Listening to the local news telling me it is currently 16 degrees below zero Fahrenheit. That’s dangerously cold. I have an eye exam this morning, 20 miles away. I will go because I will take the city streets rather than the highway. I don’t want to be stuck alongside the highway in this weather.
I joined the local rec center over the weekend. So excited about getting my senior membership rate. When I got up on Saturday and knew I was going to swim that day, I panicked. I have gone to the same gym for so long, I became really anxious about going to a new one. Learning the ins and outs of the locker room, knowing which end of the pool to get in, which lanes are for fast and which for slow, where to put your towel, etc. I had to really force myself to go. It was REALLY uncomfortable for me.
And I thought – this is how you get old. Just stay in the same places, don’t do anything new, go anywhere out of the ordinary. About five years ago, I realized I got horribly lost every time I tried to go somewhere new, it shocked me because I have always relied upon a really good sense of direction. The running club fixed that as I went somewhere new every weekend – usually long before dawn.
Yesterday I went to the pool again, and again, I was frightened. I had never gone on a week day! Jeez! But I went and I swam and it was great. When I got out of the pool, I was chatting with one of the lifeguards who mentioned the masters swimmers. She said I definitely swim good enough to join them. I was so excited. I always swim alone, so I don’t know how I look, I just know I get from point A to point B in a reasonable length of time.
The demo is definitely different at this rec center. They are older. But they are fit older people. I mean really fit. I have spoken to so many other triathletes at this place! People my age! I am so excited about this new development in my life.
After my appointment today, I hope to have new contact lenses for swimming, biking and running, new glasses for every day, and turning my current glasses into sunglasses. That should get me through all my triathlon training and the rest of my life too! I have really good non-prescription sunglasses for running and biking, which I wear with contacts for those activities. But I need new sunglasses for driving. Thank God for flexible spending accounts!
Stay safe out there everyone. There are myriad dangerous winter conditions over much of the country. Stay safe and warm. And indoors if you can.
onesobercatholic 
I love your blog. I have so much in common with you, I work in a hospital administration, I love swimming, I’m in recovery. I smiled to myself when I read that you swim too. I will be 56 this summer and find that anything out of my routine upsets me a lot. I also try to remember that staying in the safety zone get you older quicker
Nice to hear from you Nuala. Thanks for the comment. Do you have a blog? I would love to visit.
Oh where is this gym that might make me want to be active and fit in? I am truly in that fear state. Thanks for talking about it. I will try something different and unknown. Thanks.
HI Connie – i’ll send you an e-mail.
you should try something unknown and different and give me a call! 🙂
Oh yes, that would be unknown and different… Thanks.
I am all about trying something new and different and out of my comfort zone. It sometimes makes me wonder that I may have the thrill seeking gene but I also trust that all will be okay with the things that I do.