In the past weeks, I have diversified my swimming activities, and that has brought me to a very Hamlet-like question: “Which swimmer am I?” Every day is a little different, challenging in its own way-sometimes galvanizing, other times a little concerning or even depressing.
My plan with Swim4Fun has always been a bi-weekly one. I always swam twice a week: once in Cascais by Praia da Duquesa and once in Oeiras by Praia da Torre. In the last weeks, however, we have had bad weather, and the pool in Jamor has opened new days (namely Friday at 13:30, which fits perfectly into my schedule). So I decided to start swimming at the pool to escape the bad weather and ended up planning some new days in order to make up for the open-water lessons that got cancelled (thank you, Tempestade Cláudia). That has led me to train as much as four times a week, and it made me realize I am a different swimmer—or better said, I have a different perception of myself as a swimmer—on each of these days.
1. Wednesday – Praia da Duquesa, 12:00 to 13:00. Swimming II
This is by far my favorite and best day of training of the week. I come from three days of rest, and the timing is perfect. I am not a morning person, and noon is when I feel at my best. During the morning, I work from home, which gives me the opportunity to eat and get my body ready. I sit perfectly in the middle in terms of group composition: I have people to chase in front of me, and I have people behind me, or swimming alongside me. It’s comforting and at the same time challenging. “Way to go, Anna! You rock!!” “Força, Anna! Estás em grande!!”
2. Friday Praia da Torre, 09h30 to 10h30. Swimming II
Friday starts logistically more challengingly. The morning is a bit of a rush: I wake up and take care of the school run. I drive from Cascais to São Domingos de Rana first, drop off my girls, and then drive to Oeiras in traffic. I get to the beach well on time. The group is just right: all ladies, mostly expats; we speak English, we joke. I don’t have to struggle with the Portuguese, and I feel more at ease. But the sea is different—rougher, with more waves—it feels more like open water than in Duquesa. It also comes with more conflicting thoughts and some insecurities in terms of sea conditions, plus there are often jellyfish (harmless indeed, but yeah… you know what I mean).
3. Friday, Jamor, 13h30 to 14h30.
I hadn’t set foot in the pool for a long time, and the feeling of getting back was amazing. I was hit with thousands of flashbacks about the time I used to swim in Italy: the smell of chlorine, the camaraderie in the changing rooms, the chance to take a proper shower and put on body cream. It feels like a spa compared to the outdoors! Plus, you get to chit-chat at the end of each lap, and I have a different coach: Mayra. I like to spice things up, and the pool is so comforting. The conditions are stable, no surprises in terms of water temperature, jellyfish, etc. “Anna, my dear, you are still rocking! That’s my girl!!”
4. Saturday Praia da Duquesa, 09h00 to 10:00. Swimming II and III.
With my husband traveling for work so much, I started flirting with the idea of swimming on Saturday too, and the bad weather gave me the chance to recuperate one more class, so I went for it! But yes, it is my third swim of the week and I am tired! Plus, it is really a back-to-back with my Friday swim (be it pool or sea). This is by far my most challenging swim. The group is big, which is just amazing. We swam in a group as big as 10 or 15 people, and it really gives you a sense of community. For a relocated expat, it’s amazing! But the companionship comes with a price: they are all pros, honestly. I am at the back of the group. Period. And when I say back, I mean really at the back. I get to the destination point sometimes one minute after everyone else. And that’s timing me against the slowest of the fastest group. We went far. Yes, far! I struggle. Mentally, I have this feeling that I need to get better, and it never seems to be enough to catch up. “Where is my Wednesday girl? Where did she go?”
So yes… which swimmer am I? Hard to say. Definitely all of them, and hopefully in constant evolution with all! It’s Saturday, I get home by 10:30, and my teenage daughters are still sound asleep! I have already fought and won a little prize for taking care of myself and prioritizing my goals. On Wednesday the cycle will begin again!
Anna Rinoldi
👏 nice to read, Anna.