Finding Strength and Grace

The daffodils have blossomed in south central Kentucky. In my mind that means spring has sprung. I am excited to begin wearing lighter weight clothes and enjoying outdoor activities.

As my journey to being healthy is progressing, I have found two new goals that I want to focus on. The first is that I would like to get strong enough to ride my bicycle again. I missed riding all last year due to broken ankles and recovering from ankle surgery.

For me, bike riding is sort of the land equivalent of swimming…it is a feeling of freedom, my mind wanders and I am able to enjoy the scenery. Of course, I have to focus on form and getting up hills, but I find that type of exercise to be very enjoyable.

Now keep in mind, I’m not that person dressed in the tight bike shorts and reflective shirt with all of the gadgets for riding a long time. Noooo, I’m the chick in sweats or Capri pants and a t-shirt peddling around as if I have no place to go. I’m not breaking any speed records and climbing hills (which are more like large speed bumps) can be quite the challenge.

Riding bike as a grown up reminds me of the days when I would ride with friends during my pre-teen years. No real purpose, it’s just fun. If you haven’t been on a bike lately, I recommend that you try it. Ignore how you look when riding; just enjoy the breeze and the sights.

My second goal relates to swimming. Well, not swimming exactly. It’s really more about getting in and out of the pool. I find that I hold onto the handrail with a death grip, so that I won’t fall when going down the stairs. Ascending the stairs, well that requires pulling hard on the handrail as if I’m stuck in quick sand.

Now some of you might be thinking, “Boy is she is REALLY out of shape”. OK, I might be, but I have been watching others at the pool and I am not alone when it comes to using the handrail. I saw a woman in her mid-20‘s do the same thing.

So my goal, because you know I am a firm believer in goal setting, is to be able to enter and exit the pool with the same grace and ease as Bo Derek running on the beach in the 1979 movie, 10 (find it on YouTube for a visual cue). Now I fully understand that I have never, nor will never, look like that, but I really do think that a similar freedom of movement is possible.

While weightlifting, I have been working on both arms and legs. The purpose is to build bone strength so I can minimize the chance of breaking more bones. But hey, is it too much to ask to also be able to use those same muscles to gracefully exit the pool?

Tinkering With Success encourages personal growth and my two new goals are bike riding and grace at the pool. As I think about it, bike riding can build leg strength, so maybe, just maybe, by the end of summer, I will hear the crescendo of movie music as I gracefully ascend the stairs at the pool (minus the braided hair with beads).

BLT