Splash!

Hurrah, back in the pool after quite a few weeks off with injury and illness. 

Just like starting all over again, again, again.

A couple of splutters underwater at the deep end, I am well out of practice. 

So tonight did some floating, getting my face back in the water. One of the girls told me just to put my face in the water, not my whole head. Apparently that's what I was doing. You should wear the water like a mask, not a helmet! Brilliant. I consciously tried to do just that. I also learnt that eyes should be looking forward, not down when in the water. So that's 2 things I learnt tonight that I did not know before. Makes sense if you think about it. 

So I need to try and put that into practice. 

To be honest if left to my own devices I would have just practiced that for the whole hour but teacher kept up a brisk pace tonight for us, constantly trying out new things on us. It was all just to fast for me but the other 4 girls could just about keep up. We all tried, which was good. 

The things we tried was holding float with one hand and trying to do some strokes with the other hand. Then change over. I was useless with the left arm. There were other various things like that but to be honest it was going to fast for me and I can't even remember now. 

Biggest change tonight though was instead of getting a float and stepping out 1 then 2 then 3 lanes from the side and float/flapping back in I decided to kick off from the side and head across the pool, I just did it and guess what? I didn't drown. I may have stopped 3 times on the way across and stood up but that's OK. Very pleased with that. I got tired half way through though and it was quite hard work towards the end. 

So still need more time to practice before I dare take away my comfort float.

However I have learnt a couple of things about head in the water and I have turned round and headed out instead of in. That may be all but it's this weeks' step forward. O and remember to just breath normally.

More pool time is needed. Christmas is coming.

Pip pip.

Nothing to report:

Just a quick note to say nothing to report here. As it is Scotland in summer it inevitably rained for a whole month last Wednesday so I didn't make it to the outdoor Ceilidh and then on Thursday I uncharacteristically ate some skanky junk food from a greasy cafe. I suffered, alot. 

24 hours of pain and vomiting and 4 days in bed. Great! I even missed a performance, at the festival, by the Edinburgh Sitar Project  http://www.tablaalba.org/  Gutted! The next thing i'm going to do after I nail this swimming lark is join these guys. They rawk! Looking on the bright side, though, I got 2 days off work and I lost 5 lbs. Spiderman was not very well last week either, he was sick on Tuesday and Thursday so poor Spidermummy had quite a few days. Bless her.

Tomorrow will be 4 weeks since injury number 1 and I will be going out for my first jog. Should be interesting. 

On Sunday there is a great event in Edinburgh. Check dis!

http://www.edinburghrunningnetwork.co.uk/2ndAnnualERNLPRace.htm

An interesting afternoon is guaranteed, including a cake baking competition! Here are a few prize photos from last years race.

Hopefully I can win myself some crappy old lp too. However I intend just taking it easy and enjoying the experience. 33 1/3 minutes of running after 4 weeks off will no doubt be a small challenge. 

I have been checking out Barefish.com.au very interesting and quite informative. The advice would appear to be slow down, don't rush, listen to your senses. Your mind knows what to do, let your body do it. Interesting. It's hard to slow down when you are desperate to learn but there must be something in it as I have been in a massive rush and have got nowhere thus far. Paralysis by analysis. Groovy man!

OK I'm off to listen to the rhythm of the rain on the conservatory roof. Hopefully next week I should be back on that, err horse?

Busy week. Sunday LP run. Monday Ravi Shankar at the Edinburgh Festival. Tuesday running with the Jolly Joggers. Wednesday Swim club. Thursday Jolly Jogging again. Friday. Night off. Phew!

Pip pip!

week 10:

It is now 10 weeks after lessons began. I stupidly thought I would be swimming upstream like a salmon by now however things have not quite turned out the way I had hoped.

There are many times a chap like me would normally have just given up and walked away. Many times. 

There have been problems but compared to some people who have real problems they are just tiny little microscopic hic-ups. Nothing really.

I feel that I have changed tracks and now I am on the right one and I will get there in my own time. Success is always just around the corner.

I am nursing 2 injuries at the moment, one on each leg and haven't been for a run for nearly 2 weeks and decided to have another night off from the pool just so I can heal properly. Not running is annoying, especially as the weather has been just perfect.

Next week, I have just found out, is the last of the summer ceilidhs in the courtyard of Linlithgow Palace, just up the road. I would love to go but it's on swim night. So I may have another week off and start again again in 2.

Will see how I feel/heal next week. Meantime here is a few great pics of the ceilidh:

Here's the website: http://www.scotchhop.co.uk/