Milestones (How to Swim a Mile, Without Bursting Your Spleen)

My elementary school made everyone run "The Mile" every year. And I dreaded it, every year. A MILE? We'd take-off near the tennis courts, then run four laps around a kickball field. The first lap was easy. I slowed down a bit by lap two, and by lap three, my internal organs were malfunctioning in a way that if my P.E. teacher yelled "Pick it up!" one more time, an organ was bound to burst.

I always managed to finish, but no blue ribbons were offered for effort. My trophy was an intact spleen, or whatever organ happens to be here (pointing vaguely to my entire torso).

To be clear, I like the idea of running. I wish I was a runner. If you run, I'm here to cheer you on. But this isn't actually about running so let me cut to the chase: it's about swimming, sort of.

I was never on a swim team. I've never been to a swim meet. I've never had a swim lesson in my life (though it’s on my to-do list.) But, back in January 2020, I decided to give lap swimming a go. By February I had created my own swim team of one (everyone is welcome to join by the way, there are no try-outs.*) I was feeling good, figuring it out, and enjoying the challenge. And it was a challenge! Swimming was hard and despite the initial agony of getting into the cold water, I was enjoying it... and then the pool closed. And then everything closed. 2020.

So, when a nearby lap pool re-opened this Spring, I jumped back in and started over. I drummed-up a self-directed (and most likely misguided) training plan, and never once shouted "Pick it up!" at myself. Instead, I just set tiny goals, one lap at a time, one day at a time.

The main idea was to just be out there putting in the work, knowing the discipline of practice would offer the benefits we all expect from practice. However, there was something kicking around in the back of my head... something SO annoying it could have only come from fifth grade: "I wonder if I could swim a mile." A MILE.

Now, I get that for some swimmers, swimming a mile isn't a feat. It's their daily drill. However, we all have our own milestones, and that seemed like a good one to set. It was just the right dash of doable and daunting.

About a month later, a few days ago to be exact, I finished up my laps, took off my goggles and gave one final satisfying "click" to my lap counter (an old event attendance/occupancy clicker). I was done for the day! But that's when my inner-fifth grader showed up.

"You should go for it. Swim the mile. Your organs probably won't burst. Probably. I mean, honestly I'm sure it'll be fine. Swim the mile." And then fifth grade-me turned back to the story she was writing in her Trapper Keeper.

I had already clicked-in twenty-two laps. What was eleven more?

So, I went for it. I put my goggles back on and pushed off the wall.

"Click!" One down, just ten to go!

"Click, ...click, .......click." I slowed down but had more to get in, so began to mix-up my strokes with each lap, hoping the change-up would help.

"Click," six more.

"Click," five.

"Click," four.

I needed a break, so did a little stretching and took some unnecessary time thinking that everyone should really have an event occupancy clicker, because it just felt so satisfying to click. What else could I be using it for? What else should I be counting? Turned out, I didn't have any great ideas for other things to count, but I did have more laps to do.

Four more.

I pushed off the wall again.

"Click," three more.

"Click," two.

".....Click," one. Just one. I could do one!

It wasn't fast, it wasn't great form, but it was done.

"CLICK."

(And then, because I needed to out-do myself, I swam an extra lap for good measure. Take that fifth-grade self!)

Earlier today I swam a mile again, because that's just a thing I do now. (Can that be a "thing" after doing it twice? Surely it's a thing.) I'm back to the practice of it all, swimming back and forth, and back and forth... and back and forth some more, one lap at a time, one day at a time, until my next goal comes into view.

And while I share this about swimming, I know we can all read between the lines here. It's assuredly about writing as well. It's about the practice it takes to get to our goals, one draft at a time, one revision at a time.

That said, I moved from the pool to my computer this morning (hair still wet, goggle marks around my eyes) to get in my daily writing, but also to encourage you to "just go do that thing you're wanting to do" (someone should really edit that into a tidy slogan and put it on a shirt.) If you're working on a book, I won't tell you to "Pick it up;" this industry isn't known for its speed. It is however known for its work. So, don't worry about your pace, just get to work.

Now, having met one of my fifth-grade goals, it's time to keep at the other one I started back in that Trapper Keeper.

*If you want to join my swim team, let me know. We can get matching swim caps!