learn to swim

...but at least i can tread, and i pretty much learned 3 of the 4 strokes, and i’m not completely terrified to be in the water anymore. i would say i accomplished what i set out to do, and that’s a very good thing.

i’m movin’ up to the intermediate this semester. i think i’m going to take three more sessions, which will take me through to the end of the academic semester, so i’ll wrap up swimming and my master’s within a week of each other. even though i have a ways to go in terms of breathing strength and comfort level in the water, i’m going to keep at it, and enjoy it for the low-impact exercise it gets me.

my latest session wrapped up last week, and believe it or not, i think i’m going to keep taking lessons! i’m surprised at what good exercise swimming is, and i feel like i’m only getting better at it, so why not? i feel pretty good, better anyway, i think i’m toning up a bit, too. this has turned out so much better than i ever imagined it would.

so well, in fact, that i decided to sign up for the class again! the first four-week session ended a week or ago, and i thought i was really just getting started, so i signed up again. i wanted to go to the next level, but the class conflicted with my accounting class, so i just retook the beginner level. my classmates have been at all different levels, so it really wasn’t that big of a deal.

i’ve got the backstroke down to a T (my instructor even said my technique was “excellent.”) and i’m getting better at the freestyle with my face in the water. still need some help in the treading department. tried the breast stroke last time and i was actually getting the hang of it.

yay! if all goes well, i think i’ll do intermediate in the spring. i can’t believe i’m saying that. i’ll probably wait a few more weeks to mark this done, even though i have made huge progress in just a month. gotta keep striving…

and it didn’t go too badly. i felt like i was fairly relaxed and open-minded about the whole thing and i definitely learned some stuff: treading, flutter kick, some arm positions. it’s going to be a long four weeks until i’m done, but despite the nerves and butterflies i was feeling yesterday that made me think the whole thing was a mistake, i think the whole thing will be worth it. in fact, i’m looking forward to going out west with my girlfriends next year and showing off my new skills!

i’m a little freaked out. i still need to get a proper swimming suit, too. i’m really hoping this is going to go well and nothing terrible is going to happen that is going to make me more afraid of the water than i already am. wish me luck…

it starts on oct 17, meets twice a week for an hour and 15 for four weeks. wish me luck. i really don’t want to drown.

and there was a coupon for $5 off any “aquatic program” at the natatorium at iupui, where i’m getting my master’s degree from. they have a beginners’ class that meets on tuesdays and thursdays that starts after my 1.5 credit hour class is done for the semester. i think i should just suck it up and do it. for the longest time, i thought i wanted to do private lessons at the Y, but they would be way more expensive, and i think it might be good to have the moral support of other folks who are trying to learn, too.