The swimmer strikes back

Posted on February 2nd, 2009 in My (neuro) life, Sport by michele

You’re looking in front of you, seeing only blue. It’s not the sky, as this blue got some thick, liquid quality. Almost like… yes, that’s it, it’s water indeed… Its peaceful and smooth surface looks perfect, quietly waiting for you. Because yes, you’re going to break that quietness, that stillness, that smoothness. You’re going to fiercely dive into that water, feel it all around you, trying not to fight against it but literally to fly over it, to feel the speed of the water caressing you.

And you’ll not be alone.

Nobody is going to touch you, or to interfere with your dancing with the water, but everybody else will try to beat you in this race, because it’s a swimming competition.

And it’s not you in the end, it’s me.

Yesterday I’ve been in my first swimming competition in more than 8 years, after stopping serious (daily) training more than 20 years ago.

Well, yesterday we had fun :-)

PS: Happy Groundhog Day!

Back to swimming, Mark Spitz still my hero

Posted on September 9th, 2008 in History, My (neuro) life, Sport by michele

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 :-)