1000-yard Swims: Five Days in a Row

This was a particularly good week for me as I completed five consecutive days of 1000-yard swim each day. The weather has been sunny days most of the week though cooler as we entered early autumn in New England. I showed up religiously every morning at the Wilton YMCA and swam for 35-40 min or 40 laps. I was still awfully slow at about x4 times slower than an Olympic athlete and ~3 times slower than the young lady from Colby-Sawyer College in the next lane. I also got help from my snorkel and fins for most of the freestyle laps. 

Nevertheless, I am proud of my persistence. This swimming schedule has been an extraordinary help to my psyche during the 5-month corona shutdown providing me with the much-needed reprieve from the lockdown. I think the best part was the deep breathing during the swim as I was usually winded after a few faster laps and would rest for a few counts at the shallow end. The most challenging part was learning how to relax and breathe naturally. The outdoor pool was nice on hot days though the pool temperature at 80F felt cold when the swimmer needed to work hard to warm up in the first few laps.

I still look forward to the days when I can return to the warmer indoor pool at 80F with a hot shower afterward, followed by a steam room/sauna as a reward for the exertion. All these luxuries hopefully will be restored at the YMCA as we get better control of the pandemics early next year. Nevertheless, I am content to drive home with my sticky wet trunk with a towel on the driver seat and return home for the shower without any rewards.

For now, I am thankful for what I have – safe and relatively healthy, as we long for the new normalcy for carefree travels, family get-togethers, or national meetings. 

Posted on 8/22/20 five months after the coronavirus shutdown in Connecticut.