Wetsuit?

    Last night's swim lesson went well, gaining praise from Attila The Yoda on my improvements. But she and the lifeguard on duty both noted my serious lack of buoyancy. I do not float. I expend a ridiculous amount of energy in my swim just remaining near the surface and oxygen. In my very first lesson I told Attila The Yoda that I did not float, and my flutter kick did not propel me through the water, at all, and I could actually move easier backwards than forward with a flutter kick. She did not believe me, then. She believes me now. Even the lifeguard was more than a little boggled by my flutter kicking ineptitude. None of us can figure out why it does not move me forward. According to my experts I have "good form." Apparently that counts for exactly Jack in my case. My scissor kick, on the other hand, is amazingly powerful, and will be my default kick when I swim open water. For now I consider the flutter kick just another good cardio workout.
    As to the buoyancy issue, or lack of buoyancy issue, I think I need to invest in a wetsuit. The main benefit of a wetsuit in triathlon is the fact that they add enough buoyancy that you can use all your energy for moving forward, not wasting it on the triviality of not sinking to the bottom. And drowning. Another factor of the wetsuit, or a potential factor, is that it may have the secure feeling of my motorcycle leathers, giving me the sense of being armored against those imagined nasties lurking in the murky water awaiting their chance to drag me into the weeds and suck the flesh from my bones. So, flotation and security. I think that will be well worth a little cash outlay. Now, since I am basically broke, I am haunting Craigslist hoping to come across the perfect tri wetsuit for a few sheckels. As tempted as I am to get out the Visa card and charge it, I will not. I am trying to not acquire any more debt. But then it does come back to the flotation and security aspect of a suit. I am sure part of my Labor Day festivities will include bombing around the Portland area hunting for a cheap suit.
    On the plus side. I feel my swim stroke is improving with every session in the water. Longer, more precise, less exerting, more relaxed. But there is so much room for improvement. So I will keep swimming. I will swim until I am a Machine. A Perpetual Motion Machine, that can stroke through meter after meter, either in the pool or in open water. I will do this. I will succeed.