I decided back in early June that I wanted to learn how to swim laps. I LOVE the water, mostly just playing and diving and stuff like that. I have a strong stroke so I've been told but there's a trick to breathing air and not inhaling water that I haven't figured out yet.
A few weeks after making the decision to learn to do laps I found myself at Lake Powell with my boyfriend's family of swimmers and we were just going to swim over to the rocks on the other side of the little cove we were moored at (approx. 200m) and then back to the houseboat. I wasn't afraid of the water, so I thought, "why not???--it'll be a good time to practice my breathing". We dove in. I started to crawl stroke my way across. When I lost my rhythm: breathe, stroke, stroke, breathe, I stopped to check my distance expecting to be near the rocks. I was only half way. A little discouraged and getting fatigued I put my face back in the water and I reached the rocks....just barely. Without admitting to my fatigue and lack of swimming stamina, I realized the only way back was to swim. (The last time I had swam laps was four lengths of the pool back in high school--30+ years ago.)
I was facing a pretty big problem that my pride didn't feel like announcing to my competitive and athletically superior boyfriend. There was nothing to hold on to between the rocks and the boat just in case my energy failed me. My arms already felt like noodles. Some of the group began swimming back. I wanted to rest a while longer and watched them all reach the houseboat safely with amazing speed and skill. Just Carl and I were on the rocks and it was time to get back for dinner. We hopped back in the lake and started to swim. By then the wind had come up and the water was rough (no white caps but certainly not lap pool water by any stretch) and I couldn't take a breath without water washing up over my face. I struggled the first half to exhale air AND water back into the lake face down and turning to take in another H2O-filled gulp of water before I just couldn't breath or get my arms out of the water anymore. I had a panic come over me like I've never experienced before. There was nothing to hold on to and my only option was to keep swimming but my arms were shot. I couldn't lift them, tread with them or find enough oxygen to regenerate them. I could barely get enough air to cough out the water I had taken in and communicating intelligibly seemed almost impossible outside of audible gasping for breath I couldn't seem to get under control.
I turned over on my back, cleared my airway best I could and called out for Carl who by some miracle heard my single attempt to get his attention between his head in the water and the wind in his ears. When he swam back to me instinctively in my panic I reached out and grabbed his neck in desperation. When he went under, I knew I was about to drown us both and in what little sanity was left in my brain I determined I was NOT about to take him down in my prideful stupidity. It took every last shred of courage to let go of him, calm my flailing mind and body and trust my primal survival skills to get me back to the boat. Carl stayed right with me and talked me in. I still couldn't take in a normal breath. It was more like those short, rapid gasping breaths you take when you're suddenly submerged in super cold water--but at least I wasn't taking in water anymore. I resorted to the Chicken-Bird-Soldier rescue method I was taught when I was nine expending an exorbitant amount of kicking energy I was sure I didn't have to spend. My arms were dead. It seemed like forever to kick/C-B-S back to the boat. Had the distance been any longer than it was Carl might have had to drag me in by my neck.
In reflection, I should have listened to my intuition when I realized half way across on my way out that there were no safety nets to get me back if I should tire too quickly. I've learned that my intuition is always right. But the competitive side of me (my ego) got the best of me and almost cost me my most precious position--my life.
Lessons learned:
1) Learn to lap swim in a lap pool, not lake water--two totally different bodies of water.
2) Know your limits especially when there are no life lines along the way.
Your intuition IS your safety net!
3) Don't be afraid to admit your weaknesses.
Pride can be your worst enemy--it could even end your life!
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