9 x 50 = 8.5

I cannot recommend swimming lessons with flowaquatics.com highly enough.   Recently, I was swimming laps and the swim coach for the high schools in the area was working with the team.  He came over to the end of my lane to wait and ask me if I was “a triathlon swimmer!”  Yes, I was encouraged, even though I’m not much faster than I was.   I am SO much more comfortable in the water and don’t feel like I’m expending nearly as much energy.  I can breath easily on both sides now.  In fact, I now don’t like to breath every two strokes on the same side, although it is still exercise.

I did lose some stamina due to the trip to Shanghai and Tawain, so was unhappy with my swim that day until the aforementioned coach came by.  Then, this week, someone else asked me “what are you training for?  You are so much faster than I am.”  This lady has run half marathons and bikes easily, she says, but the swimming…..  She had been swimming in the lane next to me and I had noticed her form, which I didn’t think was too bad, although I could see what needed improvement.  I had also seen her watching me, so tried to look approachable.  I told her what I have told others who have asked me about my swimming:  I have seen the flowaquatics.com staff help all levels of swimmers, from those who panic to put their face in the water to those whom anyone watching would call a good swimmer.

All of this is not to say that I don’t have to work when I’m swimming now.  When my form was deemed good enough to begin increasing stroke rate again, my adrenaline tended to get going too much.  I am learning to relax in spite of the tempo timer that helps me keep my stroke pace.  I found that it is important for me to warm up for several laps and do some of my drills before I use the timer.

Also, I am learning how to improve my “catch.”  One way to work on this is by using PT paddles sold by finis.   These are really anti-paddles, causing the water to deflect away from the hands and forcing more effective use of the forearm.  The first time I used them, I had to fight a sense of panic.  For a few seconds, I felt like I was going to drown and didn’t even know how to swim.  Then, I remembered what I was supposed to be doing and started to stroke.  Now I use the paddles for 2-3 laps during a swimming workout.  The lap after I take them off feels fabulous!

I am a little faster.  Last week, I swam nine 50 meter laps in 8.5 minutes.  I wasn’t too tired, but could feel my form slipping a little and want to increase uninterrupted distance gradually.  (Right now I am up to 27 laps per session overall.)  Maybe it won’t long until I can swim half a mile in under 17 minutes.