Swam again tonight. Went 35 minutes instead of 30 for two reason. One, I forgot to take my watch to the pool. Two, I kept having to wait for kids playing in the lap lane. Yeah, I really love that. Because the life guards have so much else to do…like make sure people aren’t running, make sure people aren’t wearing street clothes in the pools, make sure the babies all have swim diapers on. Oh wait, they don’t do that either.

Enough ranting.

I tried a bunch of toys today. I used the kick board. This allows me to practice breathing in general, as well as try to breathe on both sides. Unfortunately I still have a really hard time breathing to the left. I just can’t turn my head far enough. Tonight I also tried the foam, hourglass shaped thing that you put between your legs. This makes you swim without your legs at all. I found it really helps you to get the rotation in your trunk that you’re supposed to get while swimming…unfortunately this still didn’t get my left side to turn enough to breathe that way. But I really tried. Because you’re supposed to be able to breathe on both sides.

I also spent some time with the paddles. They are really great for helping you get your stroke right. Of course, I also did a few laps without any toys to see how they were helping.

The lesson I learned? Swimming with the foam thingy was really easy! My breathing was easier, my stroke was easier…I hope that working with that about once a week makes swimming as a whole easier! I could use that!

My next goal for swimming? Turning. I knew how to do that once upon a time I was mistakenly signed up for swim team because the nice lady doing registration really didn’t understand I was a 13 year-old that needed basic swim instruction. For about a week and a half, I knew how to turn while doing laps. (Then the swim team coach figured out I shouldn’t be there).