More swimming fun…
Last night I had arranged to meet up and practice with one of the other girls in my class. I bought a swim cap, which made for some comical fun in the changing room as I tried to get the thing on my head. (I’d never used one before.) A nice lifeguard allowed us to borrow kickboards, and he even gave us a private half-lane to use. I managed sixteen half-lengths of the pool, which was a pretty good first workout. I started off using the kickboard, but eventually I tried a few lengths without it (just doing the crawl). It would feel natural for a second or two, but every time I came up for air it would start to feel awkward and complicated again. (I actually feel like I pulled a muscle on the right side of my neck while whipping my head up trying to get air.) I spent some time observing the “proper” swimmers in the fast lanes too, watching how they barely lifted their head and how effortless they made it look. I think I just need more practice. The Snook gave me the great idea to practice my breathing just standing in the pool, so I might try that next time.

HOWEVER – I had a big problem. Cramping. At various times during the half-hour, I got cramps in both feet and both calves. It KILLED. I’ve been doing some googling, and according to this page it’s a fairly common complaint. I did notice that it seemed to ease when I went slower, so I guess taking it easy and allowing my ankle to relax is key.