Back in the Pool

It's been nearly 9 months and I finally got signed off by the Physio this week for the shoulder injury sustained in November. Truth be told it's still sore every day and I still have strengthening exercises to perform every day but Physio says its 99.9% there and I have to just keep doing the exercises. Bonkers. I guess it would have been better to break something as that could have been be put back together and would have healed a lot sooner.

Since then I have been unable to perform anything but the very gentlest upper body work outs, or ironing as I like to call it, so I have a wobbly upper half. Nice! I have therefore been doing nothing other than running. Half marathons, hill races, hilly half marathons that sort of thing and 2 weeks ago my first marathon which was quite hilly also. Lovely.

I have also been on a quest to find some sort of decent lessons or teacher. It has taken all this time to actually find something. It is incredible to believe that it could take so long to find something but it has. I can't even remember who it was that finally sorted me out with a teacher as I have rang so many different places and left so many unanswered emails. Last night, in a health club in Edinburgh, I had a 1 on 1 lesson with a nice lady called Naomi.

Keeping it simple and streamlined I wanted to work on Breast stroke, as that to me seems to be less stressfull on the shoulder. We worked on gliding and doing the leg work then gliding and working on the arms. It was surprising how quick the time passed. It is good to find someone who 'gets' where I am and who I feel we are on a similar wavelength. Of course I started a bit rubbish but with each attempt it got better and let's get working on getting that committed to 'muscle memory'.

I could still float, I was pleased to find out, and could still stick my face in the water without any huge panic. I wanted to work on getting back to a standing position without my panic/flounder manoeuvre and I am pleased to say that after about 10 bad attempts I finally managed it twice on my own without any dramas. More about the technicalities of it next week when I can remember what on earth I did.

All this will be worked on again on Monday, as that is my next lesson.
Only problem with this pool is it doesn't have a deep end so how do I learn to tread water?
I am delighted to be back in the wet stuff, however, and determined that I can and will do this.

What is it with blokes in locker rooms though? Wandering about in the buff like they totally want you to see them, young/old fat/thin/blessed/unlucky. One guy was even watching himself towelling dry in front of the big mirror. I just don't get it. Put it away for goodness sake.

I have toyed with the idea of scrapping this blog as really last year was virtually a complete waste of time and none of it, I imagine, would be of any help to anyone but if nothing else it is interesting for me to read back and see what has changed. What has changed, I think, is my fear of the water is receding and my confidence increasing. Technique will surely follow.

A holiday at Centre Parcs in 5 or 6 weeks time and as the only thing that is free is the pool tonight I feel confident that by then at least I should be able to do a few strokes and stand up.

Currently watching Tom Daley and co. diving at the Olympics.
I wonder if I could do that....