My 95 by 65 swimming goal was very modest: Swim five miles, and brachiate one mile. The reason brachiation was part of the swimming goal will be more obvious when you see the ladder configuration, here demonstrated by some neophytes who are much more fun to watch than I am.
I didn't officially start till July of this year, when I realized that both travel and winter weather would take away a large chunk of the months remaining till my 65th birthday and I'd better pay attention to this goal. But as of yesterday, I'm up to 5.4 swimming miles and 1.3 brachiating. More important, I've established a daily habit: eleven laps (0.1 miles) of the pool, and six of the ladder (0.025 miles). Little steps add up over time!
Now we'll see how long the habit lasts, as the water temperature drops. Thanks to my encouraging daughters, who gave me the new perspective, when I do stop for the winter I will not think of the habit as broken, but rather seasonal, ready to begin again in warmer weather. After all, one does not consider the "skiing habit" broken just because the skis are put away at the end of winter!
