LosingIrene  

I am not a trained swimmer. Although I have been swimming since I was about 2 months old, when my mother would take me to Coney Island and toss me in the water, I have never taken a swimming lesson.But I have loved the water my entire life.

Here ins Queens, I have limited access to pools. The only ones I go to are at the Bally’s gym and both are about 15 yards. So, it’s difficult to truly measure my distance and speed. However, today I was determined to swim freestyle laps for 20 solid minutes and I did so successfully.

I came to a realization the other day. If I breathe more, I get tired a lot less. See, since I am not trained in proper competitive swimming techniques, I have never learned to dive, turn, or breath properly. Usually, I hold my breath as long as possible, hoping I can make it to the end of the pool. But today I found was not only slowing me down, but it took all of my energy concentrating on when I can breathe next.So I tried the side breathing with every 2 right arms. This changed so much for me. Instead of waiting to inhale, I was able to focus on my form - which you can guess, is pretty bad.

So that was a big plus for me. I am hoping that during my next swim on Friday, I will be able to continue to improve my my breathing.

I also stopped by The Sports Authority and bought a new Speedo swimsuit. It’s the East Meets West Flyback Competition Training suit. It was on clearance - only $54. It is, however, one size smaller than I am wearing today. I am still losing weight so I figure by the end of October, I will be able to wear it comfortably.

The next thing I may want to do is buy a competititve swimming DVD that teaches proper technique. (Anyone have any suggestions?) I have a long time (almost 10 months) until my very first triathlon so there is a lot of opportunity to make mysef a real competitor.

This week I need to try to find a road bike so I can begin my biking training. But that’s a whole new post.

Bye for now!

-Irene