Yesterday I swam Grimaldo's Mile in Coney Island. I haven't swam the race in years and it was the first event I jumped on for 2021. I haven't been in competition since 2019, my body hasn't held an average heart rate of 135 bmp for a half hour in a long time.

Before the race a swimmer said to me,"How fast are you going to go? I'm going to do a 31. What are you going to do?" I simply replied. I don't know.  Honestly, I didn't care. Laughing with friends later we joked about our "Low Expectations", which meant;  finishing the race, swimming straight and making sure you had time to run out to the car and pay the meter. 

In all seriousness, I HATE with a PASSION talking about times before a race. I know what I'm going to be able to do, and I certainly don't want to discuss it with you. I don't want to play that mental game. I don't want to be ranked even before I start. I want to swim for the joy of swimming.

In masters we have a wonderful luxury, swimming for the joy of it. That doesn't mean we don't push hard or have goals. It's a yogic philosophy of "do your best". So yesterday even though I'm capable of more when I'm in shape I was pretty happy with a 37.00 for a mile.

My heart breaks for Simone Biles. It's unfortunate to probably be at your last olympics and not be able to compete the way you had planed. But, what a SMART GIRL! Is it worth paralyzing yourself to win? Is it worth possibly costing your team a medal? BRAVO Simone for standing up for what is right for you! Simone practices the JOY of Gymnastics. It's a wonderful path to be on.

It saddens me when athletes only care about wining and time and don't focus on what else the path can bring them. Friendships, health, exercise, and losing with grace.

Recently I've made some choices in my life that have probably surprised a lot of people and even myself. Sometimes losing is the best gift you can give yourself. It can preserve your mental sanity and also be a path to greater health.

Now don't get me wrong. I LOVE to compete but I compete with balance. I compete against myself and push myself when the timing is right. I compete on my terms and no one else's.  Now to the pool, because lord knows I have a lot of work to do! Amen.