Last night we had tri swim clinic. I love ending my weekend this way. Some of my best tri buddies are in the class, and it's just a great way to unwind and get ready for the week ahead. I had to miss the last two because of family obligations one week, and a sick Bubba and a blizzard last week. I had decided that regardless of weather or children I was going to make it yesterday. And I did.
One of the weeks I missed my Sunday class, a group of us went to swim one evening right before master's swim. Because we were in the lane next to them when they started, one of the women could see me swim under water. I've been critiqued from the deck of the pool, but never from in the water. This woman asked if she could give me advice. Advise away my dear! I will never turn down help from someone who is good enough to go to masters swim. She said I bend my knees when I kick. Creating drag. Apparently, you're supposed to kick from your hips when you swim. Who knew? Not I!
Last night was my first time back in the water since that advice. So I concentrated on my hips. A lot. Maybe this is why I am having a hard time getting them to rotate? Cause I'm not using them. By the end of the night, they hurt. Not just sore. Hurt. I guess I really kick from the hip at all before. The only problem was, last night I was the slowest one in the class. Slower than someone that I normally would be ahead of who just joined our class. I'm in level three. When I first started taking these tri classes I signed up for level 2, but was the fastest by so much, I moved to level 3.
This got me to thinking. Maybe I should move back down to level 2. Maybe I'm not a good swimmer at all. Obviously I have lots of work to do. I've lost any speed I had now that I'm using new muscles to propel myself through the water. At least when I was in level 2 I was "the best". Now in level three, I'm "the worst". And then I asked myself (and my friends on twitter and facebook) "Would you rather be the best of the worst or the worst of the best?" I've decided to stay and be the worst of the best. It will give me something to strive for. If I am swimming next to someone who is a half a lap or more ahead of me, I will swim harder in order to pass them. In doing so, I will be getting faster, and better, every week. I will also not let two weeks go by without swimming again.
This morning I woke up very sore still. My hips are not used to that kind of work out! And my shoulders and arms are sore from removing snow from my roof. Maybe I can blame part of my lack of speed on that? My arms were already tired from earlier in the day? Regardless, I need to improve my swimming. Maybe I could find someone to give me a full fledged swim analysis. Or maybe I will just go when I know the masters will be there to get their advise?
My weekend ended on a high note. With a revelation. Oh yeah, and the best part, when we were done and leaving the Y, there was a meeting coming to the end in the lobby. A meeting with cookies. Cookies that were offered to us weary, wet, tired, swimmers. Every swim class should end with cookies!
One of the weeks I missed my Sunday class, a group of us went to swim one evening right before master's swim. Because we were in the lane next to them when they started, one of the women could see me swim under water. I've been critiqued from the deck of the pool, but never from in the water. This woman asked if she could give me advice. Advise away my dear! I will never turn down help from someone who is good enough to go to masters swim. She said I bend my knees when I kick. Creating drag. Apparently, you're supposed to kick from your hips when you swim. Who knew? Not I!
Last night was my first time back in the water since that advice. So I concentrated on my hips. A lot. Maybe this is why I am having a hard time getting them to rotate? Cause I'm not using them. By the end of the night, they hurt. Not just sore. Hurt. I guess I really kick from the hip at all before. The only problem was, last night I was the slowest one in the class. Slower than someone that I normally would be ahead of who just joined our class. I'm in level three. When I first started taking these tri classes I signed up for level 2, but was the fastest by so much, I moved to level 3.
This got me to thinking. Maybe I should move back down to level 2. Maybe I'm not a good swimmer at all. Obviously I have lots of work to do. I've lost any speed I had now that I'm using new muscles to propel myself through the water. At least when I was in level 2 I was "the best". Now in level three, I'm "the worst". And then I asked myself (and my friends on twitter and facebook) "Would you rather be the best of the worst or the worst of the best?" I've decided to stay and be the worst of the best. It will give me something to strive for. If I am swimming next to someone who is a half a lap or more ahead of me, I will swim harder in order to pass them. In doing so, I will be getting faster, and better, every week. I will also not let two weeks go by without swimming again.
This morning I woke up very sore still. My hips are not used to that kind of work out! And my shoulders and arms are sore from removing snow from my roof. Maybe I can blame part of my lack of speed on that? My arms were already tired from earlier in the day? Regardless, I need to improve my swimming. Maybe I could find someone to give me a full fledged swim analysis. Or maybe I will just go when I know the masters will be there to get their advise?
My weekend ended on a high note. With a revelation. Oh yeah, and the best part, when we were done and leaving the Y, there was a meeting coming to the end in the lobby. A meeting with cookies. Cookies that were offered to us weary, wet, tired, swimmers. Every swim class should end with cookies!
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