Today i went for my first swim lesson. I know what you're thinking."Karen can't swim? How the hell does she do tris?" or "Then how did your shoulders grow so wide?"
The former i can answer. Contrary to popular belief (assuming majority think i am some hyped up obsessed triathlete) i actually really suck at swimming. And i have never done an Olympic Distance triathlon. I have been a sprint triathlete since last year. I never swam more than 500m, and that i complete with breaststroke only. But not for long. For i am aiming to do an OD in July during the PD triathlon. :)
The latter, unfortunately, I'm just as clueless. I have been mistaken countless of times to be a swimmer and it is achingly embarrassing when I say I can't swim for nuts. I'd like to believe I was born with broad shoulders. But i think the occassional rock climbing and the throws and leaps i've done in my past gymnastics live have contributed to it. Some people think it's nice, some people (namely myself) think it looks like a piece of ply wood. But owell...:)
Anyway, back to my first lesson. I'm taking a stroke correction course. My instructor is May Ang. And today, for 60 minutes, I kicked and kicked and kicked like i've never kicked before. I kicked with a kick board. I kicked while holding the wall. I kicked while swimming with only one arm. and i kicked while twisting my head above the water every 5 seconds. I swear my legs are so sore i feel like i've just run 21 kms.
But i think i've learnt to stick to my streamline now. May didnt really say anything. But I'd like to believe I've improved quite a bit for my first 60 minutes. Because I can now MOVE when i splutter around in the water. I used to make tidal waves without moving an inch.
So 1 lesson down, 11 more to go. I'm on my way to claiming myself as a triathlete!
p/s: with this one lesson, i am going to do a 1000m swim in Bt Merah this saturday. God bless my legs. =)
8 comments:
Wah 'streamline', such technical term hahah. Okaylah, cukup already. Now must rest. Remember you doing two races back to back, Saturday and Sunday. All the best and have fun!
all the best in bkt merah yeah... swim and run fast fast k...
hi galnexdor. i have just learnt to swim front crawl. instructor #1 made me do kicking drills ONLY for 4 x 1 hrs. instructor #2 (peh gin hai - VERY good instructor) taught me the whole stroke/technique in 2 x 1hrs. in triathlon, kicking is less important - speak to your instructor - maybe shouldn't spend so much time kicking! most power comes from upper body + arms, legs not so important. good luck in B Merah. I am doing the biathlon on saturday.
yeah why u go for lessons also never tell me...... i would have taught u for free.... hehehehe... but u wont get the correct strokes lah.....
kor: she say streamline ma...so i say streamline also...=) yup will do...i just hope i dont lose steam after the 1000m swim...
sgloong: ahaha...you didnt offer earlier...haih....see u at bt merah!
adrian: hello...yea i think the kicking is not as important, but my kicking is far too weak i guess...i'll see u bt merah...if you overtake me during the swim, dont say hi...haha...:)
I have drank gallon of water just to relearn freestyle. My swimming coach use to say, if you run regularly, swimming should not be a problem. Training must be tough, or else you can do it by yourself. Most probably, it will be slacking by the pool side...:(
hey k, if anyone cant swim, its gotta be me! honest, did OD swim yesterday in 1:32, obviously dead last out of water ... try beating that snail pace, LOL! more seriously, adrian, how do i contact your swim instructor pls, i really need to learn how to swim. thx in advance!
i think i beter comsider taking up swimmng lesson also la...
nanti eugene will shout at me and say
"stupe this is a race, not simulation, push!"
LOL.
u did well in Red Hill!
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