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 😀

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.

Tweet tweet

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

Going the full length

Last night I went swimming with the kids and husband. We hadn't been for a while and it was a nice night so the pool was quiet apart from the swimming club taking up half the big pool.

We started off in the little pool to warm up literally (its always a bit warmer than the big pool). I wanted to practice doing rolling over in the water so it didn't matter that its a bit shallow. So I started on my back and rolled onto my front which was fairly easy and then from my front to my back which was more difficult as it was harder to find my balance. I went through them all and practised them over and over again until I found them easier. I think the kids liked practising with me, although they just do it naturally, they don't have to think about it.

Then we went into the big pool and I did some practice breaststroke and swimming on my back. There were some quite serious swimmers in there who put me off a bit, but I just got on with what I had to do.

So all in all was a fairly successful nights practise.

Tonight was my lesson. I was working from home today so I felt a bit fresher getting to the pool. It was going to be a hard night as the lesson usually tires me out anyway but then I had to go home and do 5 k running with my son! Anyway I got myself changed and took about an hour (slight exaggeration) to get the swimming cap on.

I had my usual chat with the teacher about whats going on and told her that I had been swimming last night and what I had done. She then said to start off with breaststroke and I told her that I had still been struggling with the breathing in between strokes.

And off I went.  I don't know what was different tonight but I swam three strokes underwater then came up for air and kept that up and the next thing I could see the wall coming towards me....I had done a full length!!! Its only a 15 m pool but that was a huge accomplishment for me. Definitely worth the high five with the teacher.

Next I did some front crawl which was much better than before and practised just kicking and breaststroke legs with the kick board. I showed her that I had been practising the different rolls and I managed them all and tried a mushroom one. I need to practice this one on holiday!

I dived for the sharks and the only one I couldn't manage was the last one but I got so close! It was up at the 1.4 m point so that's the furthest I've dived for them.

Lastly I did a full length of swimming on my back. Given that not long ago I was terrified of floating on my back this felt like a major achievement too.

It was definitely a defining lesson for me. I was driving home thinking about the last 5 months and how far I've come and for the first time ever I think I can safely say....I can swim!

Copacabana

Post title is because tonight at the Hydro Barry Manilow was on!
So hadn't had a lesson for a few weeks and I was eager to get back on it. It was a really long day cause at the start I was dropping off my oldest son for a school trip to Geneva. Then a day of meetings at work so I was pretty shattered.
When I got to the pool it was quiet with just one other man in the pool apart from the lesson lane so I got in and did a bit of a warm up (cause the pool was cold). I did a mix of breaststroke, freestyle and backfloat.
Then when it was lesson time. I started with a couple of lengths of breaststroke. I tried to take a few breaths in between instead of standing up. I think I managed a few breaths which was good.
Then the teacher got me to do breaststroke legs with the float board and try to concentrate on putting my knees to the side and getting more propulsion with my legs.
Next, I did a couple of lengths of freestyle legs and arms which was good but really tiring and I practised trying to take a breath in between instead of stopping again. I seemed to stop and stand up by habit, so I need to practice that a bit more.
So, after a couple lengths of backfloat and bashing into the stairs. The teacher asked me how I felt about trying to float from back to front. I was up for the challenge....I really wanted to do it!
Starting off on my back, I turned my head and I sort of went to the side but it wasn't great. So I tried again, this time the teacher said try turning faster. This worked much better and after a couple more attempts I worked it out.  Again that is something I need to practice. After that I tried rolling from my back then forward and onto my front and that was great too.
Lastly diving for some sharks which I managed quite easily.
All in all a really great lesson, I need my bed!

Weird week

Last week was all exciting with the radio show and after a great weekend I was a bit stressed out about a week of jury duty.
I haven't actually been swimming since  the little paddle about with my friends.

I ended up being selected for jury duty so it was a bit of a stressful day and I honestly wasn't feeling great when I turned up for my lesson.

Lesson started with a bit of a catch up on all that had been going on and I admitted that I hadn't had much practice so was feeling a bit nervous.

First I did a bit of diving for the sharks. Started ok but my god I was out of breath! Once we got to the deeper bit of the pool I was really struggling and started to feel sick. I hated that. I don't like making excuses, but I felt awful.

Then went into some kicking with the kickboard and then a bit of breaststroke. Also did a couple of tries of going from sitting at the edge to in the pool.

It was just an odd lesson full stop. I think the feeling rubbish didn't help and I really need to get back and practice at the local pool.

Next week will be fab!

 

 

love their swimsuits and goggles

Scary biscuits

Well I did my radio interview this aft...it was terrifying. I was led into a wee studio and put on some giant headphones and sat in front of a microphone. Then I could hear everything from the Aberdeen studio and a wee voice came on and told me I would be on in five mins.
When the presenter eventually introduced me I was so terrified that my mind would go blank but luckily the words flowed and I treated it like a telephone conference at work. Also was really great hearing advice from Tom the sports psychologist and the competitive side of swimming from Hannah Miley.
It was great to tell my story and hopefully someone will go learn to swim off the back of it.

Here it is at about 13 mins in

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b079rbmw

I have my lessons with Vivienne www.swimmingmasters.co.uk 

Radio gaga

 

Ok, so not a particularly swimming based post today but a milestone none the less! I was contacted by a lovely BBC person and asked if I would mind talking about my learning to swim journey as part of a programme on Radio Scotland called 'Out for the Weekend.' Its part of a BBC initiative called #makeyourmove to get people moving and this month it is about swimming.

 

I'm looking forward to it as I have never done anything like this before but also a bit nervous that I clam up and nothing comes out my mouth. Hopefully all will be good and I can get a photo of me with my headphones on at the BBC Glasgow studio to put on the blog.

 

It was a week off lessons this week as my teacher is on holiday so I haven't been, but planning on going at the weekend to get some practice in before next week.

 

Will post after the radio show....wish me luck!

Sweet Sixteen

Last nights lesson was number 16 and I definitely feel different when I go in now. I'm not worried about what's coming, I'm not scared of the water anymore although still not been out my depth but I think I can safely say I've got a handle on this swimming lark!

Last night I worked a lot on kicking trying to keep legs straight and together. My teacher videoed it so I could see what I was doing and it didn't look like what I thought I was doing so that helped.
Did a bit of back swimming/floating which is definitely better than it was and lots of diving for toys, much deeper than I ever have before. I managed to get all the toys!

A while ago I downloaded an ebook which really helped me changed the way I think about water. I also really like watching the videos on you tube. The book is called conquer your fear of swimming and I bought it from the miracle swimming website. It's really well written as a self help book and the writer really believes in her method which comes through.  I thoroughly recommend it.

Next steps are working on technique and stamina to be able to swim a length without panting for breath :)

Ole green eyes

Quick non swimming post. So my wee girl is in for swimming lessons. We go straight from school and it's a bit of a rush. Past few weeks have been school hols so we have gone with her but the pool shuts at 4 so it's not worth it today.
Anyway, the pool is deserted and only has two other people in apart from her and I'm actually aching to get in.
This time 3 months ago I would have felt sick at the thought of it. I used to feel panicked sitting in the safe area at the side and now I'm feeling jealous that I'm not in there! I also think the smell now induces excited feelings and not bad ones?
A weird post but it's a weird and amazing feeling!