Dreaming of marine creature style

By Virginia Winder
Swam next to a dolphin tonight.
There was this young woman who hadn't been in the pool for a few years and she just glided past me, effortlessly.
We met at the end of the pool and I remarked on her speed.
Turns out she only learnt to swim as an adult and discovered she had this exceptional gift, though was incredibly modest about it.
We discussed style and she gave me some tips, including running my thumb up the inside of my body before reaching out for the next stroke.
Have decided that since I will have hours and hours of pool training ahead of me, I'll get some expert advice and a schedule.
This human dolphin was incredibly inspiring. Although I won't be able to grow her size 11 feet, I want to emulate her style so I too can slide through the water like a marine creature.
Before swimming, I went for a 50-minute walk and have moved on from stories to music. That means I'm fit enough to stride out to a fast beat.
Tonight it was Kasbian, an English band I discovered at last year's Big Day Out. Kept imagining myself in the mosh pit for January's BDO, because Kasbian is one of the headline acts! Yay!
Just got the new album,Velociraptor, and it's great.
If my teenagers read this right now, they would say: "Mum you just think you're so cool - and you're not."
Put that in there, just so you know that I live with humbling influences and no, don't think I'm cool. Never, ever!
But determined... oh yes, more than you can ever imagine!

Today, I:
Swam 60 lengths of a 25m pool
Walked for 50 minutes at a fast pace
Ate two healthy meals - I forgot breakfast, so came home for lunch to eat my muesli
Drank a smoothy of half a banana, juice from home-grown oranges and a splash of yoghurt
Slept terribly again (about 4 hours)
Worked for 8 hours
Hung out with whanau

Struggling with time

Yesterday was my first day of struggling.
Not with food, but with finding time to fit in exercise.
It was a full day and bitsy.
But worse is yet to come because the work demons are circling, ready to settle on my shoulders and whisper in my ears. "Go, go, go," they'll say, sending me into a frenzy of writing to get through the ridiculous number of stories needed in the next four days.
And so, despite the "life-balance" plan, I have a couple of extremely early mornings in front of me. You see that's when I work best - when the household is silent and words flow from me like water.
I do love it. But I would like to knock off at midday, not keep going for hours and hours.
Next week is looking much brighter!
Any, yesterday, I came home, made a chicken salad dinner (so virtuous) and headed off to do a 7pm interview with a couple of firefighters. When I came home it was dark.
But determination won through, so me and Xena (our family dog) went for a late walk under street lights. Thank goodness for the mild spring weather.
It was a tough day, but a good day; one full of interesting people doing great things. It ended with watching Grey's Anatomy alongside my beautiful whanau (family in Maori) and afterwards, we all sunk gratefully into our beds.
Which is where I'm heading now (haven't quite managed the dusk to dawn switch, have I?).

Yesterday's actions:
Worked 9 hours.
Ate three healthy and low-fat meals
Walked for 20 minutes (fast!)
Slept for 7 hours
Blogged again!