I DID IT...and I owe it all to Sisterly Competitiveness

Last night I read this post on my sister's blog.
I was taking note of her goals.  Never had I set out to make monthly goals aside from school stuff.  I make weekend goals.  Sometimes goals for the week. These goals are out of necessity.  I need to communicate with the family and hubby what I need to do, so I am afforded the time to accomplish these tasks. 
Last night I stopped and pondered her personal goals.  I just skipped over the ab stuff 'cause I do all those things in my dreams.  That works just as well, right?  But I double blinked and froze on the words "Swim 500 3 days weekly". 
Humph,
You see I have started swimming again.  I mean purposely swimming laps.  I haven't kept track of my laps.  Or my length of time.  My sister was swimming when she lived in Canada and I was cheering her on from my Kansas home.  Never gave it a second thought. 
I mentioned starting up swimming to hubby a couple of months ago and he laughed at me.  Not in a mean way.  He laughed and said, "Yeah, like that is gonna happen where are you going to find the time?"  It is true the kids keep me running and until this past Spring, he was never home in the evenings to help with kid activities. 
About 2 weeks ago, I talked to Fun Girl, the lifeguard, and asked her if lanes were open during swim practice.  She quickly tried to direct me to the quietest times at the pool.  I hushed her and said, I need to swim and the only way I have a chance of swimming is when you are at swim team.  Are there any lanes open?  The boys can go to hockey.  Little Princess could climb and/or swim with me. 

Perfect.

That is exactly what has been happening.  Fun Girl has practice 3 times a week.  I don't swim the whole time.  I wait till about 1/2 hour is left to her practice.  This is when there are some open lanes.Little Princess climbs till then and joins me.

The first few times, I coughed and sputtered.  My lungs were so affected by the ragweed, they were not exactly receptive.  But each time it has improved.  I have noticed my allergy suffering is decreasing.  If too many days pass between trips to the pool, my allergies are insufferable
. 
Fast forward to last night, I see my sister's goal.  500 m.  Well, humph, if she is going to swimm 500m then I should too.  Why had I not thought about setting a goal?   I have to admit there is some serious competitiveness motivating me.  I can't let my OLDER sister be swimming further and more than me. 
So hubby wakes me this morning. He let me sleep in.  We were visiting and hanging out and he asked me if I was going to get ready?  What? Why?  He reminded me I said I was going to swim.  He reminded me The Man had gymnastics and my plan was to swim meanwhile, then we would leave.  Oh.  It took a bit more finagling, but we came up with a workable plan.  That is when I did it.  I opened my mouth.  I told DaddyO my plan to swim 500 m.  Then I said, Fun Girl probably wouldn't be impressed.  He agreed.  She swims 1000s of meters.  Almost 2/12 miles a practice.  Nothing like announcing your competitive goal to family.  It was just my hubby.  He would understand if I bit off more than I could chew and swallow. 
I didn't stop there though. I told Little Princess.  She was so encouraging.  I was so excited, I had a goal!  Then we arrived and I discovered Fun Girl was life guarding the lap pool.  I need her to pick up The Man right after her shift, so I can finish my swim and shower and get ready for the day.  But I didn't stop there.  I told her my goal and plan.  My mouth was in over drive. 
She laughed.  She laughed and she chuckled. 
My goal was nothing more than a warm up for her.
HumpH!   Well if she had been having babies and raising them the last 16 years, maybe she would be excited by this goal.  How rude!  Does she not know her out of shape mommy has been spending all her waking time tending to her children.  Sacrificing for them.  She laughed !
So I splashed her.  Rule number 1, don't splash Fun Girl.  If she is dry, she wants to stay that way.  She will get wet to rescue, but she prefers to stay dry.  Dismay was on her face.  She taunted me.  Into the water I go, and I gasped a little louder than I intended and she started laughing hysterically.  She offers to time me.  I glare at her.  She offers to keep track on the dry erase board for all to see, and I glare at her. 
I swim.  And I do really well.  After the first 125 m, I start to think how stupid I am for opening my mouth.  My lungs are starting to feel some discomfort.  I pause to wheeze and cough.  She asks how many I have done.  Quickly calculates how many more I have to do.  Naughty girl.  I swim.   Another 50 m and I change my stroke much to her dismay.  She starts trying to improve my technique and I frown and growl, that I am trying to breathe.  Leave me alone. Breath caught I revert to my freestyle.  With 100m left, I change my strokes again.  Fun Girl is shocked and raises eyebrows.  "I am still in motion!  I don't want to drown. Leave me alone."  
I am done!
She walks over.  Leave me alone.  I was trying not to drown on your watch.  She laughs and tells me she wouldn't have rescued me.  2 other life guards were in the water, off duty, and racing one another.  She would have sent them over to me, since they were already in the water! 
I am feeling the love.
All I can say, I am glad I did open my mouth and tell way too many people.  Cause I DID IT!!!!
I completed all 500m.  I laughed at myself all day.  I can't wait for my sister to read this.  I tried to call her multiple times today.  Life is life and we never seem to be able to talk at the same time. 
So, thanks sis, for unknowingly inspiring in me a competitive streak to stretch beyond my comfort zone.