Swimming with an Olympian:
Last Saturday I had the honor to meet and be coached by Sheila Taormina who won a Gold Medal in the 1996 Olympics in the 200 Freestyle Relay. Sometimes an elite athlete is an incredible athlete but not a good coach. Sheila is both. I wasn’t looking for an easy fix. I was looking for someone to tell me what I was doing wrong and what Olympic swimmers do right. Ok, you might think, Patti…there is a HUGE gap between you and an Olympic swimmer. And of course I agree. But they know something I don’t know that I want to know.
I went to the clinic having read Sheila’s book: Call the Suit. It’s a reference to a card game where you get to call the suit or let your opponent do it for you. Sheila said she always calls the suit. Never let your opponent do that for you. In card games, in swimming, and in life. It’s a valuable lesson that I’m ready to apply in my life.
I also went there knowing that my head position, my foot position, my breathing etc etc had little to do with why I wasn’t swimming well. I knew that it was my pull but I just didn’t know how to fix it. Or what it should look like. OR more importantly, what it should FEEL like. Because you can’t really look at yourself while you are swimming. But if you discover what it “feels” like to be swimming with power, with force, with a feel for the water, then you know when you are off or when you are on.
I spent last year in misery when I swam. I hated every single Monday night practice. I even wrote to a sports psychologist when I found myself CRYING on the pool deck after each practice. I wanted to quit. Triathlons were only slightly better because I was anonymous during the swim and people didn’t know me and there was always someone slower than me….and I knew if I could just hold out for the run, I’d be happy.
Then enters INJURY. IT band issues, ankle issues, shin issues. And by the end of last year, I wasn’t allowed to bike or run so I had to swim. And so I began to let go of my frustration with swimming but I wasn’t any better at it. Until that is, Maria Thrash of Dynamo videotaped me and gave me advice on what to do. That was the beginning of me understanding what I was doing wrong.
Sheila’s instruction took it to a whole new level. I have only swam twice since her course on Saturday but I was smiling the entire time I was swimming. Seriously SMILING. Last night when I swam alone, I was humming and singing to myself while swimming I was so happy. There were parts that felt like I had a tailwind like you have on a bike and instead of me pulling through the water, I was being pushed.
You can ask my friend Jeannine, who I told last year that I was ready to quit triathlon, just how miserable I was. I was going to do duathlons. And I’m so happy I held on. I can now feel better that I had to stop running. So I could be a better swimmer. And find something that I love to do so much.
Am I a ton faster? No, I’m slightly faster. But as Sheila says, and as I know in my heart, life happens in very small steps. It’s happens when every single day you work towards a goal. You don’t get to sit back, do nothing, and then take a huge leap. And I’m excited that between now and November 5, I’ll get to take a lot of small steps. In the end, they’ll add up to 2.4 miles of swimming. And you can be certain, I’ll be smiling at the fish in the Gulf of Mexico while I’m taking them.
Patti, I had no idea you felt that way last year. There were times I felt like I wouldn't get any faster and debated showing up Monday nights. I knew running away from the problem wasn't going to help. Instead I spent last summer in my neighborhood pool working as much as possible and trying to get comfortable swimming. It helped a little bit and I got bumped up a lane. Woohoo!
ReplyDeleteThat was a good confidence boost, but it only lasted a short time. The pace got faster and I felt like I was regressing. I think we were swimming that Monday night in our wetsuits and I was struggling, not only with the pace but also with my breathing. Once again I decided I needed more time in the pool and added 2 more days a week.
I'm starting to get more comfortable, but I'm still not a fan of Monday night (kind of). Here's why. I feel that the pace is too fast and puts me outside of my comfort zone. That being said, I always feel like I accomplished something at the end of the workout. What I don't like so much is the focus on speed and less on getting the technique right (although lately there has been more drills incorporated). Of course that's not really the objective on Monday nights. It's also hard for the coaches to focus their attention on an individual when there's such a large group and they're on the pool deck. I don't like the chop generated with a large group, but it also simulates race conditions. So it's a love/hate relationship with Monday nights.
When I swim alone, at my pace, I can concentrate more on my technique. I pay attention to my body position, high elbows, low head, kick, etc., without worrying about a clock or if I'm falling behind (I still throw in some fast laps to keep it interesting). I realized that I was taking these large gasps of air instead of smaller breaths in making my breathing difficult. Now I'm more relaxed. Eventually that will all transfer over to Monday nights and eventually OWS.
You learn a lot about yourself from doing this sport. I've come to realize, I'm not a quitter and if something is difficult, I work harder at it. I'm glad you're smiling now. All of this will pay off for you in Florida!
BTW, here's my blog.
http://atlantatriathlete.blogspot.com/
Love to discuss this more with you Dave when I see you next. You bring up lots of good ideas.
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