For the three of you that read this blog, you know that I had idiotically signed up for a sprint triathlon this year. I wanted to do something outside my comfort zone, and that would encourage me to do some cross training and learn how to swim. Well, I got out of my comfort zone, I did some more cross training, but that last item is a bit of a sticky one. Even after going to the YMCA two-to-three times a week to get in the water, I still don’t think I can “swim.” Sure, if you throw me in the water, I’ll be able to stay alive long enough to reach safety, as long as safety is within 50 yards.
I’ve watched dozens of YouTube tutorials, and read scores of articles and books about techniques for staying balanced and afloat in the water, but despite all this theoretical knowledge, my legs still sink like rocks and drag the rest of me down with them. I have to expend so much energy to stay on the surface that I quickly lapse into oxygen debt. So, with the race less than two weeks away, and my swimming ability falling somewhere between that of a cobblestone and a cinder block, I have decided to defer my registration to next year.
While I am disappointed to have failed in my goal of completing a triathlon, the reality is that swimming is not only really, really hard, but also really, really dangerous. My lack of swimming ability means that not only would I struggle, but there is a very real possibility of drowning, and that’s not something I take lightly. So, next year I will get actual swimming lessons and try again. And for now, I can stop waking up at 5:30am to swim before work, which makes me very happy!
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