Lone swimmer

So I have stopped swimming lessons now and have just been going along to swim by myself. Ive been trying to do about 10 lengths everytime I go which is quite hard going, especially after a body attack class!
I tend to do alternate breaststroke and freestyle lengths but i'm still a bit lazy about swimming with my face in water.
Yesterday I was only one in the pool and the lifeguard came over and said he was going for lunch was I ok as a lone swimmer? I said I don't know am I? He said  "You can swim, so you are fine."
He had no idea how meaningful that sentence was to me.
I can swim 😀

All by myself

Well not quite.
Tonight when I opened the door from the changing rooms to the pool, I was greeted with....an empty pool! The teacher was sitting at the side waiting for me.

I started with a couple of lengths of front crawl. This time the teacher videoed me so I could see what I look like.  Eek it was awful to watch but it made me realise what I do wrong with my arms. So, I concentrated on working on them. The only thing with concentrating on my arms though, is that I forget about my legs and what they should be doing. It was definitely better after practice.

Then went on to a bit of swimming on my back. I just went into the middle of the pool and went for it. Again the teacher filmed it and I could see that I look very tense and I'm not flat...I need to lift my stomach. Easier said than done but I know what I have to work on.
Then I did some swimming on my front then turning onto my back then flipping onto front again. This was much better as I have been practicing this.
My confidence is definitely coming back and I'm feeling the benefits of going to the gym alongside swimming. My core is stronger and I have more stamina.
A wee break now while im on holiday but should be swimming loads there!

I've put the videos on so you can see what i'm talking about. It will also let you see how much I still have to learn but also how far I have come!

Getting back into it

Very Excited!! I've booked in for more lessons starting next Wednesday with Vivienne at Swimming Masters in Glasgow.
Really want to get back into improve my technique and see if I can be good enough to teach. I'm so excited to get back into it properly!
Also a good chance to get back into updating the blog as even though I haven't been writing it, 6000 of you have been reading it so I'm ready to tell you all some more of my sink or swim stories.

Last weekend I was out at a university class reunion and it was the first time we had met up in around 20 years. We had a great night talking about our families and old stories but the most amazing part of the night for me was when one of the girls told me that I had inspired her to go for swimming lessons. She could already swim and wasn't scared of water but she was just aware that she didn't swim well and wanted to be better at it so she could help her kids with swimming. I honestly felt so amazed by that!
So if that's one person that this blog has helped then that's fine by me, Anyone else now is a bonus!

I'll make sure to update after the lesson and hopefully it will be onward and upwards from there.

Im still swimming!

Its been a while but thought I would update the old blog. So, been swimming a few times and you will be pleased to hear its just like riding a bike...you dont forget!
I was on a spa day with my mother in law and swam up and down quite confidently and loved it.
My plan is to maybe go back and have a few more lessons to sort out my technique which isn't very refined.
I'll keep you posted!

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