A way through the water

It's funny how a person who already knows how to swim, albeit the "wrong" style, yet drink a whole lot of water when she tried to swim the "correct" way. Yes, that person is me :(

I learned to swim back in primary school years. Every Sunday, Father will drive the whole family to Templer's Park, somewhere in KL and give my sister and I swimming lessons. Father is good in swimming, Father is not a qualified swim coach nor had he attend any swimming lessons but he can swim. After don't know how long of Father's coaching, I can swim breaststroke and freestyle (Wikipedia also call it forward crawl).

My definition of "I can swim" means I can move forward in the water using stroke that looks similar to other swimmers. The stroke may not be correct but as long as it looks similar to the correct style, I can move forward and not drown, I was happy (that was last time).

3 years ago when I moved to Penang, I was introduced to PISA swimming pool by Mr. Alex. He was a member of PISA that time and once in awhile, will ask a few of us to swim together. But after awhile, the weekly pool hangout stopped. I guess his membership must have expired :P

Lately, I am back for some swimming workout. If you've been following my blog, you'd have read about my knee pain on a few occasions. Everytime I go to a doctor, they advised me against hiking and running and switch to swimming. So here I am, starting my swimming activity. From the record I have, the last I swim in PISA was back in Aug 2007. Almost 2 years! That's how long I've not been swimming in a pool. Anyway, how long the break doesn't matter because swimming is just like cycling, once you know it, you'll never forget how to do it.

Now that I am back into the pool after such long break, I find that I don't do very good in freestyle. I get really out of breath and really tired with just 50m (half a lap), whereas I can do breaststroke on and on comfortably for at least 10laps. I have since make up my mind to improve my freestyle stroke.

Each time I go for swimming nowadays, I make sure I don't do anything else other than freestyle. Last week during one of my swim day, I shared the same lane with this fast swimmer. He was swimming in a slow and steady stroke and yet moving forward very quickly. We strike up a conversation when both of us stop at the same end, he, finishing his drill and me, catching my breath before continuing.

He was very kind to comment on my stroke and how I should improve my freestyle. He said I was going too fast; fast as in moving my head left, center, left to breath and not as in moving forward quickly. No wonder I felt dizzy due to all the head turning: left, center, left, center...
Another thing is that I tend to breath out only when my head is at the surface. There is just not enough time to breath in and out. The correct way is to breath out in the water then breath in when surface. Other than that, he said I got to keep my head in the water. I must have subconsciously keep my head near to the water surface so that it's easier to breath, that makes it look like my head is floating on the water and it created more water resistance.

After hearing his comments, I get even more motivated to correct my stroke. At least now, I know what is wrong with me. That day, I go back home searching for YouTube video and watch how people swim correctly. Watch, observe and practice. It's all about self-learning ;)

Today is my first swim day after watching YouTube videos. I tried to do what I have observed and try to get it right. The result? I went back home with my stomach full of PISA pool's chlorine water. I don't know how funny I swim that day, I cannot see myself but only able to feel. I still feel something is not right, not sure what though. This session, I manage to slow down the stroke, not dizzy anymore and not struggling to catch my breath at the end of each 50m. That should be a good start I guess...

Hopefully, I don't have to drink too much water before mastering the forward crawl, else you'll see me with a bloated stomach.