Back to Swimming at YWCA

I can't believe it's almost a year now since I last dipped in a pool. That was sometime in May of last year when we finished our basic swimming lessons at YWCA.  Last Saturday, we put ourselves to the test, to see if we still know how to swim.  We got there at past 2pm and the pool was deserted.  So it was just the two of us, me and Cecil who would be using the entire pool.  The good thing is no one's going to see us if we made a fool of ourselves.  The bad thing is, since both of us are newbies in swimming, the other one can't save the other when one drowns (lol!).  We each made boundaries for ourselves, never to go in the deep part, or if we dare, we should never let go of the gutter.  

And so, we went down on the pool.  Arrggghhhhhh!!! Nah we didn't drown hahaha!  It was freakin' cold!  How could that be when the sun was shining despite the cloudy skies?  Oh well, what's a little chill anyway.  The biggest hurdle is actually for me to submerge my head in the water.  It took me a while before I let go of the pool gutter.  I had to remember how to float and from floating position, how to stand up again.  That was critical to me or else, I will be flailing wildly even in shallow waters.  When I was confident enough, I let go.

Weeee!  I can still float hahaha!  I tried the back stroke because that was the easiest.  Hmmm, so far, so good.  Now for the flutter kick/ free style.  I started in the middle part and I paddled my way to the side.  Alright, whatever skill I had before, I still have them intact after all.  I think my arms are even stronger in breaking through the water's resistance and I don't forget the flutter kick anymore.  I suppose I am now better with arms-feet coordination.  

Next, I tried the breast stroke and frog kick combination.  It's a slower, less powerful swimming style so naturally, I wasn't able to reach the other side.  That's because I ran out of air.  Yes, I still don't know the breathing part but I'll get there.

All in all, my swimming skills are basically the same but better with movement coordination.  And once I'm in the water, I no longer have the jitters.  I didn't even have belly cramps that I now associate with too much tension.  I guess the key is relaxing and doing things on my own pacing.

Selfies on the pool  :-)

I still have a long way to go and I just remembered that I still don't know how to tread (vertical floating in deep waters) so that's one thing I still need to hurdle besides the breathing part.

Time for more practice...and a new pair of goggles since I broke the strap of that one I was using last time.  I had to swim with eyes closed for the remainder of our practice time.  Still, it was fun and very happy that my lessons last year were not a waste of time and money.  

I think I have already conquered most of my fear in swimming.  That alone is a big leap for me.