Thursday, 17 December 2009
Swimming Breakthrough
In case people didn't know, I am having some difficulty picking up the freestyle stroke. I am trying to learn the Total Immersion method and am having trouble putting it together. I keep sinking when trying to breath. The only way I can avoid it is to roll almost all the way back onto my back to get a breath and then flip back over to swim. Not the most efficient method of breathing.
Anyway tonight I was finishing up my swim practice and I was floating along with my head down and arms in front of me. I could feel both my heels breaking the surface and my head. Perfect balance in the water. So I pulled one arm back and stretched the other out in front of me. I started sinking a little bit so I reached as far as I could and stretched out my toes. I popped back up to the surface. I was able to easily turn my head and breath in air with very little rotation. This is what I have been trying to do all along.
So I went back to my lane and did some super slow swimming. I would take a stroke and extend until I was perfectly balanced. I would then turn my head and take a breath. As I turned my head back down I would bring my arm with it and do a stroke. I would make sure I maintained my balance at the surface and would breath on the other side. I continued doing this for a couple lengths of the pool. I was swimming correctly albeit very slowly. I was swimming correctly. I am going to continue my super slow swimming. I'll add multiple strokes per breath and slowly work on speed. But for right now I am going to concentrate on being perfectly balanced on every stroke.
It is very exciting. Of course it would happen at the end of my Thursday session which means it won't be until next Monday before I can swim again. Oh well, at least I have a game plan for my next pool session.
Anyway tonight I was finishing up my swim practice and I was floating along with my head down and arms in front of me. I could feel both my heels breaking the surface and my head. Perfect balance in the water. So I pulled one arm back and stretched the other out in front of me. I started sinking a little bit so I reached as far as I could and stretched out my toes. I popped back up to the surface. I was able to easily turn my head and breath in air with very little rotation. This is what I have been trying to do all along.
So I went back to my lane and did some super slow swimming. I would take a stroke and extend until I was perfectly balanced. I would then turn my head and take a breath. As I turned my head back down I would bring my arm with it and do a stroke. I would make sure I maintained my balance at the surface and would breath on the other side. I continued doing this for a couple lengths of the pool. I was swimming correctly albeit very slowly. I was swimming correctly. I am going to continue my super slow swimming. I'll add multiple strokes per breath and slowly work on speed. But for right now I am going to concentrate on being perfectly balanced on every stroke.
It is very exciting. Of course it would happen at the end of my Thursday session which means it won't be until next Monday before I can swim again. Oh well, at least I have a game plan for my next pool session.
Posted by at 10:07 PM in Swimming
