Last night I took my first ever adult swim class.

I had been considering private lessons, but when my building’s gym added adult swim to its repertoire of free classes, I decided to jump in.

I have been swimming for a few weeks now, but hadn’t swam regularly for years before (probably since early college); so I knew that I had some work to do on form.

What I learned was not so surprising.  I have trouble keeping my head in the water when breathing.

Heh.

I learned how to swim in the summer of 1986 at a summer camp where years later I was a swim instructor myself.

The thing I struggled with the most as a beginner swimmer – and even later with more challenging strokes – was to manage my breath.

When to breathe, how to breathe and how to keep my head down between breaths.

This was apparent in my very first lesson, when I was just five years old.

I also had an unspeakable fear of the deep end.

But the deep end of my current pool is only 5′ and I’m 5’3″.

Since this experience was good for a laugh, I thought I would take a look back at some other things about me that haven’t changed too much in the past 27 years.

Favorite Color

Rachel, Age 5:  Hot pink and sometimes purple.

Rachel, Age 32:  Fuschia and royal purple are the primary accent colors in both my fitness and non-fitness wardrobes.

Favorite Workout Gear

Rachel, Age 5:  Leotards!

Rachel, Age 32:  Too hard to choose.  Give me high tech fabrics, bright colors and innovate styles.  Even leotards.

Favorite Food

Rachel, Age 5:  macaroni & cheese, peanut butter & jelly, yogurt and fruit, but no greenies (cooked spinach and herbs – raw is okay)!

Rachel, Age 32:  macaroni & cheese (gluten free and non-dairy), nut butter and jelly (I prefer mine high-low, so maybe organic sea salt peanut butter and organic raspberry jam, or sunflower seed butter and marmalade), yogurt, fruit and veggies — especially greenies!

Thoughts on Nicknames

Rachel, Age 5:  Call me Rachel!  That’s my name!

Rachel, Age 32:  “Rach” is unacceptable.  It sounds like a noise an animal would make.

Best Trick

Rachel, Age 5:  I can do a cartwheel! (not really)

Rachel, Age 32:  I can do a split! (after an hour of hot yoga)

***

As least I’m no longer afraid of the deep end.