Crappy day

Last nights lesson wasn't the best but it was because I hadn't been to the pool to practice and it showed. Also have mega sore shoulders from stress and its hard to relax them in the pool so that makes me swim really awkwardly.

Started off with breaststroke and really struggled with the breathing. Also felt like my arms and legs were all over the place. I tried to slow it down which helped but I can't get used to breathing in through my mouth without gulping loads of water and the back of my nose was burning with the chlorine.

Moved onto freestyle and tried with a float to get arms doing the right thing so I can breathe to the side, then trying one arm at a time but it was hard and I was swallowing half the pool!

Lastly, first time doing backstroke arms which I liked, although I still have that feeling of "where am I going?" I was under the rope at one point, but thats ok I can work on that.

Lots that need practice.

My colleague at work handed me a flyer for the Loch Lomond great swim event which is at the weekend, might be something to try next year. Can hardly do a couple of lengths never mind a loch but look what I have acheived since January so anything is possible!

PS - very weird but i've noticed I have a better lesson when the showers are cold....they were roasting last night!!

Tweet tweet

A wee video that was taken of me swimming to go on the bbc get inspired twitter.

Feeling Proud!

Just writing my blog with a really sore head as I thudded it off the headboard...ouch!

Great start to the day as my son excelled in his exam results and I cried all the way to work! Very proud mum.

Arrived at my lesson and met with a journalist who wanted to film me swimming a little bit to put on a website. So she went through to the pool and I went into the changing rooms.
I did my usual and sorted out the locker and went into a cubicle. Then I heard this voice talking away but no one was answering, it was really creepy. I got changed in superfast time. When I got out the cubicle there was a woman sitting stark naked on the bench talking away and saying how bad it was the Queen was dead?? I actually thought I maybe had missed something on the news but then she started on about OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson. Obviously just some mad wee woman (I do seem to attract these folk!).
I eventually got away from her and went through to the pool. I did a half breadth of breaststroke for the camera a few times and then the journalist left so the pressure was off there.
The pool was lovely and quiet today so I had a nice big lane to practice in. Did lots of breaststroke practising coming up for air every stroke. I tend to breathe in and out my nose but I should use my mouth so need to practice that.
Then lots of practice front crawl arms and taking a breath to the side. then did a length of front crawl then turning onto back, then turning back onto front which was good. Then a length of back float. also did a little bit of butterfly kick which was fun as I had never tried it before so I liked that.
Was a great lesson! Lots to improve on.
When I came out, I was relieved to see that the crazy woman was away. So I got changed and was just about heading out the door when this woman came out the showers and said she was watching me having lessons. I told her I had been coming since January and how great the lessons were. She said she could only swim with a woggle and that she wished she had the confidence to get lessons and said well done you, inspiring!
I walked out with a big smile on my face today :)

Swimming lessons in Glasgow

Ouch my brain!

Eek tonight was a hard one!

As I sat in the car staring up at the blue mirror that is the Crowne Plaza hotel and wondering why its peeing down on the 2nd of August I felt quite confident about tonight's lesson. The nerves are gone completely!

I don't worry about falling under anymore....I can get back up easily.

I don't worry about swallowing water.....I just spit it back out (don't worry, not often).

I don't care what I look like....I kind of look like I know what I'm doing now.

I don't worry about drowning! 

So i'm feeling pretty great about the whole thing. I was a bit early so I had a chat with the teacher about our articles that were published by Scottish Swimming on their website. It was an interview I did a while ago so it was a bit out of date but I was really pleased with how it was written.

On with today's lesson. Started with kicking, with arms stretched out in front of me. That was fine and I did that two lengths. Then the teacher said to go a bit faster do smaller kicks so I did a couple of  lengths of that. all good just a bit out of puff.

Then we went on to freestyle arms. Much harder! I was to try and rotate side to side and take a breath but I struggled to get my arms to coordinate with my brain. Then I did an exercise where it was like I was pulling up a zip on the side of me which forced me to get my shoulders out the water. After this I was already shattered.

Next I did a couple of front to back and back to front rolls which were much better than last week.

Then onto breast stroke. I did two lengths the way I normally do it then I was to glide for a couple of seconds in between. I could not get my brain around this! I really need to practice as I was getting frustrated that I couldn't get it right.

Lastly I dived for a couple of sharks and then I tried a bit of swimming underwater, trying to get as low in the deep end as I could. This wasn't easy. I didn't really get anywhere but by this point I was absolutely puggled so I wasn't really giving it my all.

I need to build up stamina by practising lengths....Bring it on!!

my article in Scottish Swimming

my teacher Viviennes article

I go for my swimming lessons with Vivienne at www.swimmingmasters.co.uk

Busy lizzie

Last night's lesson was the busiest the pool has ever been!
I did breast stroke, front crawl, turns from front to back and back to front and lots of diving for sharks in the deep end. Was completely pooped at the end of it all.
I need to try go swimming on Friday as I want to practise swimming at deep end, out my depth. This is hard if I have kids with me but it needs done.
I'm going to have a look at some you tube videos to get some tips on arms for front crawl.
Short blog but more on Fri :)

Back to life, back to reality

I've been back from holidays for a few days now and the tan is starting to fade and the realisation that i'm back to real life is creeping in.
The last post was at the beginning of the holiday and I said how I had been swimming in the sea. I did lots more of that on holiday and really enjoyed it. There weren't much waves and it was lovely and refreshing in the blistering heat.
One of the main aims of me starting to learn to swim (as can be seen at the start of my blog) was to be able to get in the water with the kids and go on the slides.  Our hotel was attached to a water park which we ended up going to nearly every day as it was great fun and the pools were freshwater as opposed to the salt water pools at the hotel.
As promised I did go on a slide, in fact I went on twice and it was fun....to be honest it wasn't really for me. I'm a bit lazy and the whole climbing a million flights of stairs in bare feet while the ground is 100 degrees was no fun, but I did do it and I lived to tell the tale.
The lazy river was more my cup of tea.....floating round on a giant donut float with not a care in the world. Ok, this was not strictly true. Anyone who has been to Kos will know that its blows a hoolie there so when you first get in the lazy river you practically fly down the first side at a speed Lewis Hamilton would be jealous of, then when you get round the corner you end up frantically paddling with your arms to stop going backwards and crashing. Not so lazy after all, but you should see my guns now!
Anyway Olympic rowing aside, I spent a lot of time in the pool. It was 1.4m right across so I knew where I stood (quite literally) with the depth and I quite happily swam back and forward while my kids played around. I had taken my goggles to use but I hardly got to use them as my daughter decided she would start swimming underwater and that she needed them to be a mermaid...I couldn't really argue with that.
So I think I can tick the box for swimming on holiday....job done!

       Swimming in the pool! 

 Teaching Jess to swim underwater.

                       Looking for Dory 

Tonight was my lesson and it was weird being back in an inside pool again. I could definitely feel an improvement and I'm sure the teacher could tell too. My confidence levels are much higher but I still have a way to go with technique. I practiced mostly front crawl arms, trying to keep my head still and get my arms out the water as much as I could, sounds a lot easier than it is. Also did a couple of lengths of back float. I still get a bit disorientated doing this and end up going a bit squint, all adds to the fun!

Big decision that I made on holiday is that I want to work towards being a swimming teacher. I think its something that I could do and it gives me an end goal, even if its years away its a plan.

I love a challenge :)

Under the sea

Thought I would do a wee blog update while I'm on holiday in the very sunny and very hot Greek island of Kos.
So we have been going to the beach because the water is crystal clear and shallow for miles so very safe. It's so hot the water is like a blessed relief. The sand is like walking over hot coals so everyone does this mad dance to get in the water as quickly as possible.
In I got and I started swimming straight away! Then we realised there were wee fish under us so I've had the goggles on and been swimming under water looking at them. It's been awesome! Also cause it's saltwater it's lovely for just floating on your back and enjoying the light waves.
I'll take better photos next time but got one for proof.
Waterpark next....Can't wait!