My 1st Swim Clinic

Well it is official - as of Sunday afternoon - my Triathlon journey has begun! I made my way to Milton for my very first Swim Clinic.

The Ontario Women's Triathlon series is meant to be a starting point for beginners. The main objective is just to get women out there and moving, all by challenging themselves through sport. So this series is ideal for first-timers - which is perfect - because that is exactly what I am. Running has been my focus for the past year. And while I used to swim competitively in high school - that was over a decade ago now. And open water racing is something that I have never done. So I knew I had a lot to learn.

So Impressed with the turn out!

I spent the majority of the 2 hours on the sidelines, as official clinic photographer and just taking it all in. Upper-body movement/training is still a big no-no for this post-op recovery gal, so I just listened to advice and techniques offered safely from the deck while cheering on the ladies in the pool. (**Nerd-Alert I even took notes! So I can mimic the drills/techniques they used in a couple months**)

Safe and Dry on the Pool Deck

The ladies in the pool, however, had a totally different experience. They left after finishing a kick-butt 2 hour pool workout. Whew! After a brief introduction, Q&A, and warm up everyone was in the pool. The coaches took everyone through drills, talked technique, and the full workshop really tested everyone's endurance. I was impressed and definitely found myself longing to join everyone in the pool (<--- patience has never been a virtue of mine).

More than anything though, I was reminded how AMAZING women truly are. A little community formed almost instantly and we all bonded over our shared love of sport. In between drills you could hear women cheering each other on, supporting one another, laughing, and rocking the essence of GIRL POWER at its finest. (**Yes, I am of the Spice Girl generation. Don't Judge**)

My first clinic reminded me that Sport is not about age or size or even natural ability. It reminded me that Sport goes so much deeper than speed, distance, or PRs. Sport is a lesson in strength, determination, and the true definition of health. Sport creates a community of positive supportive people all working together to get stronger and be healthier. And Sport teaches us to love our ourselves and our bodies for what it can do, not what it looks like. It reminded me why I do this.

Love Your Favourite Darwinian Fail,
Krysten