We got up to swim this morning. It was the first time in two weeks I’ve been to the pool. Now that the tooth and face infection is over, I can get back in the pool to prepare for a couple September triathlons.

I’m much more enthusiastic about the pool than I once was. You might not know it by looking at the photo below, but I was actually looking forward to sliding into the pool for a workout. I was concentrating on de-fogging my swim goggles. But perhaps really is my resting pool face. I’ve got to learn to smile and pretend I have 30,000 Instagram followers who adore my body and seemingly permanent grin.

The funny thing about a really great pool face is that even if you’re smiling the entire time you’re in the pool, no one will ever really know it if you’re swimming the right way. The amount of time your face is actually out of the water is pretty limited if you’re breathing right.

About that breathing thing. We all know it’s important to breath while swimming. Otherwise you wind up flailing on the surface like one of those doomed sunfish critically gutted by some young fisherman who yanked out their guts to remove a swallowed hook.

Of course, just as I’m getting going with the swim workouts again, the pool is scheduled to close a week or two for cleaning. I’ll miss the opportunity to swim but do have alternatives. They just involve getting up earlier in the morning. In which case my resting pool face will probably look pretty much the same as it does in the photo above. A little sleepy and slack. Perhaps not entirely enthusiastic. But turning my mind on to the challenge ahead.

Sometimes that’s all it takes to improve. Showing up is 90% of achievement. Or so I tell myself every time I toe the line at the pool.