I can haz breath?

Today's workout: Bike to work (~5 miles, I met my husband at the gym and we threw my bike in the back of the car. I know, I'm a wimp), swim 950 meters

My gym just started a master's swim class on Thursday nights and this is our second week going. I met the girl teaching it in the locker room one afternoon while changing into my bathing suit (don't all good stories start out this way?).

Are you a swimmer? She said.

I try to fake it. I replied.

I thought I was doing pretty well until I started going to her class. Man, does she kick my butt. I found out from her last week that the pool is only 25m long, instead of 50m like the woman up front told me. I didn't even know how to swim until late last year; I don't know how long a pool is. All this time I thought I was doing great, but it turns out I was only going half as far as I thought. I found myself pretty upset last week; wondering if I'm going to be able to swim 500m without drowning. My friends keep telling me that I'll be fine, but I just can't seem to shake this off.

I almost drowned when I was six. We were in Kansas City visiting my grandmother in the hospital. I wasn't allowed to see her because you had to be 14 to enter the ICU. So, my cousin took me to a water park called Oceans of Fun for the day. We were in the wave pool and she went to go flirt with some boy (she is 10 years my senior) while I was left by myself with an inner tube to keep me afloat.

I lost my grip and slipped through the middle.

All I really remember after that is seeing blue water and legs and feet. I remember trying so hard to swim up to the surface, but as hard as I tried the waves kept pushing me down. I think the harder I tried, the deeper I ended up going. I don't know how I got back above water, but from that day on I've been scared of drowning. I could only go in pools where I could touch the bottom standing up. Lakes were out of the question unless I had a life vest on me *and* another to hold on to. Over twenty years later, all that little girl sees is blue water and legs and feet.

I guess that's just another reason to do this triathlon, to overcome my fear.

I will make it across the lake.
I will not drown.
That little girl will no longer have to be afraid of the water.