I did end up swimming again last week, but I didn’t write about it.  Then, I went swimming again today, so I’ll write about both experiences in this one post.

I noticed last week that I felt dog tired until I’d hit 1200 yards.  I don’t think that’s a magic number; that’s about when I get over the freestyle hump.  I’m still struggling to feel good swimming freestyle.  Baby steps.  I remember when I couldn’t consistently do streamline past the flags on my fresstyle lengths.  Streamline is when you put your hands together, one over the other, and hold them over your head.  You are squeezing your ears with your arms.  This is a racing start that has you shaped like a torpedo in the water.

Watching my kids practice for swim team, I knew that being able to hold their breath until they past the flags at the beginning of the lane was a huge leap.  It’s hard for little kids–shoot!  It’s hard for grown folks who don’t have swim training.  It has taken me a few years of working on my swimming to get consistent with this.  My next freestyle goal is to be able to keep going without stopping to catch my breath or change strokes!  After that I’ll try to flip turn to a freestyle position.  I’m scared to death to do that now, because of all the breath holding you already have to do with a freestyle.  Flip turns are just another exercise in holding your breath!

Anyway, when I swam last Friday, I swam my IM’s at 2:43.10 and 2:42.36.  I was feeling pretty good about myself for swimming my second one faster than my first one.  Then I looked over one lane, and I saw the guy over there swimming IM after IM after IM, never taking a break, or cooling down or anything!  And he was swimming 100 yards faster than I was swimming 50 yards.  Talk about taking yourself down a notch!

Today when I swam, I did my IM’s at:  2L38.20 and 2:39.34.  My old goggles fell off in the middle of the second IM, so I was pleased with that second time.

Last week, as I leisurely swam breast stroke straight down the single lane, I looked up to see a man barreling towards me swimming freestyle!  He had entered the pool without saying anything to me, and –whoa!  If I hadn’t looked up, that would have been a collision!  He was a swimming machine, kicking up tidal waves every time he passed me.

Today, I swam in the double lane.  We could have three people swimming there without feeling cramped.  I had half finished my mile when the old man next to me excitedly announced he’d swum 36 laps.  (That’s a mile!)  He had on flippers and told me that it had been a year since he’d swum that far.  He told me to never quit swimming, and then left to tell his wife what he’d done.

Tired, but encouraged, I finished my mile.   I hope to swim again on Thursday.