Physical fitness returning
 

2 months clean & sober and I am swim training for a surf trip I would never have been able to afford a few months ago.

I have to get my front stroke really good for fighting the waves on the surfboard, I have never been surfing and I am quite a nervous and weak swimmer.

On Monday I could do 20 lengths front stroke in 30 mins but had keep my head above the water the whole time as I am fearful of breathing wrong or swimming into people. Now on Thursday I did 25 lentghs in the same time and managed the proper breathing for most of it. I am getting better at it every day.

That's the point, I have been every single day since Monday. Never would have happened before. I would never have stress management tools and meditation techniques to help me face the fear of hitting things with my head under the water. I would be too hungover and stoned and benzo'd out to bother challenging myself to go a little faster and get a little better every day.

Most of all, I wouldn't be training at all because I wouldn't have any money to have booked the trip I need to train for.

I love how sobriety penetrates into every little nook of life. My lunch hours from work are a haven in the pool, they used to just be a rush home to use and drink for an hour.

Just wanted to share :)

How cool, the swimming and the surf trip. You're definately ahead of me on the exercise but I'm getting there day by day...dam how daily drinking makes me so lazy. Best wishes to you surfing!

Good for you SereniTee!! Your doing great. Have fun on your trip, you deserve it. I'm at the 2 month mark myself (couple more days). Learning to do the things I enjoyed all over again without alcohol. Getting easier day by day.

Keep up the good work. :ghug3

Very cool. I am just a few days away from 2 months as well! I know what you mean. I used to be in really good shape and taught Tae Bo (had to be in good shape to go train with Billy every year!). But I quite, and let myself go. I have started working out again and it feels wonderful. Especially since there is absolutely no alcohol floating around in my body, no matter what time of day i work out!

i find your opening post to be VERY motivating and i'm sure other people will too. congrats on all your FUN!

you remind me that I should have some fun myself.

Yay for you!! That's awesome!!

I always think that each thing we do has a ripple effect, and I think that's what you're seeing. I started walking, a LOT, in the early days of my recovery to get myself out of the house after supper. I was surprised when I realized how beneficial it was to be outside, enjoying the weather, the season and nature. And, when my husband began to join me, I was surprised to find how great it was to have quality time together - no blackberries, no computers, no distractions, just the two of us talking.

Inspiring...thanks, I am planning on staring my excercise program this weekend...18 days today...unreal!

Although I drank hard for a long time, I always continued staying active. I drank and surfed, (then got my DUI after driving 6 hours up from Baja Mexico after a 4 day surf trip) in fact we surfed in what we later found out was shark infested waters off Ensenada near a cannery, would not have been there sober. Surfing sober has been much better. I used swimming in my cold pool drunk as what I used to call (the great equalizer), because it help sober me up and wash the smell of beer and booze off of me before the wife would get home. I ran and walked did aerobics and lifted weights drunk to sweat out the booze, I have played in hundreds of drunken softball games and have always been drunk on the golf course.

Now within the last 30 days I have been doing even more exercising, and I am enjoying it more and I am gaining greater physical and mental benefits from it. As I wrote in another post I have lost 10 real pounds, (not just water weight), I have not been feeling the normal aches and pains that I used to get regularly after my workouts. I am really trying to switch my addictive behavior from alcohol to being fit and healthy. It really helps with my depression as well, and my sex life has improved!! Physical fitness, a good diet and no alcohol has been a great recipe for an improved mental state. This is the happiest I have been in a long time!

Thanks everyone for your kind words :)

Glad to know of your positive progress and goals.
:funjump: