to breathe or not to breathe?

how exactly did this happen?

i suppose it is like when you have not played tennis for a while, and you remember how you USED to play. you are on the court, you envision the shot you want to make (and used to make in college, although it has been a LONG time) and you go, you swing, you look across the court hoping to hit that perfect corner shot you saw in your head, and the ball seems to have magically disappeared. apparently the moon is where you were aiming and our mind just did not make that connection to go for the corner. or maybe it was the racket - so lets take a look shall we. no, nothing wrong there. hopefully that mom walking her child a mile down the road won't mind being bonked on the head with a tennis ball falling from the sky.

really though, i competed in sprint swimming in high school and did really well. yes, high school - a very long time ago (and lets not go into years). but again, that is how i remember my swimming. strong, smooth, powerful, soothing... - not gasping for air, wondering when to take a breath, and thinking how i can get across 50 meters free style without taking a break.

it starts out so good. one lap is 50 meters. smooth, great stroke, good breathing. something happens at that 25 meter mark when the lungs suddenly go from i am good, i can do this, to all out panic mode like air has not been provided for hours. can i breathe every stroke - everyother stroke, how many miles, again? when and how did this suddenly become so difficult?

slightly concerned. so lets do the math. the swim part of the triathlon is 1.5 miles. so 1 mile is 1609.344 meters. that means the swim is roughly 2414.016. great. that is just 49 laps. pause. i am not sure that made me feel more confident.

lets just choose to ignore the math, and listen to the trainer you can do this.

it is interesting, too - how much you rely on breathing. yes, silly i know. but not just to survive, oxygen, etc., but for mental focus and clarity - for relaxation, for strength. during running, cycling, weight training, yoga - breathing is rhythmic, aids in relaxation , feeds the muscles so they can work. swimming will just need to be worked through a bit. it is just the first week, after all.

was the seasickness mentioned that ensued after the practice - and veered its head upon the ride home. really - seasickness from swimming. apparently it is similar to vertigo - just an imbalance in the nervous system with something new. that too will pass.

i sail in 20 knot winds, and 6 ' swells - no seasickness...i swim in an indoor pool- seasickness. who knew.

slight concern, but strong dedication.

HELP SAVE LIVES, DONATE HERE.