I was fortunate enough to have my mother doing ‘learn-to-swim’ classes when I was a toddler in a 25m pool built at our back door in that I could swim the four strokes by age five
to my best memory. Fortunate in that I’ve watched many a friend and foe fight to attain what seems to be a mythical illusion of achieving swimming competence later in life.
Seemingly there’s a window of opportunity as a child to teenager to start swimming and if missed, eternal swimming doom ensues. That said, some just are more natural swimmers than others, and as per any fictitious athletic law, there will always be the freaks of nature who defy them. With swimming, there just seem to be too many of the law defying laws that apply. They fascinate me, haunt me, and torment me.
More oft than not I’m on the wrong side of these laws.
How can it be that a ten year old girl with little physical strength and less surface area to propel with can swim twice my speed? Or how can it be that an ex-pro swimmer never seems to loose that rainbow pot of gold ability to glide through the water many strive for but never touch? Or why do guys training for a 21second swim event spend 4 hours plus in the water per day? Laws that contradict regular sports codes.
(Swimming at the Coetzenburg pool in Stellenbosch – 33.3m outdoor pool)
I’ve been trying to alter my technique of late, so been mumbling over these thoughts while slugging up and down the ever constant never changing tiles. That small measure of negativity is but a drop in the pool compared to where my swimming emotions were at not so long ago. I didnt want to go the pool, getting in was a battle. Joining the morning squad at 5:15am seemed cold, dark and depressing. Not what I’d signed up for at least. After taking a step back from the squad, and joining some foreign athletes over lunch hours in the outdoor pool, my swimming enjoyment seems revived.
On the technique side, I’d like to test a process of mass collaboration originating from thoughts after reading portions of Wikinomics – a book on the new possibilities through the internet. I want to post a series of video clips, as well as video analysis, of my swim stroke, and ask for any and all input. It would be an interesting experiment if nothing else. (its what I should have done with my back alignment at least, as I’m sure someone would have suggested checking the cleats before I did.)
One of the laws I’ve been fascinated by in the pool, seems to be the plateau one hits in swimming progression. Nothing linear. There’s a series of progress and stagnation, progress and stagnation. Always. I love the moments of breakthrough, however few and far between. I am in one such at the moment, rattling off sets I thought beyond reach just yesterday.
Swimming in Xterra context is a discussion on its own. Swimming definitely takes third priority behind biking and running, unlike ITU where making front pack is be all and end all. But then an Xterra triathlon can be seen as a solo time trial of sorts, and a minute gained in the water is a minute gained. From this the question asked at what cost? If I doubled my time in the water, which still wouldnt rock any boats, I’d be marginally quicker, at the cost of energy investment on the bike and run. I’ve watched lads doing double swims, ie, a swim in the morning and afternoon as well as bikes and runs, in an attempt to lift their swimming – but is time in the water the only factor?
Conrad Stoltz has an interesting view on his personal swim training and places most emphasis on technique. Technique, technique, and more technique. Plenty drills and time spent ‘feeling’ the water. And it works for him. Perhaps one harder swim in the week. At three time Xterra World Champion – one cant argue against it. Although I view his stance extreme, there is value in taking note: More is not always better.
Thank goodness I started young. Or my mother started me young, as I’m no fish in water – but despite that – I feel I’m still learning to swim.
Anyhow. I’ll hopefully continue on the momentary progress, keeping up the tan with lunch time swims, and soon ask for your input on my technique…
