So I finally got back to the pool after a short break due to the rainy weather around here. Temperatures(20-23C in the mornings) are not that low to really keep away from the pool, but the swimming season in our apartment is May-June when the schools are closed and it is summer time here. Then everybody disappears till the next season. But I am trying to make it a year long season for me with Terry Laughlin's Easy Freestyle 21st Century Techniques for Beginners to Advanced Swimmers DVD. The pools(two 20m ones) are in great shape and I am the only one who uses it regularly.
The drills in the DVD has changed a lot from Terry's original Total Immersion book, but the philosophy hasn't changed much. The book really helped me understand the basics and made me a TI and Terry fan. So I didn't have to think too much about buying the DVD. And the first day of using these latest techniques is always a challenging one because how you feel on the first day would really make or break your progress. So as usual I spent good amount of time watching the DVD at home(this is really a challenge with a toddler at home) and observing the nuances.
The first lesson is about "Cooperating with Gravity" which gives you techniques to float on water with the least amount of effort. The key takeaway for me was just relax and let the buyoancy do the rest for you. Though the drills are not so unfamiliar except for the last couple are brand new and a bit challenging.
The first thing I noticed was I was getting tensed up at many parts of the body - shoulder and knee specifically. So the first drill, "Superman Glide", was just to relax in water as much as possible. I went up and down the pool with one drill and gradually moved to the more interesting and challenging ones. The basic idea of the drills is to imprint the right techniques by repeatedly doing it. I have to iron out a few rough edges on the last couple of drills, especially the last one where you need to turn your body to breath.
It was unreasonable to expect any immediate impact to my swimming on day one. So I was a bit surprised when I could do a 20m lap of freestyle easily without much struggle breathing bilaterally on every third stroke. Considering the fact that I was swimming after more than couple of months made it even more miraculous. So I did couple more laps and it seemed getting better and better and the last lap was so easy that I didn't realize that I reached the other end breathing bilaterally on every 3rd stroke ! I had never done that before! The only thing I was consciously doing was to relax and not letting the body go tight anywhere. I had to pinch myself to be sure that it wasn't a dream(I was having many after watching the DVDs). It may be a bit too early to declare victory, but having known Terry's philosophy of swimming and teaching, I want to think it to be the "Easy Freestyle" at work!
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