When I was little, I took swimming lessons. I’m not sure that I was forced, but I do believe that the lessons were highly encouraged by my mother. As far as I remember, I didn’t particularly enjoy them, but I don’t think I minded them much either.
Until I reached the glass ceiling of swimming lessons.
What’s the glass ceiling, you ask?
Rhythmic breathing. You know, putting your face in the water, and taking it out to breathe every once in awhile? That?
Yep. Couldn’t do it. It was the glass ceiling of my swimming career.
I failed the same swimming class twice (due to my inability to rhythmic breathe) before my mother finally let me quit lessons. I guess she realized that I just wasn’t moving on up in the swimming world.
This swimming glass ceiling hasn’t bothered me much in my adult life. While in Minnesota I still managed to waterski, and while in Southern California I still managed to surf. So though I’m not a strong swimmer, I was comfortable enough in the water to survive watersports when living in places where watersports are important.
Who knew that my lack of swimming skills would become particularly problematic in Washington State…the only place I’ve ever lived where watersports are not a somewhat large part of the culture? Weird.
Because of my shin injury, I’m trying to swim laps. (Since it’s exercise that doesn’t hurt my shins). Perfect. Well, you know, except for the fact that I can’t breathe when I swim, and I can’t live if I don’t breathe. It’s somewhat of a cyclical problem.
Our first day at the gym, equipped with goggles and a willing attitude, I asked Husband Saign to teach me.
He got me so that I could go underwater without using my hand to plug my nose, which is a noticeable improvement.
And, I can swim about 1/3 of the (1/2 Olympic size) pool doing the breaststroke before I must stop to catch up on my breathing. Impressed yet?
Thankfully there’s a section of the pool blocked off for slow people who might stop-and-start, so I don’t have to swim legitimate laps. I just have to make sure that I never go to the pool during water aerobics, since then the slow-and-erratic lane will be in use and I’ll have to share the lanes with the big boys!
Here’s looking at you, Michael Phelps. Soon enough I might be able to swim a whole lap without stopping!
Do you swim? How do you choose how many laps to do and what stroke to do for your workout? Any swimming tips for me?
I’ve heard that the breathing is really hard to master! It’s great your pool has a start and stop lane, and that you are swimming at all! WTG!
It’s funny, because I feel like I can get a good workout…but I’m basically frontcrawling with my head out of the water…it’s just not a very efficient way to swim!
Coming from a reluctant injured runner turning swimmer – it’s DOABLE! I actually woke up this morning wanting to swim *gasp* what’s happened. It’s hard though. I actually find that if i breathe each time I turn my head to one side (for me it’s when my left arm is over my head) I can get into a rhythm. Start out slow when you’re working on rhythm and then you’ll get faster with time 🙂 Good luck!!!
Yeah, I think maybe they say to breathe every 3rd arm lift – so R L R-breathe, L R L-breathe, but I keep thinking the way you suggested would work better for me!
Swimming is not easy- it is hard. I swim one lap and I am so out of breath I feel like I am dying. Keep it up- you will master it soon enough.
I definitely think it’s a great workout…even with me swimming laps with my head out of the water!!!
Why not join the water aerobics class?
Good point! That might be fun!
I don’t know how to swim. I can doggy paddle and float but not actual swim laps stuff. It’s on my bucket list to learn, though!
It’s funny, because I know plenty of strokes because of taking swimming lessons, but I do most of them with my head out of the water! It makes for a less-efficient swim, but it works! I’m still debating about taking lessons…maybe I will if I can’t get the breathing figured out in a few weeks.
We MUST go swimming together! I NEED to witness this for myself!!!! You’ll get so much better with practice! 🙂
Seriously, I told Saign last weekend that we should go swimming in our wetsuits (just because it sounded like a ridiculous idea), and he told me he left his wetsuit in Los Angeles! Let’s go lake swimming!!!
Swimming takes a lot of practice but you are doing great! Just keep going and keeping trying to go a little further and you’ll become more comfortable in the water. I’ve been swimming my whole life and love it. I think it’s the rhythmic nature of it (ironically). I wish that I had more tips for you but I think that a part of it is not to overthink it. I usually take a breath and then slowly blow is out while I’m underwater or try repeating a mantra that matches your breath rate.
Thanks for your help! I know I need to relax and just practice! When I swam yesterday my swimming was much improved, but my breathing not so much…I just swam a bunch of laps with my head out of the water (front crawl, backstroke, etc), but I swam more laps than I’ve ever done before!
[…] Okay, so, remember how I can’t swim? […]
great points altogether, you simply gained a logo new reader.
What could you suggest in regards to your post that you made a few days in the past?
Any sure?