3/31/11

Time to Get Going

I finally made it to the swimming pool this morning after professing to want to get back to lap swimming for exercise.  I was going to go last Tuesday, then didn't.  Then I was going to go on Thursday, and didn't.  Then I was going to go this Tuesday.  Didn't make it.  This morning I asked myself exactly when I was going to make the plunge.  I decided it was today.  I was telling Mike about a woman I heard talking to someone else once about her years long success at quitting smoking.  She said, "I want to smoke every day.  I just don't smoke."  I decided it was kind of like that.  I don't want to leave the house to go swimming every day, but I will go swimming anyway.  It's good for me--better than smoking, for sure.  (P. S.  I've never been a smoker.) 

It was actually quite enjoyable.  I love moving through the water.  Since I'm returning after a long absence and since I've been relatively pain free for the first time in years, I didn't want to do too much.  I often do too much in these sorts of quests.  Since I'm limited in how much I could or should do, I promised myself to at least stay in the water for 20 minutes.  I ended up staying 25 minutes.  I've been home several hours now, and I haven't noticed any flare-ups.  This is a good thing.  For now, I've committed to going every Tuesday and Thursday, and I walk with my friend on Fridays.  That's a reasonable amount of exercise, but if I can get back to swimming the way I want to, I may decide to add a day when I feel ready.  For now, I'm celebrating actually getting myself there with no apparent harm done--at least not yet.

So now I need to get going on some other things.  I told myself I'd vacuum the sewing room today.  And I told myself I'd do a little more quilting on my Ribbit, Ribbit quilt.  I've been messing around aimlessly on the computer for about an hour now.  Messing around on the computer is what I do when I don't want to do something else.  Vacuuming?  Not a thrill to contemplate.  Quilting?  I wish it were easier and that I were better at it.  Neither of those things exactly lights the jets under my feet.  I decided to tell you that it was time for me to get going.  Now I'm getting going.

2 comments:

WoolenSails said...

I used to go swimming too, but stopped, I should go back. I really like exercising outside though, I feel more energized. I love using the water walking floats and doing that, but with my bad rib, it hurts to wear the waist band.

Debbie

Lynda Halliger Otvos (Lynda M O) said...

Each time we do something is one more time that we do it. As opposed to not doing it-even one is better than none. I too flare up when I do too much and the internal governors are not in place to stop me. With age, I hope comes wisdom :)