Ah Memories...

Most of the time I try not to look into the past. I have done way to many things that  I do not care to remember or reflect on. However, a time in my life that I do not feel the extreme urge to cringe at when recollecting the past, would have to be when I was on the swim team in high school.

Let us reminisce.

I'm quite enjoying all of these "r-words," what about you?

Moving on.

I was born and raised at the Jersey Shore. Please...spare me the unnecessary comparisons between that stupid show and my life. Just for the record, reality television does not have much reality in it. Please do not insult me by assuming those bennies (the word the locals call those vacationers) represent Seaside Heights/Park in any way shape or form. Now that I have that out of the way...

I was born and raised at the Jersey Shore. This means that I have always lived within 15-20 minutes of the beach and spent many many hours swimming in the ocean. I was also fortunate enough to grow up in a house that had  a beautiful pool. As far back as I can remember, I have absolutely loved to swim. My summers were spent with countless hours either at the beach or the pool. This gave me a lot of time to become a very competent and confident swimmer.

Although I  became such a swimmer,  I was never coordinated enough for any other sports that all the other kids played. I cannot catch, throw, kick, or hit a ball with any precision. I also do not really enjoy running all that much. This meant that I had to wait all the way until high school to join a team in the sport that I loved.

Although I can not remember every single practice or every single meet that I attended throughout my high school swimming career, I can remember the important things about swimming. I remember how the chlorine hits you like a brick when you walk into the indoor pool at the local community college. I remember the ache in my lungs at the end of a hard race and the feeling of spent muscles. I remember losing upwards of twenty pounds but gaining muscle and looking lean and tan. I remember how wonderful I felt after an intense two and a half hour workout in the pool. And even though according to my copy of Fitness for Dummies, "lap swimming has the reputation of being drudgery..." I never remember being bored.

I feel like I really should get back into the pool. But of course, I have many excuses.

• I hate to be out in public in my suit 
• the chlorine kills my hair/skin
• I don't have a kickboard/pull-buoy/plastic paddles for my hands
• my flippers are ripped
• I desperately need new goggles and caps.
• I don't have one of those huge clocks to time myself on

Are you as tired of my complaining/excuses as I am? I feel like it's such a waste to  throw away an exercise that I am so passionate about simply for a few superficial worries. Although, to be honest, the lack of a decent pair of goggles is a pretty big, glaring obstacle in my way back into the pool. I most definitely need to incorporate swimming into my exercise routine.