Idleness

You peek, there are 15 seconds to go on the microwave timer. Do you return to what you were doing in the kitchen, or see if the table is ready? I used to do those things as a reflex, but lately I've chosen to lean against something, still standing, and wait for the timer to trek interminably to zero seconds left, and "End."

In other words, when is time wholly mine? To my surprise I've discovered that those 15 seconds can be precious, private, mine, even sensuous.  

Relaxation, as I suppose everyone knows, has an impact on blood pressure. About two hours, on average, after swimming I take my blood pressure, and my resting pulse.  The pulse even that long after exercize is too high, in the 70s or 80s depending on how many thousands of meters/yards I've swum, which depends on which pool I've been to.  Lately BP has been typically 124/68. If I swim harder and longer, opening the blood vessels even more, blood pressure has been as low as 106/60 achieved partly by deliberately relaxing all parts of the body, part by part, including especially fingers, jaw, neck, and knees by slowly moving the feet forward from a sitting position while measuring.  Under tension, after arriving by car in a large parking lot at a supermarket, the BP machine beside the pharmacy measured 156/75. I'm 72.

My goal swimming in 2005 is to compete in master's (USMS) swimming, with aspirations to win in my age division in freestyle events. In the 1500 meters I might be in the top ten in the country.   (In my age division there might only be 9 entrants in that event <g>) Training has begun to be far more enjoyable by trying harder to relax both mentally and physically. I train alone. Coaches are few and far between, and Teams train too rigorously for someone my age. For example, the only time I should sprint is after having been thoroughly warmed up, near the end of a training session. Also, I frequently train in the same pool at the same time with my son, aged 9 1/2, who can already kick with a kick board faster than I can. Two days ago I peeked at his freestyle while resting, and I swelled with pride and glee to see he's already mastered the sweeping movements of the hands underwater, duplicating in propulsion in physics shared by a propeller, lending an astonishing fast glide to his progress.In his case, 'A word to the wise is sufficient.'

Arriving at the pool in exactly the same mood as required to get pleasure from the 15 seconds on the microwave to elapse, I do pre-swim stretching, imperative to avoid injury, in slow motion, indifferent, bored, same sequence every time including standing on one foot while holding the other foot against the buttock, while not wobbling and standing as erect as possible.  Mental relaxation is required to deal with being observed swimming, something that can induce tension, the enemy. Lately I kick 10 laps first, not only to strengthen a weakness, but to avoid the infantile impulse to let the lifeguard know I only look like an old guy out of the water. 

What all this is really about is needing desperately to live long enough to give my young children a boost up in life.

Barry