The other day, when I finished a lap at the pool, I cleared out my goggles and confided in the lady in the lane next to mine. “You know, learning to breathe on both sides is really hard!” I blabbed through upcurled eyebrows. To that one confession, she donated the rest of her workout towards coaching my bumbling, barge-like freestyle into bilateral breathing, tilting my body upwards, so that I felt as if I were gliding across the water an hour later. I love her. I wish I could be that helpful to someone else. Well, beyond the normal butt-wiping and nose-wiping that comes with motherhood.
The first lap felt like swimming in a storm today: the water spraying from the sprinklers into my face, my nose, my mouth; the traffic of the experienced swimmers. I stabbed the water with my arms at first, struggling to remember her pointers: head down, tilt head only as high as the inside corner of my mouth, gentle roll left, right, left, right. Don’t think about getting air, just poof and it will return back automatically.
What I have discovered about swimming is that it may start out loud — the bubbles and splashing assault me when I first get in — but within a half hour, just like in running, everything gets really quiet. No music, no newscast– nothing but the roving tiles and dancing sunlight on the bottom and the steady rhythm of puffs and rolls.
edited to add, with an embarrassed blush:
HOLY CRAP! It’s (still, thank God) August 1st! Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!!! See you Friday 🙂
Love,
*s
Amy | 01-Aug-06 at 1:41 pm | Permalink
Yeah – that’s why I love the backstroke — the easy one, not the hard one. And the side stroke. Course, I haven’t actually been lap swimming in yeeears. And if Bea has her way we won’t be splashing swimming anytiume soon either. But I’m cooling off just reading your post.
Marilyn | 01-Aug-06 at 2:22 pm | Permalink
I’m a very poor swimmer, but during our years in the islands I learned to let that go. I finally accepted the fact that I’m never going to conquer freestyle…so I did what felt natural and stopped worrying about doing it ‘right.’ Given the fact that it took me 50 years to reach that point, it was quite an accomplishment. 🙂
Charmaine | 01-Aug-06 at 7:59 pm | Permalink
I’ve been looking for a lady just like that to help me with my front crawl. I try to pull 4 times before taking a breath, but 3 would be much nicer — still, I’ve tried to breathe on both sides and it’s so hard. And I’m SOOOO jealous of the people that can flip at either side of the pool.
I need to take some lessons.
M.E. Quarles | 01-Aug-06 at 10:47 pm | Permalink
Hey, now that I know you can swim, we’ll have to do laps together at the club next time you’re in town. I’ll even give you the inside scoop on flip turns (which makes laps so much easier!) My biggest hurdle is getting over the initial shock of the cold water–ack!
btw–Which anniversary are your parents celebrating?
Steph | 01-Aug-06 at 10:57 pm | Permalink
Let’s do it, M.E.! I’m dying to conquer flip turns.
And Mom & Dad: it’s their 34th 🙂
….that’s a looooooong time
Papa | 02-Aug-06 at 12:14 am | Permalink
It’s 36 years, Stephanie!!! August 1, 1970 and it is a long time, but it really has gone by in a wink of an eye.
JennH | 04-Aug-06 at 6:16 pm | Permalink
36 years, still planting herbs together and chasing the baby chicks with a little broom to get into their coop. Hope Kip and I can do the same. However, Ill probably be hitting Kip with the broom! 🙂