My swim journey in 2016!!

Typical eyes after a swim

I finished my last swim training in 2016 today! It was a solid workout and I didn't disappoint myself even though I was swimming in my less favorite swimming pool, and had to share a lane with another swimmer during my timed training. 🙌🙌🙌

My interest in swimming revived after I came back from Hawaii. By then, I had not been in the water, in a swim suit, for at least 4 years!! After surfing, snorkeling, kayaking, and boggie boarding in Hawaii, I decided to incorporate swim into my workout after I came back to Minnesota in December 2015. [Jumping into seawater video]

Attempt 1: I rented a locker in the Spring semester of 2016, and was determined to swim at least once a week to make the rent worthwhile. Due to many internal and external barriers (😈😇), it turned out that I only swam five times the whole spring semester...😂

I identified that some major internal barriers include:
1. feeling lonely and bored (perhaps because I didn't a specific goal in mind? 😴)
2. feeling that my freestyle stroke is not efficient (can be frustrating...😞)

Inspired by a celebrity in Taiwan who does triathlon, by my previous personal trainer in a gym in the Northeast area in Minneapolis, and by triathlete Gwen Jorgensen, I decided to make training for sprint triathlon my goal (or excuse 😂) for learning to swim!!

Attempt 2: I worked with two instructors, one from YWCA Minneapolis and the other from the U, between mid September and mid October. [See Where to learn to swim in Minneapolis here] They were professional and supportive to me. I felt safe and trusted them completely while learning with them! I became committed and found my swim ritual since then. Except during my menstrual period or when I'm very sick, I made a great effort to swim three times a week. 🙌🙌 Since mid September, I have swum for 30 hours and can definitely see my own improvements!! With a big goal in mind, I divide it into small ones and try to reach each of them in my swim practices; my swim workout has never been boring thereafter.

🌟🌟Something to share:⭐⭐
1. Stages of my learning process:
In addition to learning to swim freestyle properly, I also started learning some basic techniques to get myself used to being in the water. It could be scary when practicing it by myself. So I always made sure that I performed each new technique several times until I got to a comfortable level when learning from my instructor so that I could be confident to practice it myself after class.

I then gradually transitioned to focusing on practicing drills to swim freestyle effectively. I focus on improving one aspect in one swim workout and move onto the next one when I feel I can perform >90% well. For example, (a) body rotation, (b) stroke with elbow high, (c) stroke rhythm, (d) kicking rhythm, (e) breathing rhythm, (f) breathing on my left, and etc. This way, it not only gives me structured physical challenges in my training, also it adds on the mental challenge that in turn strengthens my mental power.

2. Practicing drills are important and beneficial:
In December, I started to do timed-trainings for my Tri-U-Mah swim race (the goals are to get familiar with this indoor tri, and conquer myself!). I incorporated necessary drill practices during my warm-up swim and after my timed training. The drills I found especially useful for me during this time include single arm drills, bilateral breathing, and shark fin drill.

3. Take note after each swim workout:
I have built a habit of writing down my actual swim items, three good things I have performed, and three aspects I need to improve after my swim. These then guide me toward how I want my next training workout to be, and keep me on track about where I am now.

Overall, it has been an amazing swim season for me. Through the struggles and challenges, I have found myself more committed and courageous than before. Hope that I will carry these energies forward to 2017 and make committed efforts to attain my goals! 😚😊

✨✨What are the challenges you set to yourself for 2017? ✨✨