My Swimming Lessons

MelodyandBarbells

So I was going to post an update in the "did you swim today" topic, but decided to just create a separate one for my swimming lessons update instead.

To give a bit of background, my first swimming lessons were actually back in college over ten years ago. I'd completely forgotten that I even took one or two lessons before this latest round until we were talking about the depth of the pool and I got to really notice how deep it was - just 4 ft. I'd previously been a member of this gym and was returning after several years for the swimming lessons, so I thought I remembered it pretty well. Okay so where's the 12' deep pool where I first took treading water lessons?? Ooohhhh! That was back in college at the Olympic pool!

Anyway, so far I've done two 45 minute lessons and gone back to practice on my own four times. The instructor gave me guest passes for unlimited gym visits because she wants me getting as much pool time as possible. Whoohoo!! Except - the novelty is starting to wear off, this is damn hard work!

Today, I did 20 minutes in the pool. When I first started, I didn't put two and two together that swimming was an actual "workout". It's just playing in the water, right?!?! Everything hurt! Ankles, thighs, neck, my whole body! Even my thumbs hurt!!! My thumbs! A week later I'm feeling much better. Today though, much better form, I think, and I'm starting to get the fluid body rotation a bit more, since...

...my primary goals are to learn how to breathe while swimming freestyle, and tread water. I hope to learn at least the first part by the time this summer is over

Hearts_2015

@JaneiR36 That's awesome! Great job

I'd like to take a refresher class myself. I belong to a Y and would love to learn more strokes.

Yes, swimming is definitely a hard workout but the more confident you feel and the more you do it the more your body gets used to it. It'll still be a great workout but more than likely your thumbs will no longer hurt. :laugh:

Wow how awesome is she to give you free passes to practice.. that's great!
Looking forward to hearing more as your lessons progress...

MelodyandBarbells

Thanks, @Hearts_2015 ! I actually had to back off everything completely for a day or two, plus even switched from my regular work Chelsea boots to ballerina flats for a week. I think my body's finally somewhat getting used to it now, though!

I asked about lessons at my Y, initially. I'm not a member, and they have these registration periods and then the classes get full. I was going to wait until the next registration cycle but decided to call this lady who gives lesson at another gym again instead. Mine are one on one, and I'm not sure how the format at the Y is? The most important part was getting started and working it into my schedule before I flaked and yet another season passed without my taking lessons!!

I went for a dip in the pool after my regular workout yesterday. I was starting to find the kick boards quite "useless", as I'd always sink while using them! Last lesson, the instructor told me that my legs were not quite doing what they were supposed to be. That, and she gave me a tip that my feet were pointed outwards, and actually needed to be rotated inwards or "pigeon toed" a bit. Got back in the water and was actually able to propel myself using the pull board for once, and took multiple breaths while swimming!!! (With the kick board hahah). But... We're talking exhausting stuff here. I'm getting enough air but the turns just took so much out of me. I don't know if it's due to just working on fumes at basically the tail end of the day (8:30 PM), or just still needing to get more time in the water. Which, by the way, is my instructor's favorite phrase, it seems: "time in the water, it's just time in the water now".

MelodyandBarbells

Been to the pool three times since my last post. The first one was just... just a bad, frustrating, tiring 20 minute session that felt like eight hours. Much anger ensued during and after the session. Like why am I not getting any better and what's this *kitten* glacial pace. Grrr!!

The second one was the lesson. I told the instructor how exhausted I was getting, and how I was finally at the "beginning" stage she told me about during my first class, where people feel like omg I'm so out of shape, and she has to explain that it's just different being in the water. She said I was basically still fighting the water since I have to think about everything and it's not quite fluid and natural yet. But she did have an idea to have me do the backstroke to break things up, that way I'm still moving. She even said to consider just jogging in the water, anything, really, to continue spending time in the water so I'd get used to it.

So the third time was just a couple hours ago and was still a lot of work. But I did the backstroke, freestyle with the kick board, free style without the kick board (also known as mortal combat in the water: Me vs. The Pool - pool's winning). I was all set to go for hours and hours but about 25 minutes in, all lanes were full and this nice sweet lady showed up wanting to workout. Who was I to deprive her! So sadly, I just had to give up my lane, despite her telling me not to do so on her account. Watch out next time, if the lanes are truly free I'll just be swimming there forever!

MelodyandBarbells

By the way, I ordered this:

https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Ear-Guard-Headband-Repellent/dp/B010HKE76U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466953377&sr=8-1&keywords=Swimming+cap+band

It's a band worn under the swim cap that potentially keeps the hair dry. Users have had mixed results. With the backstroke especially, that area at the back of the neck where water seeps in is exposed for longer periods, so my hair is much more drenched as against a bit damp around the edges. That'll be $10 down the drain if the product's no good!

spring913

The first few times back in the pool I felt the same as you have felt. But I promise, it truly does get easier, soon water will feel like second nature. Good for you for sticking with it!!!

MelodyandBarbells

Practice again today. I had the instructor cancel Thursday's lesson due to scheduling issues, no practice between lessons and just not feeling it. I also had a blood donation appointment around that time and wanted to see how I felt before getting in the pool again.

Today's swim wasn't too bad! My hair got wet especially on the backstroke even using that swimming band. So I opted for jogging in the pool to break things up rather than backstroke. I've been swimming about 12 yards while breathing, yippee!! I was trying to get everything just right but now I've decided that it's okay to take in a bit of water along with the breath, or not get a full breath and therefore need to get a better one next time. It's still a bit very choppy but all I can do is keep it up and hope I continue to get better

New issues: a bit of a sore throat from the breathing, taking in chlorine water while swimming
Itchy legs while in the water? Gets a bit uncomfortable after a while!

I find that I like taking the long route to come back after the gym. I get to drive around a lake so I look at the boats on the lake as well as any jet skiers and that sort of thing. Mostly just the beautiful lake.

PS: I almost forgot my silent, "DID ANYONE SEE THAT?!?" When I would swim for any length of the pool while breathing

spring913

You will continue to get better, I have no doubt. Are you swallowing water? I get water in my mouth during my inhale sometimes too, usually when I start getting tired and my body roll isn't as good as it should be. But I don't swallow it, I exhale it during the exhale phase. Sounds like you might be taking too long breathing in? Are you taking a fast sharp inhale? I actually make noise when I inhale. Breathing in the water is an adjustment for sure. I improve every week. Look on Youtube for training videos. It helps me to see someone doing it properly.

I've been getting itchy legs too, not in the pool, but the next day. My ankles are actually starting to peel. My mother-in-law suggested baby oil as a moisturizer. I'm going to give that a go and see if it helps.

I love looking out at the water. That's a nice reward for a good swim.

MelodyandBarbells

Love that! Reward for the swim! I actually read through a topic suggesting rewards for hitting our goals and not many of them really appealed to me. This is so small yet could actually motivate me to get up and go swim more often. Heh.

I thought my inhales were quite long, but most importantly, there's just no finesse or elegance to it. It's still a struggle so it's head down arm arm arm turn oh no there goes some water, fast as you can get some air and get back down - I'm taking in water, air, bugs, all of the above just so long as I keep moving, that's success in my book . I do expel the water on my next exhale, there's just not enough time to swallow it and continue the exhale process under water before its time to turn and inhale again. I do swallow whatever little's left in my mouth when I reach the end of the pool and stand up.

There's no baby oil at my place (well not that I've seen in the past few months, I might have something if I look), but I had some vitamin E oil and slathered it on. I think I will look for some baby oil too, or perhaps buy some from the dollar store!

The swimming band I bought is still allowing my hair get damp around the edges but at least not totally drenched. No backstroke anymore, though. Today I just did freestyle and jogging back. So now we're sort of getting into the endurance part of the game. After about a half hour max, I'm like, what now? I'm just swimming to one end and jogging back? Off to google things to make swimming fun and pass the time while swimming...

spring913

Dude! Don't swallow the water! lol

Are you trying to swim fast? When I first got back into it I was swimming way to fast and my form was horrendous and I had no time for a breath. It was bad. I was watching a guy at my pool swim, gosh his stroke is so smooth and graceful. But I realized he swims reealllly slow. So, I tried slowing down, it was hard at first, but it gave me the time to focus on my stroke and breathing.

Now you have one length down, go for two! Then jog a length. What about breast stroke? It's a nice relaxing stroke. I do lengths with a kick board, is that an option?

MelodyandBarbells

Lol. It just seems odd to stand up and spit out the water. Guess I need to fully exhale before jumping out but once I hit the wall I can't wait to get out!!

I'm not trying to swim fast per se, but yes I probably do. The main good thing about this pace is that I can actually stay afloat. Before I used to sink whenever I'd turn to take a breath. I've swum with the kickboard but now it exhausts me far quicker than without. Probably because I do have to slow way down and swim with proper form while using it, ha-HA! That's one of the things the instructor had me do - she said look at that lady, see how relaxed she is and how smoothly she swims. She said she wasn't asking me to swim like that from day one but just keep that in mind. Basically the hope is I'll get better as I get more and more comfortable with being in the water

I haven't learned the breast stroke yet, just freestyle and the back stroke so far. And on the backstroke I've only learned kicking only, no arms. It's only been three forty-five minute lessons, though!

MelodyandBarbells

Aaaand after the fourth lesson she says I just need more time in the water and we don't need to be on a fixed schedule anymore.

One thing I keep being told (even by another swimmer) is "relax", but more and more I'm convinced this is an end result not necessarily something I can just snap my fingers and do! That could be my next drill: one "relax" lap (while trying not to get too much water in my mouth, I just know it'll happen!), and one normal swim, which unfortunately means fighting like heck to get to the other end of the pool

The mystery of the pull buoy got solved, by the way. A single one can't keep me afloat! So I now tie two together, what a difference! This magical experience of a device keeping my lower body afloat is finally mine I found a product called "Big Buoy" on Amazon which offers double the floatation of normal buoys, but it's $30 and quite large, so it'd be a bulky item I'd have to carry to the pool rather than spending about a minute tying the two together and then another loosening them when done.

Also I've been watching a lot of videos, wow! I'd like to give the breast stroke a shot - at least attempting it would be something fun, if not funny looking, for me to do! Maybe I'll even pause when I normally leave at the 1/2 hour mark to instead sit on the pool furniture and watch some more videos and then get back in!

spring913

Seriously. Relax. lol When you warm up just swim. Stop thinking and just swim, enjoy yourself! This should be fun. When you're warmed up, then start focusing on your form and breathing.

There's an exercise to help get relaxed in the water. Take in a deep breath. Then let yourself sink, releasing your breath under water. You'll drop to the bottom of the pool slowly. The goal is to do this without panicking. I'm assuming that since you jog lengths of the pool there isn't a deep end, that's good for a beginner in this exercise, just stand up when you run out of air. Do it a couple times at the beginning of each swim and try to stay down longer each time. I'm comfortable in the water and I still do this at the start of each swim.

I haven't started with a pull buoy yet as I'm afraid of it not keeping me afloat! I think I'll wait until I've lost more weight. lol

spring913

I forgot to add that baby oil has been working for my dry skin!

MelodyandBarbells

Oh wow, glad to hear about the baby oil! I think it's working pretty well for me too. I've been buying so much stuff that I decided to go to the Dollar Tree store for this one. Only, it looks like you're supposed to punch a hole into the clear plastic sheet that is stretched over the top of the bottle? I was all, what the heck is this and cut it off. Now I have to take the oil out of this huge mouth and yep it spilled once :laugh:

Thank you for your post! Let's just say I slept really well last night because I saw your post and just had to go out and try it!! Even watched a video before leaving. At first when I tried slowly falling backwards, I would then slowly rotate around in the water and end up face down again. Then the next time I tried I naturally rotated until I was sideways. Having had enough of that I exhaled fully before sinking, and then I could fully fall all the way down. I didn't stay down too long but It was pretty cool! My legs always sank first and fully, by the way, but my upper body I'm learning has some natural buoyancy, hurray lungs! Falling forwards seemed to work pretty well no problem.

I could tell the difference when I went to swim after that. So relaxing means, well I may feel like I'm swimming 2 feet below the surface of the water, but no worries. Of course I'm not gonna drown, that's silly (God, PLEASE not "famous last words"!!!). There's all the oxygen in the world on the surface of the water, just on the other side of the next stroke. As for the actual swimming, I'm still tiring out just before the end of the pool length without any aids, but I'm getting there. Soon I'll be learning a flip turn hehehe. Part of it could be mental, though. It's like I see the "T" on the black line and feel like "oh it's true! I've really been swimming over a really totally crazy extremely long distance!!! I'm so tired must stand up!!!" So I need to not think that and that'll be another step to being a bit more relaxed

Even tried the breast stroke a little. My form may be junk but I finally stabilized in a rhythm and was actually moving. Too far below the surface of the water though lol. I need some arm / upper both strength or better skill to actually propel my chest up and maybe perhaps try to kind of breathe :bigsmile: Will keep trying, it was great to mix it up

Why not try the pool buoy when there's no one or few people there? You could even try tying the two together (so it covers more length on your legs) and if neither works, oh well!

MelodyandBarbells

What the F. Oohh there's thunderstorms let's close the pool! Why won't the weather let me be great!

Oh well. Time to make dinner and go to bed swim less. This is nuts

MelodyandBarbells

Swimming to the end of the pool now!! Even tried out some variation of a flip turn heheheh. Also tried the breast stroke again. Shoddy :bigsmile: I'd say my arms are getting the most tired now. I used to start kicking frantically but even that's relaxed now. Just arms getting tired and when I stand up I'm breathing so heavily trying to catch my breath

spring913

YAY!!!!!! Lookit you go!

I break at the end of every 100m. Cause I'm a wuss, and I'm dying. lol Seriously though, a month ago I had to stop every 25m. And 2 months ago I barely made it to the end of the pool.

We'll be champs in no time!

MelodyandBarbells

Whoohoo! Yay us! Your progress is pretty amazing, that'd be a little over four lengths of my pool. I hope to be able to do the same, too.

Sometimes I feel like I should take more days off, but my membership to the club with the pool only continues till end of August. The question is what happens after that? I think the YMCA doesn't require a long term contract but my current club does. Anyway, I don't want to lose what I'm learning and I'm also enjoying it, so I'll just have to see

Practiced somersaults today, too Never could make legit contact with the wall for a true flip turn, though. Will keep trying! Oh so many YouTube videos to watch, will never run out of instructional possibilities! heheheh. Today will be searching YouTube and Google for tired arms

spring913

Damn flip turns. I can't somersault without plugging my nose. lol I do a weird, floppy, embarrassing breast stroke turn. I know I'll have to work on it at some point, but meh, I only turn once before I break so it can wait imo. I plan on taking stroke correction classes in the fall, so maybe then.

I just buy a pass to the indoor pool. It's the cheapest option for me. And really, a pool is a pool. So go with whatever you can afford. I wish I had a YMCA closer. Although, the membership fees aren't cheap here, but they have a weight room and equipment too which would be cool. I hate that my pool only has 2 lane swims a week in the evening. But I've discovered biking too, and calisthenics so twice a week is good until winter.

I love the YouTube instructional videos. Sometimes I get a little obsessed watching them. lol

MelodyandBarbells

I feel like my head has to nearly be crashing into the wall before I can do a flip turn off of it lol. The nose thing, yup! :laugh:

Reading about the arms, I'm finding out that I need to engage the shoulders and lats and all that, not just the arms. Felt a difference earlier this morning, especially while practicing with the pool buoy. Was going to bite the bullet and buy the Big Buoy but they're sold out state side and now on back order. The buoys when tied together keep coming apart and it's becoming a bit of a pain

Confirmed the gym wants a year long commitment for me to sign up. Nope, not spending $744 just to swim. The Y charges $50 a month but is an area of town that has some mildly sour memories... Grr. What's that got to do with the price of tea in China, you might ask. You're right. Absolutely nothing

spring913

hm. So your options are $600 a year for the Y or $744 for the gym. Is it worth the extra $150 to avoid that area of town? Or, do you save $150 and turn those sour memories into a positive? Doesn't the Y offer lower rates for lower incomes?

Is there just a pool that you can buy a pass to? A year pass to my pool is around $360. Which isn't worth it for me. I just buy a 20 visit pass for $88.

MelodyandBarbells

Oh not quite - the Y doesn't require a year's commitment to sign up. I already signed up with them before, didn't go even once, and canceled after a few months. At least if I become a slacker and don't use the membership, I can cancel and wouldn't owe a huge amount of money. I feel like I'm up against a clock this summer, so it may not be a realistic idea of how much I'll actually use the pool year round. I'll check into per visit passes at the Y, but will also think about the $744. I mean for now, I'm actually using it!

spring913

It would be a shame to quit swimming now when you're just starting to get the hang of it!!! Besides... who would I chat swimming with if you stopped???? lol

I had a good night tonight swimming. I felt strong. I love when I feel strong in the pool. I swam 1200m in 55 mins! Yay me!!!

Hearts_2015

No! You can't stop @JaneiR36 I agree with @spring913 and also who am I going to stop by and listen to and learn from if you two stop sharing your swimming experience? I love reading this thread!

I had planned doing a refresher on lessons this Summer but sadly the person I had in mind to teach is no longer working at the Y. I use some of the other Y's but the instructors all seem to be like 18 -20 years old and I'm wanting someone a bit older.

I still hope to jump in some lessons this Summer as I've been wanting to for a number of years now.

So please carry on Ladies! :laugh: Please! Looking forward to joining you both when I get my butt in gear.

spring913

lol. I didn't realize other people were reading our ramblings!!

MelodyandBarbells

Well Hearts posted earlier in the topic so us three readers confirmed for sure hehehe.

Wow, I'd love to feel as strong as you did sometime soon, 1200m would be pretty awesome to swim in a single session! A girl can only dream . It sounds like you really enjoyed yourself, too!

MelodyandBarbells

Hearts_2015 wrote: »

No! You can't stop JaneiR36 I agree with spring913 and also who am I going to stop by and listen to and learn from if you two stop sharing your swimming experience? I love reading this thread!

I had planned doing a refresher on lessons this Summer but sadly the person I had in mind to teach is no longer working at the Y. I use some of the other Y's but the instructors all seem to be like 18 -20 years old and I'm wanting someone a bit older.

I still hope to jump in some lessons this Summer as I've been wanting to for a number of years now.

So please carry on Ladies! :laugh: Please! Looking forward to joining you both when I get my butt in gear.

Whew! I best keep swimming, then! I'm guessing just watching YouTube videos won't quite cut it hehehe

If you can buy individual lessons, perhaps give the young trainers a try? Worst case scenario they're not quite what you're looking for and you don't buy more lessons. Could also do an interview of sorts beforehand, where you share your goals and see if they can help.

MelodyandBarbells

So I'm noticing another little joy of swimming, where when I bend over so that my head is well below my waistline, water that has rushed up my nose drains out??? I mean yeah I'm attempting the flip turns and not worrying about the water rushing up my nose unpleasantness, but I didn't think pool water was getting stored in my head :laugh: It really might be time for a nose clip, for real, and it might help me swim farther

So even the guy who told me to relax a little said I was more relaxed! No kidding, LOL. The little video about slicing the water rather than slapping it really helped, and it also means my forearms don't get tired as quickly or really get tired at all, and instead I started feeling it in my triceps and biceps, not to mention some actual shoulder work going on.

I also noticed I've been letting my core hang out, though. Just tightening up my lower abs gets me that bow-like shape I've been looking for, without much additional effort. The problem though is these micro adjustments do exhaust me earlier. I'm still just doing one 25 yard length and panting as though I've done an all out sprint in a 50m dash!

MelodyandBarbells

Had the nose drip thing a couple times again after today's swim and I didn't even try a flip turn

I did swim a couple laps just breathing every two strokes, though. I'd been doing every four, since every two had me sinking before. I really don't sink when swimming anymore, so that's awesome! Wow, just so different. Recovery time with breathing every two is much shorter too and I'm not standing there and gasping for eons. For the first time, too, I was also noticing somebody walking beside the pool and could actually look at them every time I came up to wonder, "hey what's this guy and what's he doing with that hose? Is he the pool maintenance guy?" Normally I'm just struggling and gasping for air and not really able to do much else

spring913

You're starting to relax!!! That made me smile. I love swimming so much I want everyone to feel like I do when they swim. lol

I'm totally gonna bend over after my swim on Tuesday, see if my nose is a faucet too. haha I doubt it as I exhale out through my nose and mouth, but I'll die laughing if it happens.

I started working on keeping my core engaged my last swim too. I was surprised how much it helped my form. But man, doing that for an hour.... not gonna happen at this point, but I'll keep trying!