Swimming, Floundering and Drinking The Pool

I started swimming to prepare for the triathlon in July 2009 on July 4, 2008. Why so early one might ask? Well, it is simple; I suck at swimming. While I might be as big as a whale, I am no where near as graceful! But seriously, I want to be efficient at swimming, so I don't waste all of my energy in the water before I get on my bike. So I joined a different gym that gives me access to a pool 24 hours a day.

On July 4, I decided that a good first goal would be 10 laps. A lap for those that don't know is two lengths of the pool. The pool is 25 yards long, so a lap equals 50 yards. I tried the freestyle stroke, also known as the front crawl. It looked more like someone had put the Tasmanian Devil in the water with an electrode attached to a 220 volt electrical source than swimming. After about 25 yards of churning up the water, I went back to my old standby stroke the breast stroke. Everything smoothed out and I was able to do 12 laps. Not bad, but not the most efficient stroke to swim over the mile that is part of an Olympic distance tri.

I sent out a plea for help, and it was answered by my friend Bob. Bob is the coach from my cycle event with TNT. Bob is a former high school swimmer, and has completed the Wisconsin Ironman. Bob is one of the most giving people that I have ever met. He possesses so much knowledge, and is willing to share it in an understandable way.
Bob suggested that I check out Total Immersion Swimming DVD's. I bought the DVD and it made an instant impact.

While I now was able to swim 50 yards with the crawl, I knew that I would still have a lot of work to prepare to swim 1760 yards, or 1 mile. I would still revert to my old standby when I panicked in the water. I was swimming about 20 laps now most by breast stroke by day 14 of my swimming practice. I was still practicing the drills from the TI swimming DVD, and noticing some more relaxed progress.

Bob hit me up by a text message to see how things were going. He offered to meet me at my gym and give me some pointers. We met tonight, and needless to say, he taught me some more drills, and I got the best swimming workout I have had. We did drills for about and hour, with me drinking most of the pool. I would do 25 or 50 yards, and he would ask me what I was doing poorly. I either had my head too high, or was not rolling side to side enough, or mainly not rolling enough when I had my right arm extended. The good thing was that I was able to recognize with his instruction what was wrong with any given lap on my own.

After drills, Bob had me swim 4X100's with 60 seconds off, and then back to work. So essentially swim four 25 yard lengths, take 60 seconds off, and then repeat three more times. After the first 100 yards, I thought I was going to die! During the recovery period, Bob told me you started too fast, you have to pace yourself. Bob has told me this for the last year. I do the same damn thing on a bike. I am off like a rocket, and then limping home.

On the second four lengths, the first two went fairly well. The last two the form started to slip, so the effort increased. Rest for my precious 60 seconds, and the start of the third set. I wont say that I breezed through it, but I really focused on torso twist so my belly button was facing the walls on each stroke. I was stretching way out, and this one felt better. Rest for 60 wonderful seconds, and then the final set of the four. Somehow I made it through the last set. I only really remember the final 25 yards thinking if I swallow one more mouthful of this pool, they are going to have to refill it tonight.

I am severely more tired than I have been from swimming the breast stroke, but that is why I am doing this. I want to be prepared for all 1760 yards next July.

I am also receiving assistance from a co-worker named Barb. She is always willing to answer my silly questions related to swimming.

Nobody gets through life alone. If you have questions ask them. There truly is no silly question, but the one not asked.