Master's Swim for Dummies

 

  I finally tried the masters swim class at my local YMCA.  It was no joke!  After overcoming my fear of the old guys (70+) trying to talk to me and get me to share their lane and the lifeguard warning me that the slow lane was occupied by a really slow swimmer, I decided to jump in at the urging of the Firefighter.
     The really slow swimmer was an older guy (60+).  I found out quickly that I was much slower than the advertised really slow swimmer.  He did have on fins, so maybe I wasn't that bad (actually I was that bad), I was so slow.  At least the Firefighter was nice enough to join me in the lane.  They both lapped me several times.  It was embarrassing, but I did finish part of the workout.
     My problem isn't that I am out of shape, I probably could have continued to swim after the hour that I struggled with the workout, my problem is that I don't have good form.  Swimming would probably be a lot easier if I knew what I was doing.  I just swim to get to the end of the lap so that I can pop up and breathe. I didn't do the warm up - that would have killed me, but the actual program for the day was rough.  I only finished 2 of the 5 segments.  Everyone was leaving when I finished segment number 2 and it took me the full hour to swim about a mile.
     Have you ever been to a masters swim workout?  Did you participate in the swim team in your younger years?  I was not on the swim team and I have only worked out in the pool on my own.  Once I tried to learn how to flip at the end of the lane and that was a disaster.  I haven't tried it since.
     One of the best ways to improve is to invest in some coaching - professionals have coaches.  For my wallet, I guess masters swim will have to do for now.
     When do you feel like you can work out with a group and not hold the others back? When do you feel like it is even worth it to get coaching, what level do you feel you need to be at? This could be for running, swimming, biking or even golf or yoga. I felt like I had to get over my embarrassment and my old immature motto in my track days of ABL, 'anything but last'. In the swimming department it looks like I will be last for a while. I just need to stick with it. I know I will improve with consistency, even if I am last.

What's at the end of your rainbow?

It's time to get serious about my next race.  I have started putting on the shoes, the swimming suit and the bike helmet regularly.  The firefighter and I went on a 25 mile bike ride the other day.  It was really nice.  We rode to the Oceanside Harbor.  He commented that I had really 'improved', meaning that I could smoke him on the bike now.  He may remove the 3 baskets that he has on his bike so that he can keep up with me now!  I knew that I wasn't that bad at biking, but now that I have a real bike, I can concentrate on getting better instead of just keeping up.

So what is this about rainbows?  I love rainbows.  They are very rare in Southern California.  Not so rare in Hawaii.  If you have never been, you should go.  The thing that you don't know is that it rains practically every day, but because the sun is also out, it creates rainbows.  My favorite rainbow experience happened when the firefighter and I were in Uruguay.  We stayed at La Sirena.  Awesome place, awesome family that runs it. We actually found the end of a rainbow.  It was fascinating!  I have never actually stood at the end of a rainbow before, so cool.  I didn't find a pot of gold, but I felt at peace and it seemed like such a unique experience.

So what is at the end of your rainbow?  Is it an Olympic gold?  Or is it yummy Jamaican food at the halfway point on a longish bike ride?  Right now, I want to find that Jamaican food on a Sunday afternoon and I want work towards my goal of not finishing last in my next race.