Fast, Faster, Fastest and Crash and Burn

"Are you okay?" 

"Yes, just hurt a little bit of pride," was my reply.

It's been awhile since I've been skiing and we had a nice storm a few days ago.  My son loves to ski and I wanted to get outside in the fresh air and enjoy a sunny 20 degree day on the slopes. He heads to the  black diamond and I find the green circle.

Like many things in my life I am a neophyte skier.  I really don't go often enough to build on what I've learned but I aim to correct that. My problem seems to be that I go too fast!  I see others smoothly gliding down the hills and here I go and I say, "oh crap, oh crap not again!" BAM, ROLL, then came the nice lady to me, "are you okay?"

Speed is not always good.  As I was flying down the mountain and losing control I thought of my swimming difficulties.  I go too fast and become fatigued while swimming.  I go to fast and crash while skiing.  Going slowly isn't always easy though. 

I'm still new at swimming so placing my face in the water and blowing out and turning my head for a quick breath seems unnatural.  I believe my "survival" instincts take over and my brain tells my body to speed it up to get back to the edge of the pool - STAT.  Then I am tired, however. 

I still have a lot to learn but thankfully I have time to learn it.  Trying new things for me is scary but in a fun way.  I'm not the quickest learner (repetition is my buddy!) but I have bull-dog like intensity and patience.  This week I work on swimming as slowly as possible.  Next time I ski I work on slowly gliding down the hill without someone looking down on me to make sure I am still alive!

Selah