Look at those HUGE goggles!!!In a further attempt to get back to things I once loved, I decided to start swimming again. It has been awhile since I wore the racing suit, goggles and swim cap, but I figured I'd do as well as I usually do after a break from the sport. Well, not this time.
Generally, if I haven't gone swimming for months or even over a year, I have no problem getting in the pool and leisurely swimming a 100 yard length as a "stretch/warm up." This time I had a hard time doing a 50! But I carried on and was able to do about 1,000 yards altogether-in 50 yard incriments. Just to illustrate how I felt today, go to this link: http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/funnyblog/1281162?c=3
Back in high school, it was a different story: I was in shape and was quickly conditioned for "swim shape." I started out in lane 7 during practices when I first joined Banning High School's swim team, coached at the time by Mr. Ambrossi. Lane 1 was for the fastest swimmers, usually juniors and seniors and each lane after that was for the slower and slower swimmers. Because I was a sophomore, I was assigned lane 7.
We all swam circle patterns, counterclockwise swimming in the lane. We were separated by 5 second intervals. Soon, as in maybe two days later, my competitive nature came to the surface (ahem!) and I was passing people in my lane. This can be difficult considering the timing to pass someone and not collide with someone swimming in the opposite direction. This need for speed built up my endurance and I was soon moved to lane 6. Then lane 5, 4, well, you get the picture. I made it to lane 1 before our first meet and was able to meet the fast swimmers. That's when they introduced me to the butterfly stroke.
I had never done it before, but the dolphin kick and timing was taught to me and I was never the same. It became "my" stroke, along with freestyle, the old standard. I did the 50 yard butterfly that year and Mr. Ambrossi had me do the 100 yards by the end of the season, even though I didn't think I was ready. Because we were a small team, I competed in an average of 7 races each meet--Michael Phelps eat your heart out!
Mr. Ambrossi was a great coach--he pushed us hard and that leadership led many of us to make it to league finals. I was able to get a medal in the consolation heat...someday I'll try to dig it out of my parent's house.
I really love swimming and remembered how hard I worked, so I figured why am I not doing it now? So, I'm going to swim on a regular basis and get back into swimming shape. Who knows--maybe I'll join a masters swimming group and compete. Wouldn't that be fun? I'll keep you up to date when I think I'm ready for that step.
Generally, if I haven't gone swimming for months or even over a year, I have no problem getting in the pool and leisurely swimming a 100 yard length as a "stretch/warm up." This time I had a hard time doing a 50! But I carried on and was able to do about 1,000 yards altogether-in 50 yard incriments. Just to illustrate how I felt today, go to this link: http://kr.blog.yahoo.com/funnyblog/1281162?c=3
Back in high school, it was a different story: I was in shape and was quickly conditioned for "swim shape." I started out in lane 7 during practices when I first joined Banning High School's swim team, coached at the time by Mr. Ambrossi. Lane 1 was for the fastest swimmers, usually juniors and seniors and each lane after that was for the slower and slower swimmers. Because I was a sophomore, I was assigned lane 7.
We all swam circle patterns, counterclockwise swimming in the lane. We were separated by 5 second intervals. Soon, as in maybe two days later, my competitive nature came to the surface (ahem!) and I was passing people in my lane. This can be difficult considering the timing to pass someone and not collide with someone swimming in the opposite direction. This need for speed built up my endurance and I was soon moved to lane 6. Then lane 5, 4, well, you get the picture. I made it to lane 1 before our first meet and was able to meet the fast swimmers. That's when they introduced me to the butterfly stroke.
I had never done it before, but the dolphin kick and timing was taught to me and I was never the same. It became "my" stroke, along with freestyle, the old standard. I did the 50 yard butterfly that year and Mr. Ambrossi had me do the 100 yards by the end of the season, even though I didn't think I was ready. Because we were a small team, I competed in an average of 7 races each meet--Michael Phelps eat your heart out!
Mr. Ambrossi was a great coach--he pushed us hard and that leadership led many of us to make it to league finals. I was able to get a medal in the consolation heat...someday I'll try to dig it out of my parent's house.
I really love swimming and remembered how hard I worked, so I figured why am I not doing it now? So, I'm going to swim on a regular basis and get back into swimming shape. Who knows--maybe I'll join a masters swimming group and compete. Wouldn't that be fun? I'll keep you up to date when I think I'm ready for that step.
This is my junior year swim team photo. The coach pictured is Coach Flack, not Ambrossi.
2 comments:
Good for you!!! I was thinking about swimming again myself, but I'm not too sure about the cleanliness of the water down here!!
Yeah, that would be a concern for me too if I lived there!
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