Back to Swimming...

Swimming… One word that I have come to really not like using (unless it is followed by the proper expletive). I had a swim lesson this morning and I will tell you, if I wasn’t before, I am definitely humbled once again. I now have a swim coach, mostly because I need additional motivation to get in the pool on a regular basis. I will be working with this coach once a week until god knows when, probably forever at the rate I am going. For those of you just realizing this or even reading my blog for the first time, I AM NOT a big fan of swimming.  Anyway, since it was my first time with this coach in a while, he wanted to see where I was at endurance wise, speed wise, and technique wise.  I could have told him that I was at a big fat zero on all of those, but he wanted to see for himself. 

Well, I fared better than I thought, but like I said I was humbled.  I was especially humbled when we started doing drills.  For example, have you ever tried to swim freestyle with tennis balls in your hands?  Well, let me assure you, it is not as exciting as it may sound. I really enjoyed (just a hint of sarcasm) the 25 yard freestyle sprints with the tennis balls in each hand.  Or my absolute favorite drill was the freestyle swimming and only being allowed to breath two or three times per 25 yard length of the pool. For some, it may not sound like such an enduring task, but for me, I promise, I enjoy breathing, so that one was not very “awesome…”

As we were finishing up, my instructor made some comment for next lesson would include a snorkel, duct tape and a straw.  I have a feeling about what he is talking about but I do not want to imagine what it could mean.  I guess I will have to wait until next time. Joy, joy, joy… (Once again, sarcasm)

Well, I am not a quitter, so I will continue on with my swim training.  Even though I do not like swimming, it’s like everything else; I always learn something about myself and my fitness. Today, I learned that no matter how much I dread something or how bad it may seem in my head, it really is never as bad as I make it out to be.  Sure, I didn’t want to swim for an hour in the pool today, but I made it, and I am better for it too.  I know that facing this challenge will only help when I actually need to rely on my swimming skills.  I have to swim just under a mile across the Ohio River this summer. Next year, heaven help me, I really can’t even imagine, but I will have to swim over a mile for the Half Ironman and over 2 miles for the Full Ironman.  Needless, to say I really need to step up my training to properly prepare for what I want to do. It all goes with the old adage, “If you want to play, you have to pay.”  I know that I am starting to pay and put in my dues now, and hopefully, I will be able to reap some of the benefits of my training during my future events. 

So, for those of you who are great swimmers, I envy you, but for those of us that are just trying to make it to live to the first transition area during a triathlon, I hope to see you all there soon!

Swimming like a rock, learning slowly, but not drowning (yet)…