Saturday, August 8, 2015

60 laps. 60 years. 1 more goal met.




The smile says it all.

Every year on my birthday, I give myself an athletic challenge. This year it was to swim 60 laps, one for each year I've been alive.

This year, I announced my challenge on Facebook adding a little pressure but also opening myself up to fantastic support from friends I've met along the way. I was going to do the swim on my birthday, but we were under a heat advisory and at 106 degrees before 10 a.m. So I delayed and attempted it today, Saturday, the final day of my birthday week.

I got an early start. As with all big things worth doing, it's best to break them down.

After 5 laps: I thought just 12 more sets of 5. At 10 laps: 6 more sets. 20 laps: in a groove.

At 30, the halfway point: I started grinning. One more set of 30.

Laps 40 and 50: It's kind of like an out-and-back run, the return leg feels like I've done the work and everything else is gravy. Dig in, keep going.

And during laps 51-60: I started thinking about the literal meaning of those laps. Each lap was a quick up-and-back to review my life during the past few years. Cutting through the water, I was leaving those years behind.

And during my final lap, lap 60: I thought about what's to come, what I can make of my 60h year.

During that final lap, I set a couple of goals. Some people would call that setting my intentions. I call it preparing for my 61st birthday challenge.

2 comments:

flourishingjudy said...

Thanks for bringing us along with you so that we could cheer you on and connect with our own goals, intentions, and traditions too!

Unknown said...

Yes, Judy!! You were there. On my shoulder.

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