I am so excited that I am making progress in swimming. Today, for the first time in my life, I swam two whole laps, that is to say, four lengths of the pool. For me the big problem is the rhythm of breathing with the stroke. Today, I was able to approach an easy timing and I was not terrified of being in the deep water. So, I have made huge progress since my first class three years ago.
Although six people are signed up for the class, today I was the only one who came. So I had a whole hour of one on one instruction. This particular instructor is also a musician, so he teaches the rhythm in this way: the feet are the bass line, or perhaps the drums, and the arms have the melody line. Meanwhile, the breathing has its own count, but it is best to coordinate it with the arms. It’s important to relax in the water, just as it is important to relax while singing.
I have also gained in stamina. I can tell because three years ago, I thought an hour was way too long a class! I was exhausted after about 20 minutes, and then sort of stuck it out until the end. Today, I was quite tired at 55 minutes. My teacher said, “We still have five whole minutes!” So, the “stick it out” time has decreased considerably. It’s important to use time wisely, and to meet commitments, no matter how tired we may be.
I spoke to the aquatic director after my class, thanking him for providing classes. “I am so grateful and so excited,” I said, “I am really making progress!”
“Yes!” he said, “I was watching you today.”
There are two more classes in this session, but I will miss the final one because of a trip we are taking. But, I can sign up for the next set. There’s nothing like having a coach and a set time to meet to learn new skills.
An old saying is “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” and people usually say this applying it to people. It’s not true, if the trick is worth learning.