 |
| (Source) |
So, I lived to write about my first day at swimming lessons. I must admit, I am still having some anxieties just thinking about attending my 2nd day in swim class, knowing that my instructor wouldn't just let me stay in my comfort zone right at the pool gutter for the whole duration of the lessons. Like I said, it's a mental battle for me. A good way to prepare myself is by visualizing what I'll be doing next, but simply thinking about it sets my heart racing lol! There's no escaping the inevitable and I have to eventually let go of one of my safety nets.
Day 2: Treading the Waters
I'm the kind of student who likes a good balance between being supervised and being left on my own to figure things out. So when my instructor went to do something, I practiced floating once, twice and to hell with the gutter, I let go, even pushing away with my finger tips. It's still somewhat scary for me, floating "helpless" but I have a little confidence knowing that at the slightest sign of trouble, I only need to remember to stand up. I still have one safety net left hehehe.
My instructor came back shortly and saw that I was floating considerably farther from the edge (no she didn't jump in the pool to rescue me lol!). When I got up, she told me to walk back a few steps then try to float without assistance from the gutter. I was supposed to tread my way back to the gutter doing scissor movements with my legs, moving them up and down alternately and starting at the middle of the pool. I had to repeat what she said, not because I didn't understand. Fear was creeping up on me as usual, so it's a delaying tactic on my part as I try to gather my wits. But like what I did with pushing away from the edge, how bad could it be going back to the much loved gutter? I did that several times that I feel I should have a star stamped on my arm like a kindergarten kid doing great at school.
The real test for the day is for me to turn my back from the pool edge, kick it with my right leg and tread my way to the other side. I wasn't successful the first try because I couldn't hold my breath any longer and had to stop just a few more strokes to the other side. She just told me to continue until I get to my destination and do that over and over for the rest of the session. Again, she attended to the other students, leaving me to practice. Well, she's not that far away so I could just yell for help if I need to hehehe.
Wow! I am really making progress here. From a complete nerve-wreck when it comes to having my head submerged in water, I'm now just a slightly hesitant floater-treader. Not bad huh? The fear didn't just dissipate in a snap though. It's a conscious effort on my part to actually decide to just do what was asked and to smother the fear.
I enjoyed Day 2 much better because of the freedom and gradual build-up of confidence I felt around the water. It was just a bummer that I had to stop lots of times to rest at the pool side and stretch or try to compress my abdomen. I don't know why I feel abdominal pains but only when I am not swimming. The feeling is like I have done around 50 sit-ups or crunches. It's that painful but once the pain subsides a bit, I tread the waters again.
At some point, the pain worried me because my instructor couldn't enlighten me on that. She just assumed that I was still tensed or maybe it's the leg work that's also working out my core. I only know it's not my nerves acting up. I always like to know what's going on with me so I will also know how to prevent that from recurring on my next session. I found some answers that I will test next time I'm in the pool.
If you've experience upper abdominal tension or cramping when swimming, these links might enlighten you:
- Aerophagia: Swallowing Air While Swimming
- Abdominal Distention After Swimming (read the comment by Star Queen)
In this series:
