Swimming Lessons

photo: x-ray delta one

By Crabby McSlacker

OK, so regular readers may recall that:

1. I recently hurt my back;
2. I am hilariously inept at my physical therapy exercises and seem to be making little progress yet in the back-healing department;
3. I've been bemoaning my lack of back-friendly exercise options and bitching about how I am getting less fit by the day;
4. I discovered taking up swimming might be a feasible option; and,
5. I have always loathed everything about swimming.

(A quick review? Let's see: apparel requirements; chlorine; my lack of natural floatiness or coordination; being forced to arrange breathing opportunities instead of snarfing up air any damn time I want to; and sharing a pool with other people. And of course most excruciatingly: having to initiate the activity by submerging myself voluntarily in cold nasty evil frigid wetness. Acck! For a warm-blooded mammal such as myself, this feels like a profoundly unnatural act).

Seriously, the only great thing about swimming is that eventually it is over with.

So, one might wonder, given my wonderful positive attitude towards the whole enterprise: how is the swimming thing going so far?  Can an Old Crab learn some New Tricks? And are there any tedious lessons said Old Crab can share from her experience?