My daughter Brighid is one of the main reasons that I have decided to
revisit diving.  She has practice three days a week with Montgomery Dive Club which uses the Montgomery County pools as their base of operations.  Three afternoons a week I leave work in D.C. to travel back to Potomac to pick her up at my home.  From there we ride to Germantown for 90 minutes of practice from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

There was an "open swim" on Tuesday evening after her practice.  I decided I would suit up and try some dives on my own.  The more time I get to spend on the board - the easier the progress will be.  I was finally feeling better after a rough few days of being sore.

I spent about an hour diving with Brighid - her acting as my coach.  The diving is still rusty - but I am feeling as if I can really do this.  There may be a lot of sore muscles between me and my goal, but my confidence is getting high.

I am ready for my second session with the coach on Thursday.

OUCH!

Yes, the title is self explanatory.  Although I was sore the day after my first practice - I am almost immobilized today.  Was it the tumbling with the teenagers during warm up?  Was it the diving?  I am not sure what caused the soreness - but man - I am hurting.

While I trained for 2 months to prepare my body for my first day back on the board - I did not prepare enough.  I lost 15 pounds and gained a whole lot of muscle in the last 2 months - but there were obviously some muscles I missed.  My neck and shoulders are killing me.  While I thought I was past the training pain - I now realize I have some more time to go before I start feeling normal again.

Rather than sit around and hope the aches would go away - I went to the gym to stretch out.  There is a machine there that looks like some kind of mid-evil torture device.  It is a metal cage without any moving parts that has been fabulous in getting me somewhat limber.  After spending an hour at the gym - I felt a little bit better.   I certainly has some of my range of motion back.  The aches were still there. I only hope that I can recover quickly and be able to get back on the board sooner rather than later.

I think if the teenagers I dove with Thursday saw me now - they would be smiling.

WOW - First Day At the Pool....

When I arrived at the pool last night - I was walking towards the stairs following the crowd of swimmers and divers heading to the locker room to suit up for the next practice sessions.  As I was approaching the stairs - the young girl at the desk stopped me and said that parents were not allowed in the locker room or on the pool deck during practice.  What?  I turned and asked her what she was talking about - and she pointed me towards the observation deck and said that parents have to wait upstairs.  When I told her I was here to DIVE - she looked at me quizzically and said...  "Oh!  So sorry!"

As I continued down the stairs to the locker room - I noticed that I was at least 30 years older than most of the other "kids" in the stairwell.  At that point the lightbulb switched on in my brain - I am not the typical participant in this group of athletes.

As I dressed and put my clothes in the locker - I was instantly brought back to my college years.  Everyday I was doing this at the pool.  Chlorine smell, humid air and the clang of locker doors were daily reminders that practice was about to begin.  As I clanged my locker shut - I anxiously walked out to the pool deck.  In a little over an hour - I would know if I can really do this.

As I walked over towards the boards, I could not see anyone that would be a likely candidate for Masters Diving.  There were a lot of high school kids - and I was wondering if I had my day correct.  As I went to the gymnastic mats to start to stretch - I saw another guy in his 40's that was doing the same thing.  I asked him if he was here for Masters Class - and he said yes.  He seemed relieved that there was someone else there - as was I.  Our adventure was about to begin.

We were the only two "adults" that were there.  Since there were so few Masters Divers they had merged us with a high school class.  It was funny to watch the kids faces as they tried to figure out what the "old" guys were doing.  I learned pretty quickly that the high school warm up routine was not going to work for me.  At least not right away.  The warm up almost killed me.  Tumbling and extensive stretching were not being easily accepted by my limbs.

When we finished out stretching and walked over to the boards - we took a lot of time to work on the boards and re-learn our hurdles.  Surprisingly - the hurdle came back pretty quickly.  My required dives also were pretty good.  I think I turned a few heads of the younger divers.  Many were wide eyed as I got out of the pool as their assumptions changed.  Maybe the "old guy" actually can dive.

While the easier required dives went very well - the optional dives were not nearly as impressive. Although I was pleased with my results last night - it also illustrates how far I have to go.  Rock On !

Getting Nervous...

Diving Well with Towers

It has been a long time since I have been genuinely anxious about anything trivial.  I generally have a philosophy of only worrying about things I have control over.  Life is too short to lose sleep about things that are not really important.

With that said - I am not sure how I can categorize my return to the springboard.  I have worked very hard to prepare for getting back in the pool.  The last 2 months of running, gym workouts and mental preparation somehow do not seem to be enough.  After 31 years of being off the board - I really wonder if I can do it.

My first session with a coach is Thursday evening.  I am really excited about going to class - and see what Masters Diving is all about.  Will there be anyone else my age there?  Am I going to be the only one?  All this will soon become clear.  When I told my daughter I was nervous - she rolled her eyes.  I was quickly reminded that EMPATHY is not easily doled out by teens.  Especially from your own kids.

So with that said - I am anxiously looking forward to my first pool session at the Kennedy Shriver Aquatic Center.  

Week Seven - Feeling Fabulous!

After hitting a plateau for a few weeks - it seems as though I am back on track and making progress.

I lost two pounds last week - and can really feel my body changing.  My slacks are getting baggier - and I suspect that next week I will amend my graphic to show a 33 inch waist.

Although I am not super happy having to go out and purchase more pants - it will be exciting to throw away the old and bring in the new.

My workouts are going well.  I can feel myself getting stronger - and my trainer Ed is pushing me just a little bit further than I feel I can go.  For a trainer - that is the highest compliment you can pay - right?  He gets it.  Maybe even more than I do.

My gut is almost gone.  I can feel as though I have abdominal muscles once again.  I actually may be ready for my debut in the pool with my new Masters coach on the 17th.  Am I allowed to be both excited and nervous at the same time?

Off to work.  I am not sure how I am managing to fit in working full time and training the way I am.  I hope that I can continue to swing it - and I am less than a year away from the National Masters Competition in Colorado Springs.  Bring it on.....

HUMILITY - Learning Every Day

My ego was very quickly smacked into submission on Tuesday.  I met with Ed, my trainer – who immediately told me I was making great progress in my workout regime.  As my head swelled – I was ready to supplement my workout with some additional exercises to strengthen my upper body and arms.

Overall – the workout went very well.  Ed kept me away from the machines that I seem to lean towards –and back toward core resistance and pushups.  I got through all he threw at me – and felt pretty good after the hour appointment.  As the day wore on – I started to feel the lactic acid building in my upper body and arms.  I knew I was in for a rough day on Wednesday – and I was not mistaken.

Wednesday morning I found it difficult to even lift my arms above my head.  The soreness was not debilitating – but a visit back to reality after 2 weeks of thinking I was beyond the intense soreness that I experienced at the start of my program in late July.  Just another reminder of what a long road I face.

I forced myself to walk three miles last night.  I really would have preferred not to – but felt that the activity would loosen me up and make it easier to get back into the gym later this afternoon.  I think the activity did me good.  I am feeling a lot better this morning.  Although I am still a bit stiff and sore – it seems as though my muscles have recovered from the tough Tuesday workout.

Coincidently – I am having lunch with a good friend I have not seen in many years.  Jim and I were divers together at St. Bonaventure from 1978-1980.  It will be nice to see him after all these years.  It has probably been 20 years – and it will be nice to catch up.

Onward and upward – just one step closer to the goal.

Back on the Board ~ After 30 Years!

Well - stage two of my training started yesterday.  I went over to the pool with my daughter and decided that it was time to get up on the board and see how it felt.

I have lost 13 pounds over the last 6 weeks and have definitely gained some strength at the gym.  I was a combination of anxious and excited to see how things would go on the board.

The mechanics of diving is all about form.  Even though it has been 30 years since I have dove competitively - the muscle memory is incredibly resilient.  Doing a hurdle every day for 15 years makes the motion almost second nature.  I was pleasantly surprised how comfortable it was after all these years.

With that said - it was certainly rusty.  My balance is not quite the same - and I hope that over time the motion will become more confident.  My body seemed to be holding up, especially after the six weeks of focused training.  Movement was easier with half of my beer gut now gone. It will be MUCH better when the other half goes away...

I spent about an hour diving with my daughter Brighid coaching me.  I was certainly a curiosity at Potomac Swim and Tennis Club.  After the first few dives I had a gaggle of little kids watching me.  They didn't know what to expect - and were incredibly curious as to who I was and why I was being coached by my daughter.
It was a lot of fun to listen to them speak among themselves - discussing who I was - and how I could dive so well.  They were wondering how old I was - when I heard one of them say - he must be at LEAST 30!

As I went through my list of required dives - I could tell I was taxing some muscles that I had not used for a while.  After about an hour - I was tired and decided it was enough for the day.  Overall - I am thrilled that I got this first session on the board under my belt.  Diving at the pool starts in earnest on the 17th of September.  Two weeks from today?  Ready or not - here I come.....

September? Week 6? Already?

It was really easy to chart my progress when I started this adventure 6 weeks ago.  It was a matter of getting on the scale every few days - and seeing how much weight I lost.  After losing 10 pounds in the first month - the pace of the weight loss has slowed to a crawl.

I know that I am still  losing weight and I can feel my body slowly gaining strength.  I am less comforted when I don't see that scale dial moving.  My gut is almost gone - it will be really nice to see a picture that shows my chest sticking our further than my belly.

I have eased up on Atkins a bit - as it is very  difficult to live real life without some carbs.  My wife is getting very impatient - as out normal forays to restaurants have been less regular and a steak or fish at home has become the norm.  I don't miss much - except beer - and a good cold beer will be tops on my list to cheat with when that time comes.

The gym has become a regular stop during the week.  Although it is still tough to get off my butt to work-out, I am pretty proud of myself for making it happen at least 3 times a week.  With my crazy schedule it is more difficult to know when time is available.  Even if my workout goes into the evening - I have been getting to the gym to get the work in.  I have also been trying to power walk at least 4 times a week.  Three miles at a 14 minute pace works up a sweat and is a great recovery day workout after weights.

I finally met up with Ed my trainer the other day while at CRUNCH GYM.  It has been over a month since my initial meeting with him to chart out a plan.  His workout has served me well - and it is getting easier to get through.  It was great to sit with him for a few minutest to discuss progress and schedule my next meeting for Tuesday of this week.

On Tuesday we are going to go though the complete workout and work on my form.  As with any exercise - form matters.  Either I am getting stronger and I am able to get through my workout easier - or I am "cheating" on my form.  Ed will be sure it is the former rather than the latter.  Either way - I will be critiqued and corrected to be sure I am working efficiently.  I am secretly looking forward to Ed increasing some of my sets, or weight - or both.

Photos don't lie - nor do my clothes.  My belt is down a few notches and I think I can see a little bit of definition coming to my frame.  My daughter Brighid has been great - encouraging me to keep it up.  We start at the pool next week.  Wish me luck!