A New Skill

When I think back on the last year - I have mastered a lot of new skills.

I have mastered the art of walking in high heel sandals.

I have mastered the balancing act of keeping blood sugars in range when running for 3 1/2 hours - both in the cold days of March and the sweltering heat of August.

I mastered the art of blogging (I think).

I have sorta figured out the art of applying eye makeup.  For those of you who only know me as a makeup-free tree hugger - forgive me. I did have a lot of fancy events this fall.

I learned how to design my own website.

I learned how to swim...properly.

But I think that the most bizarre skill I mastered this year was the ability to cough underwater.

Yes folks, I can cough sous l'eau.

Why did I learn this skill you ask? Because I was getting a little sick (and embarrassed) of coming to a dead stop in the middle of the lane every time a drop of water caught in my throat and I had to cough.

People looked at me funny and I don't like that!

It never occurred to me that I could cough underwater until my friends Erika and Klari were talking about it.  Erika was complaining about having to cough underwater again (again??!).  I pretended to sympathize but my brain was too busy wondering how that was possible.

So last Friday I tried it.  When I turned my head to breathe and a rogue droplet tickled my throat I made myself keep swimming.  I made myself put my face back into the water and...cough.

It was surprisingly easy - and effective.

My throat cleared, the droplet was expelled, and I was able to keep swimming sans problème.

On Monday morning, I coughed underwater about ten times.  Each time worked perfectly.

I no longer get funny looks from fellow swimmers as I bolt upright in the middle of the lane.  But I wonder what the lifeguards think as the girl who never wears a swim cap goes by and huge bubbles randomly burst forth from her head?

I guess it's better than some of the other options...