Five Things Michael Phelps and I Have in Common

1. We both swam competitively in high school.

2. Both of our first names end in 'L'.

. . . that was all I could think of.

Every morning since school started, I have been getting up, getting Dan off to seminary and then swimming laps in our pool. I swim 60 laps, 20 backstroke, 20 freestyle and 20 breaststroke, it takes me just over 30 minutes. I love it.

I love how my toes scrap a little and how the water rushes along my body as I first kick off the wall. I am always the most comfortable swimming a freestyle stroke and I love watching the bubbles that stick to my fingertips as I stroke. I love the stiffness of my arms and the drips on my face when my arms come straight up out of the water as I do the back stroke. I love the reach and pull and my head being forced out of the water when I do the breaststroke.

I love how graceful and beautiful my body feels when I move in the water. I have to say it is a little intoxicating to me, especially when I haven't swam in a long time.

I also find myself thinking some of the same things every morning. As I get into the pool, I hear my parents telling me, "Never, ever swim alone!" I always feel a little guilty. My next thought is of the time dad came in the house bleeding from his head. He had been swimming and had miscalculated and hit the side of the pool, hard. They called us together and used that as a good lesson on why you should never, ever swim alone. What if he had been knock out? He could have drowned! It was a good lesson, it has definitely stayed with me.

I think of our coach (Sara or Josh, do you remember his name?) telling me he didn't want to see my chin come out of the water when I did the breaststroke. I still notice anytime it does.

I also think of my dad doing the butterfly. I loved how powerful and strong his shoulders looked as he broke the surface of the pool. Once in a while I think I want to teach myself the butterfly stroke. I try it and almost the moment I start, I remember that there are only a few things in the world that make me look like a bigger dork so I stop and go back to being graceful and beautiful again.

I get out of the pool feeling like I have worked every muscle in my body. I feel completely spent and energized at the same time and every morning I feel very, very lucky.