Wet Gratitude: Confessions of a Wannable Swimmer, Part 9

The best thing about the Philadelphia FINS Aquatics Club is its wonderful membership. Besides looking amazingly sexy, this is a bunch of fun and social people. We often go out for dinner after practices. We have fun socials. Someone on the team is always inviting others to join them for social events. When we need to get serious, you can't find a more determined group of people. We brought home a few dozen medals from the Chicago Gay Games this summer. We raise money for charities. We are pulling together to organize a memorial celebration for our head coach who recently passed away.
Now you can vote the FINS Swim Team for Philly Gay Calendar Best Sports Team!
Click here to vote
www.phillygaycalendar.com/bestof2006

Flip Turns: Confessions of a Wannable Swimmer; Part 8

Midterm elections and a out-of-town marathon forced me to miss a week of swim practices. I returned to the pool last week and was treated to a lession on flip turns on Tuesday. I struggled. I flipped but I didn't turn. My head got stuck in the water and my feet were up in the air.
The Thursday practice went a lot better for me. Coach T. gave me a personalized workout. I did a lot of 50s with freestyling one way and breaststroking on the way back. I probably swam for about 2,000 yards total. After the workout, Coach T. said that I needed to slow down my strokes and kept on working to breath on my left side.
Now that my fall racing circuit is over I'm hoping to make some Sunday swim practices. I probably will try to swim on my own once a week at my gym.

Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 7

Chicago Gay Games - Opening Ceremony
Originally uploaded by reflexblue.

Concerns for my beloved swim coach's health overshadowed practices the past week. Jim and I are on the steering committee of Team Philadelphia prior to my association with the Philadelphia FINS Aquatics Club. I got to know him more at the Chicago Gay Games this summer.

A New Hope: Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 6

Not exactly a huge break-through I was hoping for, but Thursday 19-October-2006 marked a major milestone. Coach Tom said I looked good doing freestyle! He said it twice during the practice!

I definitely saw the improvement. I nearly kept up with Miss W in my lane. I was almost comfortable breathing under water. I definitely rotated my shoulders and improved my efficiency. I felt great with my arm rotation.

First, I still need to work on pressing my chest down and sticking my ass up. Second, my hip rotation hasn't come naturally yet. Third, I need to learn to breath on the left side so I can alternate.

It took six months for a mini breakthrough, but who keeps score when I'm having fun!

Armpits! Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 5

I keep telling myself that I'm on the verge of a breakthrough, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm still learning the very basic stroking techniques and trying to put them all together. The whole body mechanics still seem unnatural to me as I really have to pay attention to each motion.

Last week, Coach Tom gave me a breathing clinic. Coach Jim this Tuesday tried to get me to press my chest down. On Thursday, Coach Jen wanted me to pull my fingers into my armpits and stick my elbows up the air, glide and pull.

All the coaches are being very helpful. I'm looking forward to my next milestone, which is to be able to swim freestyle 50 yards without hyperventilating.

Photo copyright by Philly Gay Calendar

Hanging Tough: Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 4

I've only gone to swimming practice about once a week for the past six weeks. The main reason is because of my other activities. A contributing factor is that I'm struggling a little bit in the pool. Since my techniques are less than perfect, I move very inefficiently in the water. I can swim a length of a pool, but I need about 20 to 30 seconds before I can swim back.

A coach tried to reduce my idyl time, but I fainted after 75 yards and vomitted in the locker room shortly after I got out of the pool.

I still can't stick my ass up to align my body with the water surface. I still don't rotate my shoulders enough. I still don't lead with my elbows and my arms don't reach out enough. Worst of all, my feet get cramped up during every other practice.

My goal right now is to hang in there, swim twice a week, and stay for the entire 90 minute session.

Ass Up! Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 3

Breaststrokes
Originally uploaded by reflexblue.

I'm still swimming, and slowly improving. I can swim freestyle from one end to the other end of a 25-yard pool, take a 20-second break, and keep going. I do rotate my shoulders and hips, but probably not as much as I should. I can breath on both sides now, which is a new trick I'm very excited about.
One thing that is suprisingly difficult for me to do in the pool is to keep my chest down and my ass up so that my body stays parallel to the water. As I swim, I tell myself "Ass Up!"
I'm still having a lot of fun!

Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer, Part 2

Twenty-five percent of my regular blog readers (1 out of 4) asked me how I was doing with my swimming, after my first swim-related post two weeks ago.

My swimming has improved a little bit the past two weeks. My arms reach. My shoulders rotate. My mouth breathes in when my head comes up.

What I'm still working on: hip rotation, left arm motion, consistent leg motion, and shoulder position.

The coaches and other members of the FINS are incredible supportive. No, I'm not ready for swim meets or triathlons, but I'm having fun knowing that I'm improving.

Confessions of a Wannabe Swimmer

I recently joined the FINS Aquatic Club, which is the Philadelphia's predominantly gay and lesbian masters swim team. As a requirement to join the FINS, I paid a fee to be a member of the United States Masters Swimming (USMS).

While that may sounds like I'm a competitive swimmer, here is the honest truth: I can't swim freestyle from one end of the 25-meter pool to the other. This is my latest personal challenge. My modest goal is to be able to swim freestyle IN GOOD FORM for 25 meters.

While I can do decent breast strokes, I can't seem to swim freestyle to save my life. I've taken lessons several times. I sort of know what to do, but I can't put everything together under water. Everything I do is wrong, including:

• keeping my shouders high, so my feet sink
• my arms don't bend
• my shoulders don't rotate
• my hips don't move
• my arm rotations are not smooth
• my head comes out of the water too high
• my kicks are not wide enough
• my hands stay in the air too long and don't reach to force my body forward

I swim in Lane 6, the slowest lan, and can't even keep up. Sometimes I look over to Lanes 1 and 2 and view competitive swimmers almost as if they were a different species.

I've known the coach and about 10 other swimmers prior to joining the club, so I feel right at home. Everyone is every supportive. If this isn't the perfect environment for me to learn freestyling, nothing else is.

Let's get soaking wet!