What’s worse than a fish out of water? How about a runner trying to swim?
It’s not that I can’t swim. I mean I can keep myself from drowning and get from one side of the pool to the other. But my form is bad enough to scare the other swimmers out of the pool.
I remember the first summer I had met Rob he made a comment about how bad my swimming form was. After swimming about 8 feet across my backyard pool (and I had been drinking) but it was bad enough for him to comment, and this was before we were even actually “dating”.
Last summer I decided I wanted to add swimming to my exercise routine. I ordered a bathing suit and a pair of goggles, and went to my gym pool. I think I made it back and forth freestyle for about 20 minutes. The problem was I knew I was doing it wrong (I was keeping my head above water the whole time) but still somehow getting a nose full of water. I think I did that routine 3-4 times last summer, but was proud of myself for trying.
This summer I tried pool running while at my in-laws in Florida. I think I was much more successful at that than swimming, but I feel too weird doing in in front of people I don’t know. (I still don’t know if I’m doing it right. Do you take up a whole lane just to stay in one spot the whole time/run around in circles?)
So I tried swimming again last week. Same issues- head above water, water in the nose. I had looked up some info about how to properly swim, but just couldn’t actually put that information into practice. I know- you’re supposed to stay down and come up every 3 counts to breath in. That just wasn’t working for me. As a runner, I was used to breathing in and out as I pleased. I continued doing my head above water thing and it worked for me (sort of- I would probably get some sort of neck injury if I did it more frequently).
As I was leaving the pool that day, I saw that the lifeguards offered free 30 minute swim sessions. So I signed up.
On Tuesday morning I met with a lifeguard and told her my troubles. She had me use a kickboard while I worked on form and breathing. During the first few times trying this I convinced myself that it wasn’t going to work, and I would just continue swimming with my head above water, or just stop swimming altogether. But since I had 30 minutes with her, I kept trying. And by the end, I sort of got it! By focusing on breathing out while I was under water, it stopped me from breathing in. (It sounds so simple now!) It is definitely a work in progress and I am worried I will revert back to my old ways when I’m not being watched/instructed, but it’s nice to know that it’s not impossible.
I should also note that my gym only has an outdoor pool, so I can only use it from May-September. Hopefully I will get myself back there a few more times this summer so I can perfect my technique (ha!) but I’ll happily stick to running the rest of the time.
I feel like I’m one step closer to ever thinking about considering a triathlon. You know, besides the fact that I haven’t rode a bike outdoors in about 15 years, I don’t own a bike, and I need to use a kickboard to swim.
For now, I’ll stick to running and drinking wine.
You may also like:
Base Building Week 3
Frederick Half-Marathon Training Week 2
Want to Run Faster? How to Adjust Your Training
Do you know how to swim?
Ever consider a triathlon?
I use the exact same words to describe my swimming ability to people! I can keep myself from drowning and make it from one and of the pool to the other – and that’s about it! So funny! I also don’t have a bathing suit for it and haven’t gotten one – I actually am planning to go to athleta today for one – big coincidence that you posted this!
I work at Big Vanilla, it’s a gym in Pasadena Maryland, and we have adult swim coaches and we put a dome over our pool in the fall so you could train all year around. If you are interested there is info on our website bigvanilla.com
Good luck with your training.
You inspire me to keep running 🙂
Thanks for letting me know! If I move closer to that area I will definitely consider it! I would love to have access to a year-round pool.
That is a funny coincidence! I hope that your attempts at swimming go better than mine! But I think as long as you’re moving its better than nothing, right?
Hahaha, I am the SAME way. I have so many triathlete friends who LOVE to swim, but I really don’t think it’s for me, at least for now. I prefer to spend my pool time wading in the shallow end with a cocktail instead of exercising 🙂
Yes I am much better at lounging in the shallow end or on a lounge chair than swimming! I also just don’t think I have the desire to get better or run a triathlon.
Haha that was hilarious. I worked at Runner’s Corner awhile ago and I had a coworker who was a pro triathlete. He taught me the basics of swimming in his own never ending pool. TOTALLY helped and I was able to do a triathlon that summer and not drown 🙂
Wow that is so impressive! I wish I had someone to teach me…and somewhere to learn! That is so awesome that you did a triathlon, too!
Love this Lisa! I did some swimming at the hotel pool last year in Kentucky, and we did some last week on the roof pool in NYC on vacation. I have reasonable form, breathing is definitely a bit weird based on running, but overall it was fun. We have our bikes and do casual bike rides occasionally when it is warm enough, and have a blast!
As for the triathlon? Um … no thanks! haha
Haha it sounds like you COULD pull off a triathlon if you wanted! But I guess the desire’s not there and that is key…I don’t have it either. Especially thinking about doing all of those sports back to back, it just sounds like too much!
I am a very good, very competent and very technically trained swimmer, actually. We have a lakehouse, so when I was 2-3 (we were building it), my mom took me to swimming lessons in case we fell off. So swimming is actually very natural to me. My problem? I get so freaking cold in water. I would have to wear a wetsuit. I actually feel way more out of place on a bike. I have NO natural balance whatsoever, so it is like a fish on a bike…
I could love to see a cartoon of a fish on a bike, haha! Well that is awesome that you are such a good swimmer! Just find a heated pool and you will be all set. I probably can’t ride an outdoor bike either…I’ll stick to indoor spin classes.
Hahaha that triathlete definition is still cracking me up 😛 I took swimming lessons as a child, but these days, the doggie paddle is my best friend. That’s really cool that the lifeguards offered free lessons! If I ever join a gym with a pool again, I will definitely take them up on that. I haven’t thought about tris, mainly because of the swimming portion, but I have some friends who are transitioning into them, and it looks really cool! Keep up the good work with this! Only gets easier with practice 🙂
I also took lessons as a child, but completely forgot everything I learned! I bet that most pools offer free sessions, since its a way to get you to consider signing up for free classes. They tried to get me to sign up after but I thought 1 session was plenty!
I actually was on the synchronized swimming team my first year of college. I figured I knew how to dance, so it couldn’t be that hard. Haha! They really whipped me into shape. Treading water is a serious workout. Maybe you should get a pair of nose clips. They are pretty discreet since they are skin colored. We used them for synchro all the time. You get used to them pretty quickly. A+ for effort!
That’s not a bad idea! Then I’ll only have to worry about getting water in through my mouth, haha. That is really cool that you were on the synchronized swim team! Thanks for the tip:)
I can swim in that when I get into a pool I won’t drown. That’s about it. Since I’ve been hurting I actually got it in my head that I was going to do some laps at my mom’s pool the other day. One lap in, I had a bucket of water in my ear and was completely over it.
A tri used to sound fun in theory, but now I don’t think it’s for me. I would love to do a duathlon though!!
At least you were in your mom’s pool so you could look however you wanted/give up after 1 lap! I always feel so much pressure swimming in front of other people at my gym!
Maybe if I was good at biking or swimming a tri would sounds better, but at this point I feel like I would just be torturing myself:)
Ummm what gym are you a part of because that is such a good deal! I never really understood how lucky I was to have such a great swimming foundation but it will make the transition to triathlons much easier. I’m glad you gave it another shot 🙂
I belong to Merritt and go to the one on Fort Ave..it is a really good deal! (But the monthly gym membership is high so I feel like they should have perks like that.)
haha oh my god. no worries, pretty sure I look like that too when I swim!
I wish you would come swim with me so I don’t look like a fool all by myself!:)
OMG, you totally just described my swimming technique. I’ve never learned how to swim except for the doggie paddle and the freestyle, but keeping my head above water the entire time. I’m so intrigued by a triathalon, but the swimming has turned me off!! Maybe there is hope for me, I just need to get someone to teach me!
Haha it’s so comforting to know I’m not the only one who keeps their head up! And yes- just get someone to teach you! I bet most pools have lifeguards that offer swim sessions.
This cracked me up, especially the picture of the dog in the pool. My husband is a fish and I… am not. I avoid the pool. I used to be able to do flip turns and stuff, but the whole thing seemed too quiet and a little dull. I had no interest in getting faster, so I just stopped doing it. Kind of lame of me. I think it’s great that you actively sought out ways to make it better for you.
I’m not sure if I will actually keep it up, but it was one of those things that I had been thinking about for awhile and finally just decided to make it happen. Who knows, maybe one day you will get interested in it again and get back to it?!