In the Swim

Famed director Alfred Hitchcock once opened his TV show by announcing that he’d taken up surfing. He liked it because there was no competition—you didn’t have to throw, hit or catch a ball; and you didn’t have to run or jump. Hey, I agree. I’ve always been terrible at team sports. That’s why I love Masters swimming (organized swim workouts for adults), even though I’ve only been doing it a few months.

Swimming: Day 1
Granted, my first experience was traumatic, because I hate being the newbie at anything. I hate feeling awkward and clumsy. I hate not knowing the routine. I may never have made it to a Masters workout if my friend Joanna hadn’t dragged me there last June. The pool she took me to was beautiful—outdoors, surrounded by trees, sparkling-blue and inviting. The smell of chlorine brought back memories of summer vacations. Jo introduced me to Coach Tim, who asked, “How fast do you swim?” “I don’t swim,” I replied. “Okay, try this lane,” he suggested.

I got into the lane he indicated, an inch at a time, as slowly as I could. I was determined to be as wimpy about this as possible, even though the water wasn’t cold.

“Hi,” said my lane mate, extending her hand, “I’m Mary.” “Hi, I’m Karin. This is my first day. How long have you been swimming here?” “Oh, about 37 years.” Mary was in her early 70s. (She kicked my butt that day, too.)

Tim had written the day’s workout on a large dry-erase board, propped up where everyone in the pool could see. It meant nothing to me—lots of “2 x 150” and “1 x 100” and “10 x 25”. I just started swimming when everyone else did. About halfway through my first lap I started to feel exhausted. “I’m really out of shape,” I thought. “This pool goes on forever.” Somehow I’d managed not to notice that the pool was twice as long as a “regular” pool—50 meters, not 25. Yes, you’d think I’d have observed that minor detail, but I guess I was already stunned by being at a swim workout in the first place.

My only goal was to finish.
I couldn’t tell you what we did for our workout that day. Oh, everyone else did a structured workout, but my only goal was to get from one end of the pool to the other. It was hard. Those 50 meters got longer every time. Mary was supportive. “You can always skip a lap or two, you know,” she said. Good idea; I did. She even sat out a few now and then, which made me feel better.

Benefits of Masters Swim Programs:

Many Masters programs have several workouts a day, so you can pick a time that works with your schedule. You don’t have to be good to be a Masters swimmer. You just have to be an adult swimmer as opposed to a high school or college swimmer. It’s an organized program of swimming workouts for grownups. You can compete, or just swim to stay in shape. You can go as often or as rarely as you like. Many programs have both monthly and drop-in fees.

Between bouts of thrashing and floundering up and down the pool, I stopped to watch the swimmers in the faster lanes. They didn’t even seem human. They looked more like dolphins as they stroked easily and gracefully through the water. Would I ever be able to do that? I also realized that you couldn’t tell anything about a person’s swimming ability by their looks. Good swimmers come in all shapes and sizes.

Although I don’t recall the workout details, I do remember that Tim included lots of variety. You could never have gotten bored, even if you were less aquatically challenged than I was. Every few minutes he’d change some element—the stroke, the distance, the speed, or all of the above. Sometimes we used kickboards. At the end of the workout he had us wear fins. They were great; suddenly I could go fast. For the first time I almost felt like a dolphin, too, instead of a water buffalo.

When the workout ended, I was exhausted and starved. Something about being in the water made me feel more drained than I usually did after other types of exercise. But I also felt great. An hour in the water refreshed both body and soul.

Craving the pool
Despite how good I felt, I confess I didn’t swim much the rest of that month. I had a psychological barrier to get over: I was ashamed of my poor swimming skills. I didn’t want people to see how bad I was. I knew no one paid much attention to me, and I knew the only way to get better was to practice—but it was so easy just to avoid the issue and not go at all. I’m not sure why my attitude changed. Maybe it was because as the summer got hotter, I started to crave that incredible feeling of refreshment that only the water can give. I started swimming regularly—once, then twice, a week. Little by little, I started getting better.

I still have a long way to go as a swimmer. But what the heck. If Hitchcock could appear on national television wearing a tux and waxing a surfboard, I guess I can show up at the pool.

Masters FAQs

Q: How do I find a Masters program? A: Ask at your local pool or visit the U.S. Masters Web site at http://www.usms.org. Q: What equipment do I need? A: Required: Bathing suit (to make swimming easier: one-piece tank suits for women, and tank suits rather than baggy shorts for men) Bathing cap Goggles (keep the chlorine out of your eyes) Towel Recommended: Sunblock if you’re swimming outdoors Earplugs, and/or eardrops to help dry out your ears after your swim (Auro-Dri is a good brand) Chlorine-removing shampoo, conditioner, and shower gel like UltraSwim Most pools provide kickboards, fins, paddles, pull-buoys, and other “toys” used in workouts