25 Miles Along the Road to Svelteville

I've swum another 10 miles since my last post. That makes 25 miles. My tummy is still NOT flat.

I can tell that I'm losing flab: my pants are looser, I have a more defined waist, and I have less fat to jiggle around when I look at myself naked in the mirror. Nonetheless, it's going to take many more miles to completely whittle down this belly.

On the plus side: I can swim a mile in 55 minutes now. I'm getting stronger. I no longer ache all over all the time. I've lost 3.5 lbs of the 5 pounds I gained from swimming ( I THINK that's muscle weight). I've overcome my water phobia (that's the best thing of all!)

I've gotta admit that the first 20 pool lengths are not fun. It's getting colder in the mornings and showering before getting into the pool is very chilly. I huff and puff while swimming those initial 20 lengths. I have to push myself. It's not pleasant. But by the time I've reached the halfway mark, I'm no longer breathing hard and I'm enjoying the swim. It IS getting easier.
I've decided to map my miles around the island going in the other direction along Kamehameha Highway. That means so far I've traveled from my home up in the Wahiawa Heights to just past Romy's Prawns and Shrimp stand in Kahuku. I've never eaten there but I certainly will the next time I'm out that way in my car. That eating establishment will be my 25 mile marker.

Kahuku coastline

I want to increase the number of lengths I swim from 64 to 80 starting in December. That translates to 1.25 miles. I'd like to get strong enough to be able to complete the 80 lengths within an hour. By the time my 2-year goal of slenderizing me concludes, I'd like to be swimming 2 miles each time I get in the pool. It's going to be a while before I can reach that goal...

My friend swims 1/2 mile 3 times each week. He considers it a necessary evil, a chore that he has to get out of the way before he can do something fun. As a high school team swimmer, he found the races fun but the practices dull.

Consequently, his swims now are in the practice category and therefore dull. I think the reason I find my swims fun is because I'm racing against myself each time I get in the water. I'm certainly glad that perception is working in my favor this time around!

See you in another 10 miles!