i've come a fair way since my early days at the springs, but i'm rather certain that mid-swim fraternizing is still a ways away.
still i take some pride in this small victory. not bad for a morning's whim.
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