I finally had a small breakthrough while swimming today. I've been reading up on drills and tried a new one called the 10/10. The drill is to promote proper head position and body roll, which helps with breathing as well. I also finally listened to my instructor's advice and kept my fingers together, which makes your hands like a scoop and pulls you more efficiently through the water. With so much going on, I usually ignore this and swim with my fingers spread open. It was amazing the difference such a small change made.
I did several laps of the 10/10, alternating with practice laps and kicking drills. There were quite a few laps where I felt like I was finally getting it. I had more energy, was able to breath more naturally and didn't feel like I was hyperventilating when I reached the end of the pool. I can't wait to swim on Tuesday so I can try it again and see if I can start doing more consecutive laps to increase my endurance ability a bit. Once I get more comfortable in the water I think I'll be able to push myself harder. For now, I'm still struggling to get past the newness and frustration, and hoping that every trip I make to the pool will yield some sort of advancement, however minor it may be.
I also tried out my new wetsuit today. I'm not sure what was more strange - the fact that I was swimming in an indoor pool in a wetsuit, or the fact that only one or two people seemed to think I was crazy. The suit was very comfortable and made swimming much easier. I only did a few laps in it before I overheated and had to take it off. But it passed the test so I'll buy it on Tuesday morning before my rental time is up. I'm excited to try it out on some open water swims during my training, especially in Lake Michigan this June when I'm visiting family.
We're doing a four-mile race tomorrow morning. It's an informal fun run and some friends will be joining so despite the early start, we should have a great time. The rest of the day will be spent relaxing in the backyard with good food and good drinks. That's what long holiday weekends are for after all.
Sport - Swimming (drills)
Distance - N/A
Time - 30:00
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It's great to read about your progress... as a "born" swimmer I often forget the challenge it can be when someone is learning, your willingness to keep at it is inspirational and will help me as I take on learning about running.
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