Goggles

I am breaking one of Elizabeth's (aka ELF) blogging rules and writing at work....it might be different if I ever got home this week! Work has been loooooong the last few days, but progress is being made on our project, so I guess it is all good.

Anyways, by musing on irony as seen through my goggles.

Today was my first day back in the pool since Lasik, and all went well. As the sun was rising (yes, Kerrie, we swim at 6 am, but it seems to be the only time we can fit it into our schedules and still carpool) over the outdoor pool at Flatirons Athletic Club (FAC), I was reminded of my last swim.

The 6 am swim the day of my 12 noon Lasik surgery.

Oh, what an odd swim discovery I had that day. You see, the week before Lasik, you have to wear glasses, not contacts. So for 2 swims, I had to rely on my lane mates for our send offs since I was without my contacts and could not even see the clock, let alone read what it said.

Also, the days are getting longer and by 7:15 it was getting really bright when I would breathe to the East.

So, on Thursday, April 24, 2008, I made the serendipitous decision to swap my light blue, sweedish-style, socket rocket goggles for my near-black, gel-socket, Nike, bargain bin sweedish-style goggles. The goggles I paid less than $3 or $4 for at a High Point Swim expo tent at one of the local triathlons a few years back. The ones that I really bought for the strap, not the goggles, at least that is what I said after the first time I used them and realized why they had been so cheap.

They don't look cheap. The fit is pretty comfortable (at least once adjusted correctly). But the first time I wore them in the pool........woah Nellie! Everything looked fine above water, but below water it was all blurry.

Until 6:08 am April 24, 2008.

For more than 2 years I swam along looking at a blurry line on the bottom of the pool, blurry hands, etc. It was OK since I could see everything above water fine, including the pace clock. But it was weird. Even a tad annoying. But the morning before my Lasik surgery, because I couldn't wear my contacts, I discovered that my bargain-bin goggles were a near-perfect fit for my horrendously near-sighted eyes.

I could see all the way to the other end of the 25 m pool. I could see every chink and crack in my faded, chipping toe nail polish. I could see the ........ physical flaws in my lane mates physiques.

Who would have thought that Nike's design flaw would be a perfect fit for my near-blind eyes. What an odd thing to discover!

And, today, back to being blurry below the water's surface. But that's OK. I can see well above the water....yeah! I can watch the drops drip off my finger tips on my sun-side arm during recovery. I can read the clock. And all with no contacts.

As my vision continues to improve daily, I am thankful, oh so thankful. And training is resuming, when work schedules allow. I told them I HAVE to leave this afternoon/evening for my track workout (first one of the year!) even if it means coming back in afterwards. We'll have to see.

Happy travels to my Family as they all leave their respective time zones to converge on Duluth MN for Beth's graduation. Way to go Sis! Wish we could be there! Happy driving Erica (and critters) and Mom and Dad.

And Happy Mother's Day!

We love you all, miss you so much, but look forward to seeing you soon when we are home for the wedding.

One final thing: a small correction. Our brother-in-law, Ryan, deployed last Saturday, but he is currently assigned to Baghdad, not Afghanistan. The Army changed his assignment (no real surprise) and Erica forgot to update me. Our thoughts and prayers are with them both.

-Amber