learn to swim

Was over in Turkey for a couple’ve weeks holidays and, apart from losing my hearing in my right ear entirely for 5 days upon emerging from the pool, it went really well.

I’m still just backstroking really. My breast-stroke, I’ve been told, is bloody good; still entirely underwater unfortunately. Also, though I can recover from it and get back to shore, I really don’t enjoy being out of my depth.

But… There’s me swimming in the sea and actually enjoying the outdoor pool. So… all’s good.

Til this gets sorted out!! http://www.43things.com/people/progress/Waxy_Dan/1512187

It’s annoying.

Which is annoying; but I’m just not getting anything done until this:http://www.43things.com/people/progress/Waxy_Dan/1512187 is sorted out. So…

Last lesson on Saturday went really well though. Starting to get breast-stroke together a bit more and spotting what I’m doing wrong (pushing forward instead of down, etc.).

Ah well; have to get back to it soon though.

All good. My tactic of “arse to all strokes I’m not getting the hang of – it’s back stroke all the way!” seems to have paid off.

I think concentrating on the one stroke in which I could actually inhale and move and similar (all of which I find are handy things to accomplish while attempting to swim) allowed me to discover how to move in the water. It also simply allowed me to become far more comfortable and confident.

So flipped back around last night and it was okaaay. Not great, but okay. Breast stroke was a strain. It was pointed out that I was basically flat in the water; which a)meant I was face down and couldn’t breathe and b)meant my legs were splashing along the surface. But I’m finding it hard to stay floating when I place myself at an angle. But still, much better than before.

Front crawl (oddly, as this one was really causing me problems) went a lot better. I think because the kick is so similar to the back stroke that I was able, this time, to focus on my arms and timing my breaths to coincide with my face being above the surface of the water (certainly a bonus).

In all, I’m progressing far slower than I had thought I would. But, I’m guessing that it is simply more difficult to learn the older one gets and that’s that. But, screw it, a couple of months ago I couldn’t float now I can backstroke to my heart’s content and at least practice on my front. That’s a huge difference for me and I’m bloody delighted.

Finally copped onto to something in the backstroke. I was talking to people about it last night, all swimmers; it was fascinating how, to me, every tiny difference in posture and movement in the water and its effects are clearly apparent. However, to them, it’s a simple movement; as natural as walking.

Example: I was concentrating on my feet doing the backstroke along the pool. So hands by my side and getting nowhere. Exhausting myself and barely moving. My instructor mentions that, when I am moving my arms, they should come full circle vertically and rest on my hips for a moment. Next time across the pool, my hands are slightly below me; on my hips. This very slight difference in my arms, changes the position of my shoulders, changes the position of my hips, brings my body straighter and higher in the water, which brings up my feet to the surface level, and I’m flying with far less effort but far more speed across the pool.

I’m finding it fascinating.

Went last night to the pool for the first time in a month or so.
It went really really well! Backstroke is absolutely fine… well… my technique probably looks like a windmill crashing wildly in the water and I get tired very easily doing it, but that’s just practice.

Front crawl I’m just going to write off for now.

Breast stroke’s definitely improved. Good advice from my teacher on my arms. I was getting most of the power of the stroke from my arms moving in great big loops in the water; very tiring and also keeping me under the water. She advised much smaller shapes (about the size of my head)... which I’m finding quite hard to do, but much easier. So it’s easier to concentrate on little things like inhaling air instead of water.

After nearly a month (flat buying and Christmas intervened)... this will probably not go well…

I can do a width without too much trouble using a backstroke (still inhaling some water, but I’m not letting it stop me mid-width).

Front crawl’s still the doozy. If I keep just below the water, holding my breath, and just using my legs: I go fairly fast across… but I that pesky need for air is still stopping me mid-swim.

Breast-stroke’s a tad better. Managed to come up for air once or twice and actually get air into lungs.

I went on a holiday to Thailand two years ago and it was the first time I had genuinely enjoyed the water. First time I viewed being able to swim as desirable.

My parents (great though they are in many ways) weren’t necessarily the best at pushing me onto new things. As I grew up, I should have taken responsibility for it, but was embarrassed and such.

I’m old enough now to not care so much wtf people think. So… into lessons in the kiddie pool! Started off very well; going from sinking to a backstroke in about 20 minutes. I’ve started to plateau now and don’t see so striking an improvement from week to week.

I really want to keep going though. It’s come to mean a helluva lot.

(Any advice on how the hell you breath while doing the front crawl would be greatly appreciated…_