In preparation for our big Lake Washington Swim, I've been heading to the pool a few times a week for some practice runs. After a month of doggy paddling, I decided the other day that I should buckle down and starting some serious training. Something besides the trusty breast stroke. And dog paddle.
Unfortunately, I find freestyle to be exceedingly boring: nothing to look at, same endless back and forth, etc. So says the girl that stared at the back of someone's head for eight years in a crew shell. Right.
Anyway, I decided that it was time to learn the flip turn. It gives me something to look forward to at the end of the lap. And prevents me from stopping to take a break in the shallow end.
The dreaded flip turn. So many scraped feet and bumped heads. And so many instances of thinking that I'd completed the turn correctly, only to find myself headed straight towards the bottom or, even worse, in somebody else's lane. Once the lifeguards decided that all the flopping and splashing wasn't an attempted drowning, they kindly began ignoring me. Which was nice. Since having an audience is the last thing I desire.
Thank god for YouTube. There is a how-to for everything, including flip turns. My goal for this week is to try and limit my windmilling arms. And keep attempting to do the flip turn at the shallow end. Which SO much more difficult. And painful.
