SWIMMING 101

So to begin my swim training, I thought I would just start going to the pool and start swimming. My wonderfully smart boyfriend however, told me that I should get a coach right away so that I don't spend any time swimming with a funky stroke.

I took his advice and looked for a coach.

There are some seriously expensive coaches out there. And they don't take Reese's as payment. So I was really excited when I found that the pool at the local community college has instructors there every week. And they don't charge an arm and a leg (They're smart see? Charge an arm and a leg and it makes it harder to swim.)

So I went for the first time last week.

I know how to swim.

I have spent almost my entire life around water. I was lucky enough as a kid to have a family vacation home on a lake. We would spend almost every hour of every summer day in the water. We would swim up and down the channel, messing around, having fun.

I know how to swim.

I haven't, as far as I can remember, though, worn a swim cap. Or goggles. I don't think that was too obvious though. I only had the goggles boing off my head and hang from my ear once...ok twice but no one saw the first one!

I know how to swim.

So I strut out of the locker rooms, thinking that this was going to be easy. Swim off the cobwebs, have the coach tweak my stroke a bit and I'd be off to the races.

You know, because I know how to swim.

The coach, Misael, tells us to warm up with 200. For those of you who don't know, that's 8 laps. Awesome! I jump in and 2 things happen. (NO...I did not sink!)

1. Shock, by how MUCH colder the water was than expected, and
2. Pain, because my toe starts to sting and throb.

You see, the toe nail that turned black and yucky while I was training for the marathons is THIS close to coming off. It was hanging on by just a big enough thread that it hurt every time something rubbed my toe the wrong way. I was afraid to just rip it off because, well, it hurt! It has been hanging around now for about 2 months. When I jumped in the pool, the chlorine oozed under the nail and hurt like a you know what.

So visibly cold and silently in pain, I pull my goggles over my eyes and start swimming. And I swim...and I swim. And I am winded half way through. Of course, you say. Swimming 4 laps would make most people tired. No. I'M TALKIN' THE FIRST LAP! You want me to do HOW MANY? For a warm up?

Crud. This is gonna be harder than I thought.

But I am going to learn from the beginning and get it right.

They broke us into 2 groups. So that they could work with us beginners away from the people who knew what they were doing.

For almost the entire class, Misael had us do kicking drills. Nice. Slow. Fast. Big leg. From the knee. It was very helpful. I was the fastest.

I was the best of the worst! YEEE HAAAWWWW!

And my toe really stung.

When the class was over I got out of the pool, freezing, and ran for my towel. My toe was really stinging!! I looked down at my toe nail and realized that my superior kicking skills ripped that bad boy right off! No wonder it was hurting so bad. It was now somewhere...in the pool.

EEEWWWWWWWWWWW!

Be well everyone!

Peace out