On the 9th day of Christmas... I reflected on how far I have come as a swimmer. A swimmer you ask?? Yes a swimmer.
Back in 2010, fellow council employees who I had been doing lunch time walks with convinced me I should join them swimming laps at the council pool at lunch time during summer.
Don't get me wrong, I can swim but I don't swim correctly. I swim with my head above water and I wouldn't say my strokes are 100% correct either. But it gets me from A to B and it proved to be quite the exercise I needed - a change is as good as anything.
So every swimming season (Oct-Apr) since 2010 I have been doing laps with my fellow exercise nuts at lunch time.
Last season I had worked up to 50 laps of a 25m pool but this year I've been pushing to do 40 so I'm thinking my counting was really wrong last season or I really am slower this season. But the reason I am slower this season.... is because this season I was pressured into purchasing some goggles and putting my head under water!!
I should start by explaining why I hadn't stuck my head under water previously - it all comes down to breathing and psychology. I suffer from allergies (unsure what to) and so my nose is often blocked or running so I find it important to be able to breathe at any point in time without having to think about lifting my head out of water. I also suffer from claustrophobia so find goggles restrict my sight resulting in a sense of being closed in. And I hold my breath when going under water instead of blowing bubbles.
So I had three things to overcome.
I started by doing my laps as normal but sticking my head under and blowing bubbles when using my kick board.
I then started sticking my head under and blowing bubbles when doing breast stroke.
Freestyle took a bit longer to manage. Possibly because it puffs me out the most so I feel I need to breathe the most when doing it.
But finally, after four weeks I have mastered it - I have persevered and I am now doing all strokes - well free style and breast stroke with my head underwater.
It is funny though, because when I blow bubbles I humm. And I count while I'm humming when I do free style so I know when to turn my head to breath.
It is a work in progress because it is not perfect and I have moments of panic. But perseverance has prevailed and now I wonder what else I can achieve!!
Today Miss A (thanks @lv2photoWorld) and I are going to the pool for a splash - Miss A has regular swimming lessons during school term but she has never been in a "big" pool. I won't be swimming laps but at least when I do a few strokes I'll be doing them correctly in front of my child.
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