Thursday was another break through swim for me. It is no secret that I have struggled with my kick, and seem to sink like a stone. I have known that very likely, if I could find the absolute perfect alignment and balance, that I could at least address the "sinking" issue. Finally, on Thursday, I think I found the sweet spot. I swam 10 laps with the pull buoy and hand paddles as a warm up. Then, some strange urge made me decide to set aside the pull buoy, which has been my flotation crutch for a year and a half. I have used the wetsuit shorts as a means to keep my hips up and allow me to understand kick mechanics, and this let me learn a proper 2 beat kick, one beat for every arm stroke, but I still wasn't floating on my own. Also, the wetsuit shorts didn't give me the correct alignment because my back would start to ache after a mile or so. Not so very bueno. Anyhoo, back to the sudden urge to go float free. I kept the hand paddles, I didn't want to focus on anything but body alignment and kick. It worked. I am not sure how, or why I could manage to swim lap after lap without any of my previous floaty things, but I did. No, I did not swim fast, I intentionally swam at an easy pace, concentrating only on body alignment and kick. I didn't even count laps. After about 10 laps of swimming with the hand paddles I left them on the pool side and swam free of all accoutrements. I admit, it was not as easy-breezy as swimming with the pull buoy, it takes a lot more focus and concentration, but I know that is a practice issue. I am sure that anyone watching would have likely thought "Geez, she is soooo slow," but in my head I was having a jubilant party. This was such a milestone in my swimming that words cannot express just how fabulous it felt to finally feel like a Real Swimmer. I was absolutely elated! I know it is likely that I will never develop a strong kick, and honestly, I don't need to. As an endurance swimmer, and triathlete, the rule of thumb is that the legs do very little work, and are better left to draft behind the body, lessening drag, and lowering the energy expenditure. This is one reason I have focused so intensely on upper body strength in my swimming: less energy cost, and saving my legs for later in the race. Also, and this has been a justification for me to not have to swim without a flotation aid, is that my wetsuit makes me so buoyant that sinking legs are suddenly a non-issue.
But I want to swim correctly, have good alignment, and a proper 2 beat kick. I always have wanted this, but was just so frustrated at my inability that I took the easy way out. Okay, maybe not easy, since I have spent a lot of hours, and a lot of miles focusing on form, strength, and endurance. Maybe that is just what I needed, the time to develop the other aspects to the point where it all, finally, clicked into place. I know the work is not over, it has barely begun. But now I am really eager to get back to the pool and continue to practice alignment, balance, streamlining, kick, and stroke technique. The best way to be a faster swimmer is to be an efficient swimmer. I am still looking ahead, and fretting a bit, about having to do a 5K swim in under 2-1/2 hours. I know I can do it, but I want to really and truly know I can do it well under the allotted time. That will be a huge stress relief, as well as another milestone. Practice makes perfect.
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