Sunday 2 February 2014

I used to be a marathon swimmer...

I was talking to someone about the marathon swimming research recently and they asked me if I was a marathon swimmer. Without even thinking, I said, "I used to be". And then I was quite shocked to find myself thinking about it in the past tense.

I've been thinking about this quite a bit recently while working on my book. In the introduction, I talk about the different types and stages of 'becoming' that make up the process, and then reflect on the inevitable phases of 'unbecoming' - periods of illness, time out to focus on work or family life, or in my most recent case, injury. After 5 months of barely swimming, if I am still a marathon swimmer, I am certainly one who couldn't possibly do a marathon swim. Long lay-offs are very unforgiving and fitness melts away quickly, so after my long training break, and regardless of the injury, my swimming capacity is vastly diminished; even a couple of km sits rather uncomfortably in the shoulders and upper back.

One of the hardest things about training, I think, is that you have to start from where you are. So that's what I'm trying to do - start from where I am and build up steadily. The good news is that my shoulder is heaps better, and a recent session with Emma from Active Blu has given me a clear focus for what I need to be working on in my stroke to stop that happening again. But still, while I can recall and imagine the unique sensations of long swimming in tangibly 'real' ways, it seems an awfully long way off. And I miss it.




2 comments:

  1. Karen,

    I am a fair bit older than you and terrified of "used to be a marathon swimmer."

    This is why I try and make sure I always have a marathon booked. Once it is booked...then I force myself to train.

    15 February 15k Cold Half Hong Kong

    So....set a goal...the rest is easy

    Ned Denison

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  2. Thanks Ned. I think that I said 'used to be' because I can't really set a goal at the moment, at least until I'm sure that my shoulder is okay and ready to build up properly again. So I guess that's my goal. But it's not as exciting as a 15km in Hong Kong.

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