Everyday Systems

Hi, all -- I thought that I would briefly describe what happened to me yesterday. I have been swimming my whole life (I remember my mother teaching me when I was two), and four years ago I learned the methodology of a former West Point coach. His techniques are wonderful, but it does take a lot of time and effort to establish new habits after a lifetime of swimming the Red Cross stroke. There are many parallels to No S. Yesterday I went to a technique clinic so that I could be filmed and see what needs to be improved. There were about ten people there, everyone a triathlete except for me. They all had the same morphology, tall and so slender that they looked like Olive Oyl. I looked huge and wanted to crawl underneath the table where we were sitting, reviewing the videos. All that I could think about was the person who looked like a manatee, me! Thank goodness that I have managed to stay on No S for two months and feel better about myself.

But. . . you still did it! Good for you. It sounds like an awesome thing to do.
Keep smiling. Laff

Hey! Doing Total Immersion?

How do you find it's working out with your technique?

And yeah, sometimes it does take some courage to get in there with the sleek seals. I feel for ya, being a swimmer meeself and of... AMPLE proportions.

Aren't you kind, laff.

Yes, Noel, it is Total Immersion. I am a TI fanatic, I love it. I have had the benefit of two weekend workshops and promise myself a day in New Paltz with Terry . . . sooner rather than later. TI and No S are based on the same principles: balance, reducing drag, long-term commitment, using drills and focus to make something eventually look and feel effortless. Are you a TI swimmer also?

I'm not TI trained, though I've read up on the techniques and try to use them as well as is possible when you're not actually trained! (You would not BELIEVE the flamewars you see on some US Master's swimming boards about the techniques!)

I'm still hung up on getting bilateral breathing down, but I've been told my stroke is "the most graceful in the pool" so I gotta be doing something right!

Yes, I have also spent a lot of time on the Masters boards! I know that a lot of old-timers there resent Terry's success and feel that TI isn't swimming. All that I can really say is that swimming laps indoors was getting to be a bit boring until I started with TI. Now each day in the pool is different because of "mindful swimming." As for bilateral breathing, just take your time and remember to keep the recovering arm (front quadrant) as long as possible.

Thank goodness that I have managed to stay on No S for two months and feel better about myself.

flipturn,
that is cool that you are such a committed swimmer, as to your comment above all I can say is NO S has all sorts of benefits .... they almost seem endless

Blueskighs