Sunday, April 24, 2011

Things are Going Just Swimmingly!

Armed with my new Aqua Sphere Vista Lady Swim Mask goggles, I'm now ready to become AN IRONMAN a recreational swimmer.


As I mentioned in my last swim post, I have gotten a great deal of advice on swimming over the past two years. *Some* of it was solicited.  But, not all of it.  I think my favourite unsolicited feedback came from a very kind gentleman in the slow lane with me.  


He was swimming with a mask and snorkel.  He told me he used to be a swim coach for high school boys.  He said the best thing to do was pretend I was a fish.  Because, y'know, 



Uh-huh.

I imagine that if I had spent more time with him I might have been able to get some more insight.

I have also gotten a great deal of useful information from my physiotherapist, my brother-in-law (former lifeguard and current Masters competitor), and Dave (of course). They are the following:




Okay.


Got it. (Whoops, there goes that tight core.)

Time to get horizontal.


Alrighty.



Check.


Ermmmkaaaayyyy.

Not to mention the skills I need for the lower half of my body.  So far the only one that has stuck I seem to (sorta-kinda) remember is:


At some point, my brain short-circuited.  


And rebooted.  So now it's all starting to come together.  And it only took 2 years!  (minus the 30-something years of the rest of my life).

Now if I could *just* get the hang of pulling on a wet swimsuit.

Am I right, ladies?

NEXT POST:  A SURPRISE!! (Yeah, you guys are too smart...I just haven't figured it out yet.)

42 comments:

  1. hahah love this Julie! You're posts make my day! I have been getting all sorts of unsolicited advice from "swimmers" as well! Apparently I flop my arms. And my scoliosis twisted spine makes it very difficult to breathe on my right without inhaling a load of water or completely throwing off my stroke. Le sigh. Thanks for making me feel a little better ;)

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  2. Haha, again, just too funny!! The absolute worst part about swimming is getting those bathing suit bottoms back up. Hate that feeling! Haha

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  3. don't you just love the unsolicited advice? Sometimes it's helpful, but a lot of the time they end up telling you to do the thing you were already trying to do. This is why I don't swim regularly...I flop around like a dead fish. It isn't pretty. I'd say your 2 years isn't too bad for getting it all down. I'd need...well, probably a different body with more athletic ability to master swimming more than a lap.

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  4. Adrian: Thanks!! I have a touch o' the scoliosis as well...frustrating at times. It's good to know I'm not alone :)

    TexaGermaNadian: Thank you! Yeah, it's so gross, right?

    Meg: Yeah, I know advice is always said with the best intentions but you're right: a lot of the time it's what you're already trying to do. That said, the majority of the advice up there is what got me where I am today. It's just so hard to do it all at the same time!!

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  5. I have my very first Tri this Saturday and I am freaking out about the swim!! Your post couldn't have come at a better time!!! I feel the same way! Too many things to remember...

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  6. Kerri: Good luck!! Make sure you position yourself near the back and off to the side so you don't get stuck in the middle where there's a lot of contact (some unsolicited advice for you). Come back and tell me how you did after the race!!

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  7. New follower and omgosh I love your doodles! I'm sure you hear that all the time!! I admire you for your swimming. I am not a swimmer. I am a lounge-by-the-pool-er

    http://alieinwonderland.blogspot.com/

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  8. Oh, I hate getting a bathing suit on in general. Much less a wet one.
    Sounds like you had a lot of advice. I think I would short circuit as well. Yikes!

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  9. *Allie*: Thanks so much for joining my site! Yeah, I do enjoy a good lounging, but around here we don't get much of the opportunity to do it and I think I might get strange looks if I lay out at the Y.

    Bernie: I can't say that I enjoy the swimsuit but once i'm in the water I tend to forget since i have the think about all the swim techniques :P Thanks so much for the award!! I will put it up soon!

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  10. you forgot the most useful tip (from your 12 year old nephew). SWIM FAST!!!! :)

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  11. Hey there! Nice blog and cooolll drawings :D

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  12. Steve/Lisa: it's only useful if you have a hope in following that tip. But, he is very good at that!

    V: Thanks so much! Glad you stopped by :D

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  13. I've swam all my life and taught it for a number of years. I'll tell you now that it's the hardest sport in triathlons to pick up. But just like anything, work on one thing at a time. After 9 years of competitive swimming, I'm still correcting some bad habits of mine and it's brain racking to try and do multiple things at once (JUST like your picture).

    Once you feel comfortable and smooth in the water, it will all come to you. Just like once kids get comfortable on a bike, they pick it up in no time.

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  14. Kurt: I found it *really* funny that you relate the ease of swimming with the ease of biking...have you read my earlier posts? :)
    Thanks for the tips and commiseration though. They're appreciated!

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  15. Your sketches are captivating!

    Now, am a newbie and I can't seem to follow any of the advice, be it solicited or otherwise so I just have my own way:) After several rounds of teaching n advice my 13 yr old thinks am never going to learn the right way!

    Thanks for commenting on my post. Am following you:)

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  16. omg you crack me up! Whenever I get information overload on a subject it makes me want to scream

    LOUD NOISES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    xoxo

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  17. I just found your blog and I love it! It is so cute! :D
    I want to get into triathlons once I'm back home in the states, but I'm pretty nervous about the idea of it... Maybe by reading your blog I'll be ready to actually "tri" it by the time I'm heading home next summer! lol

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  18. VaishVijay: Good on you for finding your way! It is so difficult to figure out how to do all the 'good ideas' at once! Thanks for following!

    Jennifer: Thanks! Hehe...is that a Ron Burgundy reference?

    MrsQ318: So glad you found me! I'm not sure that you will get good training tips from me, but you will see that any klutz can (eventually) 'tri' :D

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  19. lol, that's pretty much awesome! The drawings just made my day! I'm visiting from the Storytellers hop, new follower. Can't wait to hear about your progress!

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  20. Haha, your blog is hilarious! I can totally relate.. I taught myself to swim when I was fifteen after hearing all kinds of interesting tips I couldn't quite get a handle on. The drawings really do it for me ^_^

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  21. An Irish Italian Blessing: Thanks! It's my first time on the Storytellers hop--I do love TexaGermaNadian!

    Kaitlin: Thanks for coming by! Glad you liked!

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  22. So totally funny! Found you through the Storytellers Hop, too :)
    New follower!

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  23. XLMIC: Thanks for coming over! And for bringing me to 100!! Yay!

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  24. I so get this. I've tried to learn to swim for years (seriously irrational fear of water, panic-y asthmatic) and all of the tips I've been told run through my head every time I try to advance from the last set of lessons that I took. My husband is a Tri-Athlete who swims like a fish - he doesn't get my issues with water. Thanks for sharing and for stopping by! Congrats on your 100 followers!

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  25. Miko's Girl: Glad you can relate! Thanks for coming by!!

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  26. Lol! Love the comment "because you know Fish have no shoulder" made me giggle :)

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  27. I still love this post, too funny!! Thank you for linking up to the Storytellers Blog Hop! Also, I visited all the other blogs that linked up too and saw that you also visited a lot of them as well. That really does mean the world to me! There are no
    real rules for the hop, but it does help when people visit each others. So, you rock for that, and I have a feeling you found some great new reads in the meantime! I hope you had a fun weekend girl :)

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  28. cestlavie22: Thanks for visiting! That comment stuck with me :D

    TexaGermaNadian: I really like your blog hop! I've tried out some different ones but there are *lots* of giveaway and coupon hops that I don't really fit into. Yours is perfect!

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  29. Love this post, it's too funny! Thanks for stopping by my blog.

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  30. Wendy: thanks for returning the visit! Glad you enjoyed it!

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  31. :)cute post. Wishing you the best in your feat! New follower!

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  32. Love this blog! I absolutely adore your draaawrings :) Newest follower from the hop. Hope you have a fantastic, water free Mother's Day!

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  33. life: Thanks for coming over!
    mombo880: Thank you! Yeah, to be honest i will probably be in the pool tomorrow :D

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  34. Following from the hop. This post was pretty funny and I'm not even a swimmer. "Liked" your Facebook page!

    All my best,

    Clayton
    http://www.claytonpaulthomas.com
    facebook: claytonpaulthomas

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  35. Clayton: thanks for stopping by! I love having new followers :)

    ReplyDelete
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