Swimming Milestone

[Wahine]

I am a good freestyler. But I am an adult learned swimmer and I learned to freestyle so I could race in triathlon. Read: I have no clue how to do any other strokes with any efficiency. In fact I had never even tried to do butterfly prior to joining our masters group here about 6 weeks ago.

So this morning I almost didn't go because I was really tired and I thought the extra sleep would be really nice. But I got my rear out of bed and to the pool and I'm so happy that I did. I did my first ever 25m butterfly without fins.....twice.

I'm a happy camper today. Thanks for listening.

[Veronica]

Congratulations! Butterfly always makes me feel like I'm super strong.

V.

[Wahine]

Thanks V. I think the butterfly practice (even though I usually can't even make it to the end of the pool) really helps my catch at the front end of my freestlye stroke. I'm really enjoying the swim club.

[alpinerabbit]

Woww... Butterfly looks difficult and the only couple times I've tried it I found it IS difficult. It gives me instant calf cramps. And here's the story of my teenage years: I am blind as a bat. I had no contacts. I also had no goggles - no one actually did - and we were supposed to learn fly in school. Stupid idea from the start, so imagine me, I can't see a thing anyway, only a bit of the black line if I ever opened my eyes underwater, and I had the arms in the back position right when.... I hit the wall and crashed my nose. Bleeding all over the pool of course.....

Nowadays I'm struggling with the one butterfly kick you are supposed to do when initiating the flip turn. Actually I am struggling with all of the flip turn. I am just learning and managed about 3 out of 20 attempts today when I practiced in the kiddie pool. hee hee I was there splashing around, 8.30 am and the 2 old grannies who breast stroked there were getting annoyed.

Sorry granny: it's called a l-e-a-r-n-i-n-g pool and that's what I am doing. It ain't a "not trying to get my hair wet pool for 2"....

[KSH]

WOW! That is a huge accomplishment! Seriously. To not come from a compeitive swimming background and to pick up the butterfly. VERY hard to do!

Here is my butterfly history:

I swam competitively in HS. Started my Sophmore year (our HS was 4 years), or my 2nd year at HS (swam the summer team before that).

So... for my 2nd and 3rd year, I did distance. In HS, distance was 500 yards. I also did the 200 free, and 100 free relay team. Not much else.

Come my 4th year was I BORED with swimming the same events. Sick of distance. Silly me... ok, really stupid me, figured I would maybe fail 1 class so I could "sit out" 6 weeks on my swim team.

Coach found out because I made a joke to my teammates... and I got punished.

First I had to swim in FULL sweats, yes, top with a hood and bottoms... and then when that 6 weeks was up... I had to swim the following events:

100 butterfly
200 IM (back, butter, breast free)
50 butterfly
100 back

To name a few. Let's just say was was PATHETIC! I honestly got creamed on every butterfly event. It was so sad. Yea, the one time in 3 years my Dad decides to come to a swim meet... I'm swimming the butterfly. I sucked.

Ok, that was a long story.

Anyhoo, congrats! Yea, these days I'll swim butterfly on occasion, just to keep my skills up.

[Skeezix]

KSH oh my god, that all butterfly practice in sweats must of been awful!

Wahinegood job on the butterfly! It's is what I consider the hardest stroke to swim since getting the rhythem between your upper body and lower body right.

[HappyAnika]

Congrats Wahine, it's fun to learn something new. And rewarding to learn something that difficult!

KSH, your story cracked me up!

[Wahine]

Alpine - Ouch ouch ouch. You poor thing.

KSH - Wow. That is cruelty in my book. I'm surprised that you ever got back into the pool after that.

Thanks for the support crew.

[KSH]

Hee-hee... I should add that I only swam free in the full sweat suit.

In competition I got to wear a bathing suit... but I still did the butterfly. HA!