me: My body and I

Exercising has made me more aware of my body – its potential and limitations. I used to think if one was not an athlete then it is likely that there will be very little physical activities that one should be doing. So I have surprised myself and my body into some strange situations this year.

Despite all these exercising, I do not trust my body as much yet. The mind still retains the label that if one is an anti-social nerd who enjoys books, then I cannot be so much of a jock as well. Therefore I will most probably be the girl who will drop the ball before passing it off to the next. By the way, that is a true memory from my adolescence.

Last Saturday, was the first time I swam at the sea. Gee. It was not even the open-seas – just the barricaded portion of a local beach. It was ~3m deep and a single lap was only 400m. I swam out with two fellow swimmers and then, off we went in one straight file. It has been some time since I last swam seriously. I cannot see the seabed, hell; I could not even see my feet. I cannot see my hands in front of my face. I cannot see the finishing point. The water was murky and suddenly a piece of evil seaweed floats past my face. What if I feel something pulling at my legs? What about those Faces? – in the scene as Frodo crosses the Dead Marshes - "They lie in all the pools, pale faces, deep deep under the dark water. I saw them: grim faces and evil, and noble faces and sad. Many faces proud and fair, and weeds in their silver hair. But all foul, all rotting. A fell light is in them."

Then I started the feel the sea lice nibbles everywhere – arugh – are those jellyfish stings?

Frankly, I freaked (edit: understatement of the day). To quote a fellow swimmer, I “looked quite flappy” then. My limbs simply refused to swim any further; I could hardly trap water properly to keep myself afloat. I did not even think I could swim back ashore then – I just want to make a mad scramble for the nearest fixed object. I did not have the confidence in my body to take the swim, knowing that there is no rest point, or quick escape until the 800m is over. Thank goodness for friends.

They came back for me and swam alongside me. But we abandoned the swim at 400m as the sea lice stings were too many and too painful. Of course, being me, I developed an allergic reaction against them. So add that to jasmine flowers which I should avoid. Fortunately, they subsided after my run and the 2 cold showers in between.

I underestimated my body then.

But yesterday, I overestimated my body and went for 2 yoga classes back-to-back. 2.5h of body contortions - not to mention that the final class was Astanga II. I laid in Savasana (corpse pose) for final 30 minutes. -_-. My arms and legs are jello today.