Freestyle

As many of you know, I've been my own swim coach. Utilizing training fins and several drills, I've made a lot of progress so far in the water. I went from fighting for air and wearing myself out to getting comfortable and actually swimming in the water. My recent pool sessions have been good, but I kind of hit a wall. My drills would go well, but when I finally wanted to swim a few lengths, I would still get tired or have to stop after 25-50 meters. I started re-thinking it today and just decided to not use the same constant arm motion that I thought I was "supposed" to use. I thought, "I just have to be comfortable" and go at my own breathing pace. I began slowing my strokes and counting "1-2-3-4" while exhaling, then taking a stroke and an inhale. Also, I slowed my kicking down, and the combination seemed to keep me moving at a steady and reasonable pace. I felt I was at a comfortable cardio pace and was able to complete 150 meters without taking a break! Wow, I felt great! So if you are swimming, or learning a slew of other skills, for that matter, sometimes it helps to do what works for you. This may mean that you don't do it exactly like everyone else, but if it helps you, then work on it, and develop your own "freestyle". Have a great day, everyone, and thanks for reading!