One Year In the Water

I've been swimming regularly for a year.  There was a period of 2 months where I couldn't really even hold the kickboard due to my injury, but, as soon as I could stand being in a water with a splint, I was in and kicking.

I went from barely swimming 8 laps at a time in July to swimming 2 miles in a workout in February.  Although I am still hampered by my arm, I am still swimming at least 3-4 times a week.  I conquered flip-turns not long after I started swimming last summer.  My next goal, once my arm is better, is to master the butterfly stroke.

Swimming is awesome.  Seriously. 

Werk It, Sista!

I'm still swimming.  I've been working hard (minus the holiday weeks where I eased up about 50%).  I really try to focus on dryland workouts to increase my core strength.  See, I have this goal to swim a mile in 30 minutes.  I'm still not there, but the challenge and the cost of swimming motivate me to do something every day.

I'm swimming at least 4 hours a week, on average.  I take one of those swims and do a continuous mile.  Other swims I break it up into long sets and shorter drills. 

I enjoy swimming because of the challenge.  You really have to think about technique and improvement.  You can't get better just by pushing around more water and creating waves.  I love that kind of challenge. 

And, although lap swimming is predominantly an individual sport (let's face it, fans, I am almost totally inept at the coordination that that group sport requires), you can influence the swimmers around you with your pace, attitude, and passion for what you do.  (At least, the swimmers around me do that for me, and we rarely exchange Hellos with one another, much less philosophical discussions about total immersion or using a frequent kick.)

I don't like competing with other people, just my personality.  In fact, I walk away from relationships that start driving toward being competitive.  But, I have started to understand, a bit, the thrill that some describe with being on the positive end of swimming past someone.  More than that, though, I get so EXCITED when I have reached a "zone" in my swim and I stop counting and just swim. 

Swimming is calming, and as I glide through the water, I know that it is the closest thing that I think I will experience in understanding what it feels like to fly.  I love it!

In my next life, I'm gonna go for one of these:

from here

I Surprise Even Myself

This amazing shot is by Elena Kalis.  Go see her work.

Date:  September 30th, Friday

It was Friday, and I was in the water.  That morning, I was awake bright and early, like 5 a.m. early, thankyoumysecondbornsonmerritt.  Historically, if 8 weeks can be considered a long enough to be history, Friday is the worst swim of the week.  I don't know why, but my Friday swims are usually hard and disheartening. 

I wasn't set for anything but making sure I kept up the routine of going.  Oddly, the lanes weren't packed.  The Power Boys weren't splashing around as they powered through their set of laps, moving the water as if we were in the middle of an ocean, constantly swamping swimmers with waves.

As soon as I jumped in the water, I felt like it was going to be good.  My swim cap ripped as I was popping it over my thick hair.  Meant I'll get hair in my mouth as I swim, but I was excited about the damage as I was eager to buy a new cap. 

With newly adjusted goggles, I started my warm-up.  It was so *easy*--and I thought about how it was the last day of the month.  My goal for the month's end was to be able to swim 800 meters (m) freestyle, continuously, no breaking at the wall.  At the beginning of the month, I could barely swim 100 m freestyle without feeling like my lungs would burst and I would drown in 4 feet of water.

To date, the farthest I had made it using freestyle during my drills was 300 m.  I hadn't really tried to see how far I could go because I just changed my stroke pattern and breathing four weeks ago.  Still thinking about it, I started my workout ladder . . . 75 m . . . and I felt really good.  I decided to just see how far I could swim.

At 10 minutes into the workout, I started the long swim.  I made it to 400 m and thought that was a pretty decent improvement, and I kept on going.  I hit 600 m . . . then 800 m.  My pace was AWESOME.  The other swimmers and the water aerobic people, who started taking over the lap swim lanes kicking and bobbing to the Beach Boys, didn't bother me or interrupt my pace.  I kept on going . . . and going . . . and going . . . 60 minutes later, when I needed to de-mermaid and pick up my boys, I was at 2200 m.

People, a mile is about 1609 m.

I had swimmingly made my way to almost a mile and a half.

I am a rock star.  My goal when I started nine weeks ago was to swim a continuous mile, in freestyle, with awesome flipturns.  And.  I.  Did.  It.   wait a second, it should be . . . And!  I!  Did!  It! 

And, you should see my jaunty confident stroll when I walk to the pool now.  I am so proud of myself.

Now what?  Well, I'd like to get my mile swim to under 30 minutes.  I hope to take a couple of lessons to get going on the butterfly around Christmas.

If I ever get my ankle to feel okay with a slight jog, I'm gonna do a triathlon (you were right, Janet!).  Okay, I just heard Erik muttering his concern across the world about the whole running thing . . . I'll do a sprint distance first, and I'll most likely briskly walk.  (750 m swim, 20 km bike, 5 km run)  OR an aquabike . . . you swim and bike, no running.

Power of Postive Swimming

Prinny the swimming cat

So, my goal is to swim a mile in freestyle, continuously, no stopping at the wall at all.  Flipturns, consistent pace, developed lung capacity, and endurance is what I am going for right now.

I already swim over a mile in my long swims.  I have about doubled my distance from a couple of weeks ago.  Although, I've still struggled with swimming freestyle continuously. When I showed up for my long swim yesterday, I couldn't get past the 100 meter distance.  I have been hitting this wall for weeks with minor improvement.  I've had several lessons to help me correctly flipturn (I'm doing that), strengthen my nondominant side (still working on that), changed my stroke and breathing pattern (that is getting better), I realized how I was dragging my body in the water (corrected that), and I discovered I was pacing incorrectly (still a struggle).

Well, I was so down on myself.  (Granted, I've only been back in the water about 7 weeks, but I'm in the water almost 4 hours a week, quite often more, with dryland workouts in between.  This should be getting better.)  I left the swim exhausted and disappointed in myself.

So, early this morning, I went back.  I was going to do my best to work on my pace, keep my body at a proper alignment on the water, and enjoy those awesome flipturns of mine.

AND I DID IT!

I interval swim with freestyle for part of my workout, and this is how it would usually go:  25 meters, feeling good . . .  (rest for 10 seconds) swim 50 meters, I'm okay . . . (rest 10 seconds)  swim 75 meters, okay-I'm pushing it . . . (rest 10 seconds) swim 100 meters, I AM GOING TO DIE! . . . (rest 10 seconds) swim 75 meters, why can't I get this . . . (rest 10 seconds) swim 50 meters, thank heavens I am almost there . . . (rest 10 seconds)  swim 25 meters, I don't I'll ever get to a mile.

And, this morning I increased the interval distance (no, not very logical) hoping that my positive thinking and my determination to pace appropriately would come together.  Here is what happened (resting for 10 seconds or less between each distance):

50  meters (m). . . 75 m . . . 150 m . . . 200 m . . . 150 m . . . 75 m . . . 50 m---and I ONLY stopped because I was done with the interval and needed to switch to drills.  I wasn't winded.  I could have gone much, much further! 

YAY!  I doubled the distance with ease.  If I can keep this up and not increase it too fast, putting too much stress on my shoulders, I might still make my monthly distance goal.

There really is much to be said about the power of positive thinking.

(And, over the next four weeks, my access to the pool will dramatically decrease, but hopefully I can keep my dryland workouts intense and not lose too much momentum.)

"Back to the Water" Progress

My muscles are super aching today!

I've been adding core workouts and pilates workouts along with my walk on my dryland days.  I keep my swim days to long workouts in the water, with a bike workout if there is time.

Yesterday, as I finished up my last lap, which usually takes me around 56 minutes to get to in my work out . . . I looked over at the pace clock and realized that I was *20* minutes early.  TWENTY MINTUES  EARLY!  (I had to double check my lap count and workout list to make sure I didn't skip anything.)  I must have really shaved off a ton of time with working on my flipturns and pacing my breathing as well as making my stroke as efficient as possible.  YAYAYAYAYAY!!!

I celebrated by swimming another 35 minutes (and then I did my regular long interval bike ride for an hour).

I finally feel like I am making the progress needed to be able to swim a continuous mile in freestyle.  (I can swim breaststroke for hours and backstroke for almost just as long, but freestyle kicks my butt.)  I am working towards better pacing in my stroke and my breathing capacity is MUCH improved. 

I've had to change what I eat, of course, since I started swimming.  I am ravenously hungry on my long swim days and have altered the frequency of my meals and the amount of protein to better meet what my body wants. 

I have had three swim lessons since I started back in the water on the last week in July, and I have one more lesson next week.  The lessons, the structured workouts, and just the effort to keep going even on difficult days have really resulted in progress.  I am so excited!  (and, my ankle doesn't hurt when I do all this.  It does when I walk fast or run, but swimming is pain free!)

A big thanks to Erik for supporting me in all of this and for never giving up on his idea that I return to the water.  (He talked to me about doing this for a whole year before I committed.)

Wanted: New Swim Cap

(This petaled beauty is from AquaPro)

I've kept that swimming thing up.  It is exhausting and usually some muscle group is screaming at me.

Last night was the hardest work-out by far.  My first swim, a couple of weeks ago, I made it through 8 laps.  Last night it was 44.  So, I am getting better.

I'm in the water so much my cheapo swim cap is wearing out.  I need a new one.  Also need a new swim suit.  They can wear out so quickly in the water.

My flipturns . . . well, they are beautiful.

I do have a ways to go in technique and endurance to get where I want to be.  I have a couple more swimming lessons scheduled.

Evy really likes to watch me do my "swimming" research and quoted Michael Phelp's swimming coach (Bob Bowman) to his swimming teacher last time (keeping goggles half in the water when taking a breath during the freestyle) and he is into perfecting the 4 year old push-ups after watching me start my own routine of them.

I am doing good. Not any kind of competitive material, but it is better than sitting on my butt pouting cause I can't run or even walk fast.