I have heard that swimming is very good for you. Isn't it supposed to be the best type of exercise you can do for yourself? I think I heard that somewhere and I believe it - swimming is hard. I have never swam for exercise before. Swimming has always been a recreational activity. When it is hot out and you have access to a pool you go splash around for fun. I was lucky. My parents had a pool when I was growing up. I did not swim laps in this pool, I did not use this pool for exercise, the sole point of this pool was to jump into it from the roof!


As I have mentioned before it is ridiculously hot here. I think I have also mentioned that I have quite a bit of free time. Well these two realities and the fact that there is an Olympic size pool on campus have drawn me into the world of swimming laps.

I have always considered myself a strong swimmer. I never joined a swim team or swam in a competitive environment (something about the speedos and the body hair shaving turned me off) but I always thought I was pretty good. Granted my swimming consisted of messing around in the pool or ocean and my preferred strokes were either the splash, the spaz out, or the dead man's float but I thought I did these all very well. If I had to I could bust out what I thought was a decent freestyle, breast stroke, or depending on how hardy my breakfast was, butterfly. Casey also thinks of herself as a strong swimmer - she reminds me often that she is a Pisces (a fish) and that she belongs in the water. Growing up by the beach has also helped to strenghten her skills in the pool.

With our overconfidence in hand we started going to the pool to swim laps. Swimming laps sucks - it is hard, it is tiring, and I always feel like I am on the verge of drowning. We have been going twice a week for about a month and I was beginning to feel more and more confident. After a few weeks I was able to swim further, faster, and with less rest between laps. I was actually proud - I felt like I was making progress and getting better. That notion was thoroughly smashed one day when I saw what a real swimmer does. Casey and I were at the pool last week and we were pushing ourselves through our standard 10 laps. We were very surprised when another swimmer showed up. We usually have the place to ourselves, if there are 3 other people in the pool it is very crowded, so naturally we stopped to see who our new companion was. This dude jumped in the pool and started pounding out laps - FAST! He did not stop. He would swim 10 laps and then rest for maybe 2 minutes before he pounded out another 10 laps. Did I mention that he was FAST! He would swim 2 laps while I finished one. I found out from the lifeguard that this guy comes to the pool a few days a week and swims 100 laps - that is 10,000 meters - and he does it FAST. If someone put a gun to my head I could not swim 10,000 meters - no way. I was totally discouraged. Not only could I not swim 1/4 the number of laps this guy does, he can swim 2 laps to my 1. Not true- I need rest between laps he doesn't. If we both had to swim 10 laps he would finish while I was on number 4. Very discouraging.

Today, this same superstar came into our language class to meet the coordinator - he wants to enroll in the class. We got to talking and it turns out that this dude is on the Iraqi National Team. He went to the Olympics in Athens for the 100 meter freestyle. He is ranked #61 in the world. I am so glad I met him. I now no longer feel like a schlep.

A complete aside. I always feel a little personal guilt when I meet an Iraqi. I probably shouldn't but I do. This guy just left a war torn country. His family is currently living in a war zone. Now I do not want to start a political debate and I am not trying to be provocative but as a result of the American invasion it is now dangerous to go to the grocery store. Iraq was a mess before we arrived, a repressive, stifling, and dangerous place. It was dangerous to express your political or religious opinions - now it is dangerous to walk the streets. I don't know what is worse. All I am saying is that is awkward meeting an Iraqi. I feel awkward, he feels awkward, because the situation is so F'd up. SvB