GETTING WET

A good part of the enjoyment of swimming comes from the variety it offers. I try to swim at least five days a week, and I rarely repeat the same workout. Sometimes I concentrate on freestyle; at other times I stress one of the other strokes. Sometimes I work mostly on my sprinting, at other times on distance. In some workouts I emphasize my legs by using a kick board or swim fins; in others I work mainly on my arms, placing a pull buoy between my legs to maintain my body position and keep myself from kicking. And so on. There are literally thousands of variations!

In this section I will concentrate on the four major strokes: freestyle (or crawl stroke), backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly. You may want to try to perfect your technique in all of them. Or you may find that you enjoy doing one or two of the strokes more than the others. As the immortal Sly and the Family Stone so melodiously put it: “Different strokes for different folks.”

By now you should feel reasonably comfortable in the water. If you are over thirty-five, you have gotten a medical checkup and an enthusiastic “okay” from your doctor. So the next step is simply to start swimming. Swimming is one of those things you have to learn by doing. This book can provide you with the motivation to swim, and it can give you some useful information about how to do the strokes and how to train. But the only way you will ever become a good swimmer is by practicing.

Some people like to learn by trial and error. That’s fine. If you are one of those folks, just get in the water and start stroking. You probably won’t be very efficient at first, but you’ll improve. Your goggles will help you see where you’re going and allow you to observe the techniques of other swimmers underwater. When you see a particularly good swimmer, ask him or her to give you some pointers. Most people will be flattered you asked and delighted to help.

Or you may prefer formal instruction. No problem. Swimming has become so popular in recent years that virtually every YMCA and community center in the country has classes for people of all ages and abilities—from infant to senior adult and from rank beginner to accomplished swimmer. It should be easy to find a class suitable for you no matter where you live.

A good way to supplement lessons is through videos. In recent years, a number of high-quality videos have been produced for swimmers at every ability level. Appendix G reviews some of the top videos currently available, lists their prices, and provides information about how you may purchase them.

Whether you learn on your own or from an instructor, the important thing is to proceed at your own pace, mastering each skill at every step. Don’t try to learn everything at once. Concentrate on one thing at a time—your body position, breathing, arm stroke, kick, whatever. Pretty soon you will be slicing confidently through the water.