Random neural activity

Yeah I know. It’s Phelps everywhere now. It’s a great athlete, nothing to say about that of course. But…

When I used to swim regularly (six times a week) as a boy, it was Mark Spitz’s picture you could see in any swimming pool. No pin-up posters, just this apparently fragile guy with moustaches, a satisfied grin (you would have the same I think) and of course 7 golden medals.

My years in swimming pools as a young boy look like a freaking lot of time ago, and in fact it is so, although dinosaurs were extincted already as far as I can tell (dear reader, Spitz won those medals in 1972, so don’t push it too hard, ok? ).

I quit any “serious” and continuative swimming activity 8 years ago, and of course the change has been for the worst for my physical shape. I also missed the group of don’t-take-us-too-seriously guys and girls swimming in the team, and occasionally joined theme again for a dinner.

Last week I was thinking about how to organize my activities for the forthcoming autumn-winter-spring, and a text message arrived right on cue. “On Monday we start the new swimming season, why don’t you join us?”. I mulled it over for a full quarter of a second, and replied “Yes! That’s what I need!”.

So last night I had my first “serious” swimming session in 8 years. Although it was a very, very mild one, I felt utterly destroyed. Every single limb was hurting. Also body parts not falling into “limbs” category gave me the same feedback…

But I was home, and Happy.

I was again that young boy, and Mark Spitz is still my hero