I am going to be chill about “the swim” for a while… I promise!
That’s a BIG, bold statement for me. (If you’ve read any of the last half a dozen or so blog entries out here, you probably recognize this!)
Here’s why I’m going to be CHILL…
2 happenings came together synchronistically to put me on a new swimming path…
1) – Kevin Munday (helpful triathlete and repeat IM distance finisher) recommended the book, Total Immersion, to me on Facebook in response to a “celebrating running and lamenting about swimming” post. I fired up the book on my Kindle that very night and started reading. I immediately liked and believed in what I was absorbing.
2) – Two days later I attended a swim clinic from Blue Dolphin Swim that was offered as a free trial to Chicago Tri Club members. (Being a Chicago Tri Club member is awesomely helpful!) The instructor was Total Immersion (TI) trained, and the movements he taught us made great sense to me. After the clinic I had a swim session to do. I went to my gym’s pool, and I tried “feeling out” some of the key concepts and skills shared in the book and the clinic (stretch out with each stroke because longer moves through the water smoother and faster; and rock some from side to side to be a more aerodynamic vessel rather than a barge moving flat along the surface and having to displace so much more water), and these concepts felt good! So much better. I was much calmer. I wasn’t panickingly anticipating my next opportunity to breathe. I lost count of my laps because I was lost – from time to time – in the flow of the swim.
My own personal miracle!!
Now not everything is now perfect – far from it. The timing of my stroke/breath when I breathe is jacked up. It doesn’t flow quite right, and I lose my balance and dip down in the water and bob back up as I breathe. There are also issues with the second half of my arm stroke. I’m sure I’m not bending my elbow and catching and pulling quite right. Yet, I can feel it! And what does feel right, really feels right and is having me enjoy swimming much more!
I’m now going to take an 8-week class from Blue Dolphin to get all these TI swim stroke basics down. The class runs from Feb. 22 through Apr. 11. I’m looking forward to this and trusting this.
I’m chill. I’m chill! Phew…
Trusting along with you, my friend! Hugs, MJ