That's how long ago it is since I got this strange idea in my head of going to Clapham Pool and attempting - unsuccessfully - to swim a length. A few weeks later, we acquired bikes.
My main motivation was an awareness that I wasn't fitting into my clothes, and my face was looking fat, plus some general low-level concerns about stamina etc, and the doctor being concerned about my weight.
Forget the doctor, I haven't been back since. That will teach them to weigh me, never see me again. Forget the weighing bit, what does that show!
I can't actually say that I have gone down a dress size: my sticky out bits are just as sticky out as ever. When that's my hips and my boobs, I really don't care. My waist has shrunk, and my stomach is defined. Well defined. Quite possibly the best -defined sticky out stomach. And, I have to say, it sticks out!
It's at least a couple of weeks since I last went swimming. During the autumn, I was going as often as three times a week. I did not expect to keep that up, and I'm not losing sleep about it. This evening, when I was on my seventh length, I suddenly felt really quite knackered. I wasn't sure what to think - six months ago, six lengths was a warm up, I just managed ten this evening.
I'm afraid I'm not one of these competitive macho achievers - life is way too short, and, let's be honest, what is more boring than someone going on about their athletic prowess. It is so obvious that I am in such a better condition than I was last year, and better than I could really dream about. It's good that I keep going back, even after a break. If in, say, thirty years time, I'm swimming on average twenty times a year, that's no bad thing, but obviously, I ought to be aiming for ten times a month now, plus cycling.
I don't think I weigh any less than I did a year ago, but I have lost flab and my muscles are significantly firmer. I do need to go to the doctor soon for a repeat prescription, and I suppose. I expect they will weigh me, and it will be tedious.
Little over a year ago I had my knee x-rayed. Nothing amiss was found. What I have found is that the more I swim or cycle, the less the knee hurts. Whereas, when I take a break, I start noticing it twinging.
Walking is still a total pain. I can walk quite far, but then I find later in the evening, and the next morning, my feet are really stiff and achey. Damn good thing I don't do any of that jogging rubbish.
