Drowning at midlife? Start swimming

The nonconformist in me decided that if every other forty-something woman was having a crisis, I was going to consciously decide not to have one

A  funny thing came out of my mouth at the doctor’s office a few months ago. I was there to learn what was causing the unbearable pain in my left calf when I ran. When the doctor diagnosed posterior tibial tendinitis and prescribed frequent icing, physical therapy and no running for a few months, I said, “I think I’m going to try swimming.” “Great idea,” she said.

It was a great idea. I just wasn’t sure where it came from. I didn’t know anything about swimming, other than how to not drown by moving my limbs in a way that roughly