Swimming laps is FUN!
But first, the winner of the 4lb Amazing Grass giveaway!
Congrats to CARLY!!!
Carly said, “My turning point was when I got sick of being in a body I didn’t feel comfortable with. I didn’t want to be a the beach for another summer feeling the same crappy way. During the same time I also became completely inspired by reading your blog and so many amazing other health blogs! Watching these strong, confident, driven women made me realize that I am the same way and I can do it too! Thanks for all your inspiration Angela! 
p.s. I made my first green monster today!”
For those of you who didn’t win, Amazing Grass is offering Oh She Glows readers a special 20% off discount code- just use ‘OHSHEGLOWS’ in the checkout!
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Before leaving for the pool last night, I was so excited and nervous. However, once I put my new swimsuit on, I felt confident. There is something to be said about a new piece of workout gear for inspiration!
I had a few almost freak-out moments once we were there, in the flesh…
1) Seeing a gross band-aid stuck on the garbage can in the change room.
2) Two minutes before 8pm, our swim was about to begin. I FROZE with fear. I was this close to saying to Eric I didn’t want to go in the water. We decided to sit on the sidelines for a couple minutes and just watch. I visualized myself rocking the laps!
3) Walking 4 feet to the pool without my flip-flops on. Ick.
4) Seeing a small white mystery object floating underwater, approaching me as I swam closer. I dodged it like a bullet and hoped that it sunk to the ground. Whew.
Here is what I ended up doing:
I swam 750 metres (30 pool lengths) in 40 minutes. I took plenty of rest breaks and just took it nice and easy with no pressure! After lap 1, my body was in shock and I was panting for air. I found that I got used to it after a few laps and got into a nice rhythm. I alternated between the front stroke and breaststroke.
Question: If our pool length is 25 metres, what is considered a lap- 25 m or 50 m?
What I learned after Day 1:
- The slow lane is our friend
- Leave about half a length in between me and the person in front
- Bring two towels. I only brought one towel and it got soaked before I even showered.
- GET EAR PLUGS (many of you mentioned this). I still have water logged in my right ear this morning. Anyone know any tricks to get it out?
- Good goggles are essential. I loved my new goggles and they work great!
- It really isn’t as scary as I thought it was going to be!
- Peeling off a swim cap hurts
- Bring a lock for the locker
- Saunas feel amazing after a swim
- A lesson would be very helpful
After we got home we were hungry and thirsty and each snacked on a Glo Bar:
This morning my tummy was rumbling and I had a lovely bowl of Vegan Overnight Oats waiting for me! I love coming down to breakfast ready to go.
After coming out of the fridge overnight:
In this bowl: 1/3 cup oats, 1/2 scoop Amazing Grass Chocolate Powder, 1 tablespoon chia seeds, 1/2 tsp vanilla, 3/4 cup almond milk, 1 banana, mashed.
My toppings included Nuts 2 You cashew butter (this brand isn’t as good as Artisana) and my Reduced-sugar maple coconut syrup.
Oh this was soooooo good. I am absolutely hooked.
I had it along with a fresh juice:
I have come to the conclusion that I do not like celery in my juice! It tasted murky.
With my creation (along with crazy bed head!)
By the way, I am so proud of Eric!!
He did awesome last night. Especially for someone who has never had lessons before. We chatted about it more and I think he is now open to the idea of taking a lesson with me so I am going to look into it.
When Eric was a young boy, his class had to do 3 swimming sessions together. Well, Eric couldn’t swim and he got teased by all the kids! Him and another boy had to wear lifejackets to help them swim during these sessions and the kids teased them and laughed. He was so embarrassed because he couldn’t swim well.
He said ever since then he has disliked it and had no confidence when it came to swimming. I am so proud of him that he is conquering this huge fear of his. I am really trying to encourage him as much as I can and help build his confidence. I don’t want him to get overwhelmed, but just to take it one day at a time. He was really worn out and out of breath so I just encouraged him to take lots of breaks and get out of the water and drink water. I think that really helped him and he didn’t feel pressure to crank out a gazillion laps.
Today’s question- Were you ever teased about something as a kid that stuck with you for years? Did you ever find a way to get past it?
When I was young I got my share of teasing! One thing that sticks out in my mind was a boy who told me my arms were too big and muscular. This happened in grade 7 and it stuck with me for years and years. When Eric and I started dating he confessed to me that he loved my arms and thought they were so attractive. It took me YEARS to believe him and to start appreciating my arms for what they do for me each day.
Including BAKING, which is where I am going now for the next several hours! Eric is going to be working on renos today. After that we are going back to Swim & Sports to get some ear plugs. :)
Have a great Saturday!
hurray! so glad you enjoyed swimming…i had to take a lesson as an adult, but it was one of the most helpful things ever. now i love swimming laps and can do it with confidence :)
I got teased for having hair arms- I am Indian after all!! But now I get them waxed so no worries!
Major props to Eric for getting his swim on!
Congrats on the swim! I used to be a lifeguard and we worked very hard to keep the pool clean. No worries, my friend! You can even ask to see the cleaning log and they can show you what they do to keep it sanitary by the hour :)
In 5th grade, I was the same exact height I am right now: 5 feet 5 inches. I was bigger than everyone and just as tall as my teacher! Everyone called me Jolly Green Giant and made fun of how tall I was. Not only was I taller, but I also began to develop much more quickly than everyone. I was the first to get zits, braces, and boobs. This has definitely stuck with me, and I am very insecure about being taller or bigger than other people. My husband is only a few inches taller than me, and although I feel that I am very confident in my own skin, I still feel a little self conscious wearing heels.
I went to an awful Catholic school with awful gym teachers who favored the boys and ignored or were mean to the girls. As a result I hated sports, until high school when I met my amazing cross country coach. I was never fast, which is always in the back of my mind, but almost 2 decades later I am still running and healthy!
Tilt your head to one side and pour rubbing alcohol in the clogged ear. Let it sit for a few seconds then tilt your head to dump the water out, into a towel. That usually works for me to get water out!
We are both starting to swim!!!
My mom always put hydrogen peroxide in our ears when we were little.
My best friend in elementary school decided one day to make fun of my toes. She said “Ew, you have SUCH long toes!” Which I do, but I never thought anything of it until then. After that I was crazy self conscious and I still am to this day about my feet!
glad you had a great swim, I cant wait to read more about your training!
Aw you guys both rock for conquering your fears! I wish kids had any idea that what they say to each other has lasting effects! I was called “lion” in 7th grade because of my curly hair and I definitely tried to plaster it down for a few years after that haha. Now I love my curls though- so I guess it didn’t last forever :)
I’ve used the rubbing alcohol trick, too. It works. This girl Diana in my third grade class teased me for wearing this polka dot shirt and said I looked like a clown. I went home and threw it out and I still remember her and her bowl haircut to this day as the Mean Girl.
Great job on the swim!
I love to swim, and I just don’t think about all the yucky stuff in the pool. I swim like a child, but I don’t care :)))
I was teased a lot, and I think it just made me stronger and more hardworking
shaking your head (even jumping up and down) helps the water get out. Glad you are taking swim lessons, it is such an important skill to have!
Growing up I was teased for being overweight. It is something that I’m working through, but I’m not there yet. Kids are just so cruel. I’m just glad I grew up before mass communication, I can’t imagine how twitter and facebook are used to tease kids these days.
Love swimming! You guys are getting such an awesome workout. Sometimes the best part of my day is gliding through the water. :) (BTW during short season, 25 is one lap.)
Awesome job on the swim! (Eric too)
I haven’t swam in years…which is kind of sad. I miss it!
Gah I don’t blame you for not liking the celery in your juice. I think it tastes gross in juice form, pureed form, and whole form :)
Hooray for both you and Eric. I agree one of the worst feelings is bare feet on those tile pool floors – ickkkk. haha Once you’re in the water though (and away from floating mystery objects) I find that you just get in the zone. If I ever moved to a warmer climate and had access to my own pool year round – oh man…I’d be in there allll the time! :-D
Wow! Great job, both of you!!! Doesn’t it feel awesome to conquer fears like that?!
I was teased for being overweight and I allowed it to get to me for many, MANY years (too long, actually). It’s only been in the last few years that I realized that I LET it get to me and used it as an excuse to not do certain things. Once I realized that I was able to let go and move on!
You and Eric are awesome. Seriously.
I buy the “Nuts to you” all the time…I like the pumpkin seed and cashew, sunflower, macadamia,,,so many !
Artisana is DEFINITELY better…but its hard to find where I live…and its deathly expensive, so a rare rare splurge.
I think I have been teased about a hundred things. Gotta let it roll off.
Thank you! I dont know about awesome but we defintely feel more excited about training after getting the first day over with! :)
i was teased by other girls for being ‘flat chested’ and at the time i cried and cried and prayed for big boobies. now that im older i love having a small chest and im so glad theyre the size they are.
i think this happens to so many girls.. and at the time i was teased everyone was so crazy about padded bras. its nice to see that padded bras arent ‘in’ like they used to be.
This is so ironic, I got teased for the opposite reason – early developer! I got SO self-conscious because the boys would say seriously ugly things. Here I was this skinny little 11-year old reed but needing a bra. Awful. I asked my Mom to help me hunt for the kinds of teen bras that would flatten me out! I was very much a tomboy, so it felt HUGELY traumatic to me at the time. My mom would say things like “you’re just becoming a young lady” and I’d go “I don’t WANT to be a lady! I want to be a kid!”
LOL. I think for girls, the whole body image thing going through adolesence and puberty (flat, not flat, skinny, chubby, short, tall, you name it) is rough. Guess the good thing is that I toughened up and eventually the rest of me caught up, but I can easily understand how it can affect people for life.
A lap is usually there and back, and a length is just there, so 50 is a lap, 25 is a length.
That bowl of oats look so GOOD!
Thats what we thought but I wanted to make sure!! Thanks :)
I was always teased when I was younger for my weight, specifically my thighs! I have said it before, but I am so lucky that I learned to let that stuff roll off my back.
Congrats to you guys on an awesome job!!