A smile about swimming

I just got an email from my boyfriend. He is across the US from me now, but we are both training for our first sprint tri in June. It is a big deal for him because, well, he can't really swim too well. I didn't know this when I asked him to sign up with me, but I found out shortly afterwards. There are no transfers of registration or refunds of your registration fees, so for better or worse he is in this.

I give him props, he has been really working on swimming. He put in a request for a personal swim coach at the swim club he joined, but hasn't heard back from anyone. I used to be a swim instructor, so I gave him some simple drills to work on so he can get the front crawl figured out (he told me he could swim, he just couldn't put his face in the water and do the 'breathing thing'... he was planning on doing the whole 1/2 mile with his head out of water!!:eek: ).

So he has been working with a kickboard on breathing and blowing bubbles out with his face in the water. He has been having alot of trouble doing this, but today I got an email from him saying how something clicked finally! He started concentrating on rotating his body so that he could better turn his head to breath, and he made it all the way down to the other end of the pool! (previously he'd had to stop halfway because he couldn't get the breathing rhythm down). He was so happy! And when he got to the end, the lifeguard on duty told him how improved he'd gotten since he started a week or two ago!

So then he did another lap breathing, and it worked again! He was so happy, and when he got down to the end of the pool the lifeguard was clapping and cheering for him!

I'm so proud of him, and a bit amazed that he would even consider signing up for a tri as unsure as he is of swimming! But props to him and props to that enthusiastic lifeguard who cheered him on and gave him a few more tips on better technique!

I guess it just goes to show that if you set your mind to something, you can do it!

K.

Good for him!!!! Tell him to give himself lots of pats on the back for sticking with it. I don't think there's anything much harder than learning to swim as an adult. My DH is struggling with learning to swim with efficiency. He's come a long way in a short time, and your BF is surely doing the same thing! Tell him congrats (and soooo brave for signing up knowing he'd have to swim a half mile uncomfortably- maybe this was just the push he needed). :)

I was exactly in the same situation at the very same time last year - can swim but not capable to do the breathing thing - , and I completed a sprint tri with a 800 m swim portion in early March. I just learned. I stuck in the pool two or three times a week for three months. I don't like swimming so much but I almost liked it in the end. I started with the breastroke (which I found much easier than kicking to get acquainted to putting my head in the water while blowing out air bubbles) and eventually I transitioned to free style. I have no idea how I made it but, yes, it just "clicked".

I have to focus on swimming again so I can get better at breathing every third stroke.

So keep cheering for him! I also have a partner who was at one point a swimming instructor, and he was very careful around me. He's swam with me only a couple of times and was great at cheering me and making only manageable comments for improvement. I found that tremendously helpful. I would have enjoyed more coaching, but I think the emotional price would not have been worth it.

That's great! How truly impressive!

My swimming has come a long way, too ... I did 1,300 meters today (albeit extremely slowly), but when I started I could barely even finish one lap and then had to take a long break before starting down the pool again.

So, if he keeps at it, I know he'll see a lot more improvement.

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Originally Posted by Offthegrid

That's great! How truly impressive!

My swimming has come a long way, too ... I did 1,300 meters today (albeit extremely slowly), but when I started I could barely even finish one lap and then had to take a long break before starting down the pool again.

So, if he keeps at it, I know he'll see a lot more improvement.

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Way to go OTG awesome distance! ! ! the speed will come

Kimmyt
Kudos to your BF for sticking w/ it.

I am trying to help a friend swim. He is not a natural and definately doesn't have a swimmer/runner physique - he is built like a power lifter and has very short legs (we are the same height - I ride a medium bike frame and he rides an XS - he was a little upset by that "why did she get a bigger bike ? ? ?"

All we have been working on with a kickboard and snorkel is kicking, head postion and now body rotation, I lent him my snorkel so he doesn't have to worry about breathing. I don't think he will by ready for the blizzard biathlon in February - but he survived it last year (almost drowned and came in dead last) so I suppose he will survive it this year - and any way he got a great prize for last