Will it hold?

[WFEGb]

Hallo,

I'm now on the TI-train for 12 months. Swimming exercises for 15 months. Especially swimming freestyle (as I call it so) continuously for 1000m and more took me 6months. (Which did not seem too long?) Thanks to TI and this forum!

My anguished question: Will it hold?

Is it like biking? (My grandma didn't ride a bike for 55 years but showed at once, when beeing asked.)

Or has this breathing combat be fought every time from the beginning? How long will it hold? Several weeks, months, a year?

Thanks for sharing your experiences,
Werner

[terry]

Werner
Welcome to TI and for engaging with other members of this Forum. As you will soon discover, your fellow TI swimmers are a thoughtful, supportive and generous group and will eagerly share the lessons they've learned. Where are you based? Your reference to meters says you're outside the US. Your name suggests perhaps Germany?

The simplest answer to your question is: No, it will not hold. Quite the contrary, it will improve. Continuously. And likely for decades, not years. The key is to embrace the most important aspect of the TI philosophy and methodology -- Kaizen. Here are the basic principles of Kaizen:
1) Your goal in every pool session is to improve your swimming - not to complete a certain number of meters, or raise your heart rate or any of the traditional goals.
As I've written many times, "My main thought every time I enter the pool is to be a better swimmer when I leave it an hour later.'
2) Improve by finding and fixing weak points. Those will be more obvious -- and easier to fix - in the early stages, and more subtle -- and require more patience and more strategic thinking later.
3) Love the plateau. This will become more important a few months to a year after you start TI as the improvements take longer to achieve. You'll spend weeks, and eventually months, practicing without being conscious of any improvement. During these times, maintain faith that change IS taking place -- at the level of neurons. After a period of time that change will consolidate and produce a thrilling forward leap.
4) Become passionately curious. Swimming is the most complex, challenging and non-instinctive of all physical skills. This is because it's an aquatic skill while humans are terrestrial mammals. If you tirelessly seek to expand your knowledge and understanding, you'll enjoy swimming much more, make steadier progress, and be able to have great confidence in your choices.
5) Practice is it's own reward. Whatever may be the goals that have motivated you to begin swimming, strive to progress to a point where those external goals -- while retaining their value as sources of motivation -- essentially become besides the point. The motivation that brings you to the pool day after day, year after year, decade after decade is the knowledge that your practice is the high point of your day, it leaves you energized mentally and physically to perform better at everything else you do, and--over time--produces enduring positive change in body, mind and spirit.
Happy Laps,
Terry

[Mike from NS]

Werner,

You have the best answer you will receive; but I would like to add some experiences which may add a little bit (from more of a beginner's view point) to Terry's reply.

I think if away from the pool for an expended period, the first few hours back might resemble the first run on skis in a new season. You know what to do but the balance isn't quite there. Or similarly if away from ice skating for a while. The first hour or so your might struggle to find your balance. However you have prior knowledge of what to do and how it should feel. Relaxing into balance will, I think, be the same for swimming, skiing or skating after an absence - and probably the same for bike riding. But when you quickly regain this you will be quickly at the point of progressing into new areas and developing more skill. Building on what you may have learned years ago.

Something I wondered, along this line, is what people (who can remember beginning swimming) did that seemed to instantly promote advancement. I feel advancement in swimming comes with greater confidence which comes through being comfortably relaxed in the water. This question, I will post as a separate thread under the guise of a "favorite practice".

The one thing I've learned that despite the early days of frustration I felt in learning to swim, -- the rewards of sticking with it are huge.

Mike

[WFEGb]

Terry,

thank you very much for your very fast, encouraging and uplifting answer. Your TI made my swim a deep joy.

I'm not sure calling me a TI-swimmer. I strive and TI shouldn't be blamed. You're right, living in Hamburg. Germany. No TI workshop or coach near by. :-((

When swimming three to five times a week (50m pool, no shallow end), I'm always short in time. 30-45min pooltime. This haste is a contradiction to Kaizen, isn't it?

I'm somewhat dismayed when next have to stay out of pool 4-6weeks...
Will all start at zero?

Should I break down my favorite continues swim (one special focus per some laps) to 200m sets like you prefer?

Most forum guys would go asleep at my standard tempo 23min/1000m. That's OK for me, but I do strive for the feeling suspected you and Shinji might have while freestyling. There are some things for another thread...

Thank you!
Werner

[WFEGb]

Mike,

thank you! Your skiing example did calm me down a bit. That's a known experience. No skiing for 15 years, but it took only a day to get the old self-confidence back and go on.

But what I'd like to call the "freestyle-breathing-horror" was a total strange problem to be solved.

Complete agreement with technical advancement related to relaxation in swimming. But I'm still sure continues progress in freestyle-breathing still is an unsolved problem. (Everywhere!)

Looking ahead your favorite practice thread.

Werner