Open Water or Not

Every (almost) morning I get myself out of bed to head for the pool.  The weather has turned rainy, windy and dark, typical for November in the Pacific Northwest.  But I still find this inner drive to swim no matter what.  It's gotten to the point where my day feels incomplete if I miss it.

My past fear(s) are not completely over.  This is a process.  Up to now, I've been using swimming pools where the environment is predictable and controlled.  My childhood near drowning occurred at a local pond.  I have not been in open water as of yet.  I'm confident with the mechanics of swimming now, but have yet to challenge myself in the ocean or a lake or a pond.

There's something about not knowing what's at the bottom or underneath the surface.  Changing currents, critters, algae, sticks, corral, rocks, etc.  My instructor told me that having my face in the water looking down will help navigate.  Fortunately, for some reason I never had an issue doing this.  It was the lying on my back that freaked me out as it felt more vulnerable.  In reality, it is actually a life saving technique taught in all the basic swim lessons particularly for babies - roll over on back and float until help arrives.

Back to the open water.  One of the tricks I did as I was learning earlier in the year was visualizing every night before I'd fall asleep floating and gliding in the water peacefully with no strain or stress.  This helped in the long run because it gave me "water confidence" instead of fighting it.  Now, I'm visualizing myself swimming in open water with the sun on my face and moving with the changing currents and adjusting my strokes.  Hopefully, I'll be able to go snorkeling at some point.  That would be my ultimate goal.

Two months have passed since my last entry of the summer.  Our fall weather in the Pacific Northwest has been absolutely gorgeous.  As the leaves turn color we start hauling out the sweaters and fleece.

But alas I am still swimming !  In fact Hubby has joined me as a result of a back injury.  Swimming was the only pain relief for him and now it's become part of our routine.  Early in the morning to jump start the day !

I plan to revisit my swimming instructor in November at the 6-month mark.  The purpose is for an evaluation and assessment of where I should go from here.  I still want someone to video me swimming so I can see how I'm doing.  Hubby says my strokes are fine but I still tend to look up when side breathing.  Gotta keep working on that head/neck position in freestyle.

I've been practicing bilateral breathing by using both sides in one lap rather than one side per lap.  Every third stroke I side breath.  It definitely keeps the stroking technique more symmetrical, especially since one arm is stronger than the other.

That's all for now.  Swimming has changed my life.  Now it's a daily routine.

Morning Swim

It is an absolute treat to be able to swim outdoors in the morning. Living in the Pacific Northwest our mornings are always too cold, but we've had a streak of dry hot days starting early in the daytime.  At 10 am I walked the few yards to the pool which is practically outside our patio and took a dip.  I was the only one there and the sun was still behind the trees.  I find it to be very meditative and therapeutic.  As I swim, sometimes I think and sometimes I don't.

Swimming is one of the most sensual sports activities in terms of listening to my body. There's so much going on and as a beginner my awareness is broken down into parts.  Maintaining streamline alignment is at the core of swimming and I feel it when I get off balance and out of sync between the strokes and kicks. I've been practicing my freestyle breathing on both sides in order to maintain symmetrical stroke patterns.  My right side is stronger than my left.  I'm also aware that I've been overdoing the right stroke as my right shoulder joint has been burning and aching.  There are so many adjustments and tweaks to be made as I condition my body to swimming.

That's all the technical aspects.  There are also aspects which contribute to overall emotional health.

I find swimming to be very meditative and therapeutic. As I glide along, sometimes I think and sometimes I don't. I know this sounds corny but I cried in the pool this morning.  I cried because I felt so liberated from this ball and chain of fear.  Now I really know the term "becoming one with the water".  To affirm this, sometimes I just let myself float face down in the deep part and look down.  The depth below me was my source of fear and now it's become my refuge.  I realize now that the water has always been the same, it's me that has changed.

The Hair Thing

Guess Which One's Larry Fine ?

Another milestone.  I got some anti-chlorine shampoo !  I've been swimming so much that my hair needs special treatment.  I got this weird haircut just before my lessons and the combination of chlorine damage makes it poke out in all different directions.  Especially in the morning, I look like Larry Fine of the Three Stooges.  Sorry guys, it's kind of a girl thing all this hair talk.

Water (especially the deep kind) is my friend and we've been bonding now for three months.  I don't want to lose the skills and tools Carol taught me so I made a commitment to practice every day even if it's for just 20 minutes.  It was cloudy today and about 68 degrees out but I jumped in the pool just before dinner to get in a 20-min swim.  As usual, it revived my body and spirit.  Plus the pool guy came by this morning and cleaned it out so it was squeaky clean !

This new bottle of shampoo and conditioner is a sign that I've passed a threshold.  I am a swimmer !  Would it be corny if I saved this first bottle of anti-chlorine shampoo as a reminder of how far I've come  (like a trophy) ?

Bilateral Side-Breathing

Had a great session today for about 45 minutes after a water aerobics class.  As instructed in Swim Smooth, I made an effort to exhale consistently and powerfully under water which attributed to a more relaxed rhythm of swimming. The C02 builds up in your body if you hold your breath and you get desperate for air which can make you tense and tired.  Nailing down the breathing aspect is really critical for a beginner - it made a difference for me.

Once I got the hang of that, I tried breathing on the opposite side which I don't use (the left).   As I'm building muscle memory I thought I'd better be ahead of the game by training myself to side-breath in both directions.  Boy was I wobbly !  Why ?  Because my stroke was too curved down and not as developed and it threw off my balance.  It was a rather klutzy attempt but I am determined to keep at it.

According to Swim Smooth it takes about 2 weeks at 6 sessions to get over the "bilateral hump".  This means my practice swims changes from breathing every 2 strokes to breathing every 3 strokes.  Or they recommend going one lap side-breathing to the left and the next lap side-breathing to the right.  Guess, I'll have to experiment and see which works best.

Apparently, you can develop asymmetry in your back musculature from using only one side to breath.  This makes complete sense because the mechanics involve balancing with one outstretched arm as you turn your head to the side to get a breath.  The repetition of this movement creates more developed muscles on one side of the back.  Another reason to learn bilateral side-breathing.   Probably the most important besides achieving symmetrical stroke technique is in open water if you have to look out for landmarks or avoid sun glare or obstacles.

I'm learning so much each day and each swim is nothing but pure joy.  I'm getting verklempt here but I feel that I've been given a gift from God.  Truly.  Conquering this fear of water and transforming it into pure joy means the world to me.  I love swimming !   Where's my hanky ?

The Unexpected Wake

So far swimming in a pool has been a relatively controlled environment, unlike open water where there are so many variables such as climate, current, critters and human activity.

Yesterday I was in the middle lane doing my lap(s) when all of a sudden I was pushed over to the side by a current.  I peeked up and the guy in the next lane was doing the butterfly stroke quite vigorously.  He was a big guy too with a Michael Phelps kind of wing span.  I'm 5 ft 2 inch so was tossed around like a buoy.

I'm still working on my form so I can swim in a straight line so was kind of wobbly from this current thingy.  Then I realized that this is real life !  All kinds of things can happen when swimming.  It's not always going to be a quiet pool with still waters and predictable outcomes.

After a while I got my balance back and stabilized my position.   Actually, I just waited for him to get out of the way !

Actual Laps !

Another milestone !   Yesterday I went to the gym pool and swam a full lap several times.  Okay, so I rested in between but I did it !  My endurance and stamina is not quite there yet but my goal is to practice as much as I can so I can go back and forth easily.

I'm building "muscle memory" as well as endurance.  It's real different from dry land exercise such as riding the stationary bike or treadmill because those activities isolate muscle groups.  In the water EVERYTHING is involved in its totality.  The leg muscles, arm muscles, core muscles, lungs, even the brain (at least at this stage) because I'm still thinking about the coordination between it all.

What I'm discovering is a better sense of control which only comes with practice.  I observe swimmers who flow so effortlessly and they're not splashing about.  That's what I want to emulate.   I love to start out with the glide, stabilize my position and proceed to stroke.

I remember Carol's words that if I get tired I can always roll over on my back to rest a bit.  Another option to rest is float on my side with one arm stretched out and just kick so I'm still propelling ahead.

I don't know what my technique or style looks like, but the guy in the lane next to me said "You're very good !".   One of these days I'll have someone video me so I can see.  All I know is that I try to stay streamlined, smooth and calm and really allow the experience of being one with the water.  It's rather meditative actually.

It's changed my life !