Take your Injured Wife to the Pool...Day.

Cheryl with her Swim Uniform

Let's make some waves!

So Cheryl decided that swimming is the next logical step in the healing process for her hamstring injury.   Makes sense.  Swimming is a low impact, full body workout...Designed to maintain a healthy cardiovascular system.  Just like running!

And Memories!

And try to stay above water!

The problem is...Cheryl is not a very good swimmer.    Ok,  That may be a little harsh.   She knows how to move in the water...and not drown.  But there is a certain panache that is lacking.   Possibly because she first learned how to "swim" back in grade school.....and ...Apparently,  has not practiced much since then.  Whenever we visit the pools at the various hotels we frequent,  the pools are about 4 ft deep, 30 ft across and taper to a 2 ft depth so little kids don't die.  Hardly a place to improve your swimming skill.

Not so tough...

Just a little slow

But....you have to start somewhere.    And with much free time and an inability to enjoy the outdoors,  what better time than now to give it a go.   Just like running, the form will follow the function as you practice more often.

head down helps with form

head up helps with....breathing I guess.

She also found out that swimming is quite the workout indeed!    After only 5 laps,   she was pretty much spent.   I "tried" to show her that her free style form was "slightly" flawed and she was not as efficient as she could be...hence the early fatigue.   ( hint:   Keep your head down and face in the water,  breathing after every second stroke or so..)

Swim boards help with legs.

With her arms feeling like lead, I urged her to grab a swim board to give her arms a rest while working her legs exclusively.  Her legs were fine and strong.....so she was able to capitalize on that for a few laps.   The best thing was that she did not irritate the  hurty part on her hamstring.  So...Yeah swimming!

Not very graceful on land....but underwater... things change.

She has now asked that I join in on the fun.   Probably to see if I can actually swim myself.    It's true that everyone is a critic..until they try it themselves.   I'm more afraid of scaring the lifeguard with my flubbery body than of actually performing properly.    Then again,  Sealions and Walruses are rather unsightly on land as well...but if you have ever had the chance to see them under water, you learn a whole new respect for them.

And in addition,  most of the swimmers there were old men who looked like they were about to die.... in the water.    So  I should not be so self conscious of my body type after all... Or my swimming ability.

And I was worried I would stand out...

And the whole point is not to look good in front of the  female lifeguard who has probably just graduated from High School.....It is to get in some semblance of physical shape.  So  I don't die at an early age....or an early middle to late age.  And I probably came off as slightly creepy...being a middle aged male fully clothed watching people swim...( even thought most of them were old) And sporting A CAMERA!   I guess I would rather blend in with this motley crew than stand out as an observer.


 Hope everyone is having a great Christmas Week so far.   Tomorrow is Christmas Eve.    Who knows what crazy thing we will try then.   We shall see.