Not as Easy as it Looks: Learning to Swim

By Carissa

The sign at the gym said, “ask about a free session with a trainer” and an idea was sparked.  I wondered if I could get a training session in the pool.  I’d been wanting to learn how to lap swim but before this year hadn’t had access to a pool or the willingness to pay a trainer to learn.  Not to mention, I’m usually busy running six days a week!  With an injury that put running on hold for a few weeks I’d been soaking up all the fun cross training activities that normally get pushed aside and forgotten.  Why not check out swimming?

When I inquired at the front desk my hopes were confirmed.  I could schedule an appointment with a trainer specifically for the pool.  I pushed full steam ahead and set up a session for a few days later.  The thought of the appointment itself terrified me but I refused to let that stop me from giving it a try.

The day of the session arrived and my stomach was in knots.  Doubts raced through my head like,  "I’m going to look like a fool.  I’m going to be bad at this. It’ll be embarrassing."  Do you know what compelled me forward?  Running has taught me that being good at something takes work.  I want to be good at proficient at lap swimming.  Surely if I persevere through what is hard, ugly, and scary there will be gains, rewards and successes.  

I made it maybe three minutes into the session before I realized that no matter how much endurance I’d built as a runner it wasn’t translating into strength in the water.  My main issue was of course breathing.  Figuring out how to adjust to breathing at predetermined points when I was fatigued and awkwardly moving through the water was brain overload.  I see now I had hoped to make up for my lack of skill with a good work ethic. However, the harder I worked the harder it was to breathe and the more I failed to execute.  The trainer smiled patiently at me from above and continued to offer advice.  Sometimes it was the same instruction repeated because I hadn't yet performed the task correctly.

Twenty minutes passed and it was time to wrap up the session.  That sounds like a short amount of time but I was wiped and ready to escape the torture.  The trainer suggested I sign up for a few more lessons.  Clearly I needed it.  One free session in the pool hadn’t turned me into a swimmer.  Instead it had shown me all my inadequacies.  I told the trainer I wasn't sure I had the time to devote to swimming since I'd be starting to train for the Boston marathon soon.  (That's right trainer, in case I looked like I have no athletic ability I actually can run.)  I left the pool wondering if all my bravery was for nothing. 

A funny thing happened on my way home.  My body was alive with endorphins and I couldn’t wait to try it again.  You’re tracking with me right?  Twenty minutes of being miserable and I immediately couldn’t wait to do it again.  On my way home I called my husband and the conversation went
something like this:

Me: Short recap of how bad the lesson went.

Husband: "Well, I’m glad you had a good time."

Me: "I didn’t have a good time!  It was torture.  I had a torturous time!"

Husband: "You like torture.  That means you had a good time."

Me: Well..."Yeah...That’s true." 

That one lesson put a fire in me.  I signed up for three more sessions and I couldn’t wait to get back in the pool.  Friends assured me that after a few weeks I would get the breathing part down.  (I'm holding you to it friends.)  When I returned to the pool two days later I could already notice improvement.  

For all the times someone has asked me whether I was going to train for a triathlon and I said no I think my answer is about to change...     

What about you Sole Sisters?  When is the last time you did something you were afraid to do?  If any of you are swimmers and/or triathletes, do you have any advice for me?