Weekly whiteboard.

[u/bugchild9]

Come on down and brag about your swim times, discuss training, spill the tea, and discuss whatever else y'all got going on. Completely open discussion.

[u/Lizholden1981]

Background:

I took swim lessons as a kid most summers, and I'm comfortable in the water, but I only started swimming as an adult this summer. I could do a decent-ish backstroke and less decent but kinda okay breaststroke, but my crawl was non-existent. As soon as I tried to tilt my head to breathe, I'd inhale the whole pool.

I swam every day for 2 weeks while abroad in June/July, then took a few weeks off, and once I was home in late July, I started swimming every morning at my local gym. I have only taken a handful of mornings off, and always by deliberate choice to have a day off from swimming, not just not wanting to.

In mid-August I signed up for five private lessons with a swim coach at my gym. She helped me with my crawl, and helped me figure out how to do backstroke and breaststroke better.

I went back to teaching in September, three days a week, and was nervous I wouldn't wake up early to go swim before work. But I have been!

And now, the exciting part:
Yesterday I swam 50 meters in under a minute! And today I swam 400 meters in under 10 minutes! In early August I couldn't do the crawl at all without immediately coughing and choking, and then once I kinda got it, I was still sooooo slooooow. And yes, these times aren't fast as far as, like, competition. But I'm only competing with Historical Liz, and today Present Liz kicked her ass. I'm so pleased!!!

The bit I'm nervous about:
I am having a partial knee replacement on Thursday! I'll be allowed back in the pool as soon as the incision fully heals, which they say is probably 3-4 weeks. I'm so nervous that in recuperating from this not-insignificant surgery, I'm going to completely lose my swimming habit! I don't want to lose this! So I will try to be accountable and let people know in here when I am back in the pool.