HOLY CRAmP

Firsts.

We all have certain first times that stand out. Then there's others that don't really make headlines but they're "firsts" nonetheless.
Here's a couple of mine since I first started swimming 6 weeks ago.

1. indegestion/burping - I felt it building in my chest and wasn't sure how I was going to time it out w/ my breathing; I mean hell, I just learned how to breath and swim concurrently this year. Air comes out when it needs too, I can burp and swim now.
   
2. gas - same genre though a little more off-color. I can see your frown, I know, sorry. Trust me, it's not something you plan for. But (no pun intended) like running on a busy trail and the stomach's bubbling and contorting, these things happen. And unless you have no inhibitions and could care less who can hear, it has to be dealt (no pun) with delicately.
   
3. And the inspiration for my title, the CRAMP. The arch of my foot has cramped while swimming a couple times now. As if it wasn't hard enough trying to remember to kick through the breathing stroke, pull w/ triceps, not shoulders, reach, point the feet and not be sidetracked by other people swimming next to me. Now my foot decides to contract to holy hell in mid-stroke and take me out of my typical piss-poor form into an all out drowning look as I try to lame-leggedly keep swimming through it.
   Then tonight, not only does my foot cramp up a couple times, but my calf decides to join in. Hitting the 650yard mark of a 1200yard set, my right calf goes into full on flex mode, dropping me like an anchor in the ocean. WTF (What The F*&# for all you non-text messengers). That's it, I'm taking my toys/goggles and going home.
   

I did in fact persevere after a rest though the cramp came back off & on. Dealing w/ it somehow helps to keep me far, far away from my vanity. Having to focus on how to get through it, and keep concentrating forces me to tune out everything around me, acknowledge how bad I look and not care. Of course I look like and oil spill, I'm 35 and learning how to swim; just keep repeating that. I will get better. I doubt the words "grace" or "natural" will ever be in the same sentence describing my swimming but "better" is just fine.