Swimming, Yes!I guess I like swimming the most of the three sports. I feel like a fish in the water. And I love the breathing, breathing, breathing, in and out, in and out. There's an art to it, a calmness, and definitely a technique. I don't know the formal name. I'm sure Leslie Thomas, our head swim coach, could tell me the formal name. Basically, the trick is to breath out while your head is under water, and even to breathe out while you lift your head. And then breathe in while your head is turned to the side. Then the pattern starts again.
About breathing and swimming, our coach last night, Kurt, pushed my conceived boundaries of what I thought I could do in the water. That's what this training is all about!
(Dialogue is recreated from memory. I didn't have a tape record with me!)
"Tonight you'll do an hypoxic drill," Kurt said with a big grin, like it was no brainer what he was talking about.
"What?" I muttered to myself, a little fearful.
"You will breath one less breath per length for six lengths. So the advanced swimmers will swim 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1."
You must be kidding.
He detailed the intermediate breath count which started with seven and went down to two. And then for us beginners, he said the breath count was from eight down to three.
What mumbo jumbo was this? I was scared. I can't breath as I swim across the pool? And because I was scared I was pissed. How dare he take this vital action away from me?
I didn't say anything. Just got into the pool and started the 100-yard warm up. But I was having a hard time. I kept gulping water, and felt exhausted after the first two lengths. And then I decided I should get over it, forget about that future hypoxic drill, and just get into the groove of swimming.
Finally, it came time to do the drill. I was calmer now. I told myself I would just swim the length, 25 yards, and see how I did. So I swam the 25 yards.
And was so surprised. I crossed the pool in only six breaths, easily.
The rest of the drill was fun! It was fun to see that I could cross the pool in four, three, and yes, even two breaths!
Wow! This is why I train. To push my physical limits. To feel empowered by doing what I thought I couldn't do.
To be a powerful woman.
