Into the Pool
I decided to start a swimming blog at the suggestion of a very insightful swimmer who posts under the alias Ande on the USMS forums. It was one of his many excellent Swim Faster Faster tips; his suggestion was to keep a journal of workouts, goals, expectation, etc. I thought that was an excellent idea, so here we are. This first post is sort of an introduction to who I am and why I started swimming, where I want to go in swimming, and what's going on right now. So, let's just jump right into it.
My name is Michael Goldstein, and I just started swimming a few weeks ago. I grew up participating in sports, primarily hockey. When I entered high school, I started wrestling, which led to submission grappling. I excelled there, winning or placing highly in several championships. I injured myself trying a flashy move in an important tournament (stupid, I know!), and couldn't compete for a little while. I got back into it, but meandered towards Judo with the hope of competing at the Olympic Trials for the 2012 summer games. That, in a way, is what led me to swimming.
Watching the Beijing Olympics really inspired me to dream big and go for broke (another SFF tip by the way). I watched Brenden Hansen do his leg in the Medley Relay, and something just struck me. I started watching videos of him swimming in past events. Watching him made me want to get in the pool. Initially, I started swimming because I thought it would be great conditioning for Judo; unfortunately for my Judo career, stepping into the pool would be the beginning of its end.
When I get into something, I really get into it. I tend to take things to the extreme, blocking out everything else and giving 150% in whatever the current interest may be. I have always been that way, which my mother and sister will be happy to confirm. That part of my personality must be from previous generations, because neither of my parents have been that way for as long as I can remember. In high school, I was really interested in music. I bought a ton of equipment, found some other musicians, and was convinced I'd make it big. That lasted about two years, until I stumbled into grappling. That obsession lasted a bit longer, but eventually it became a sidebar while I discovered something else. You get the idea.
Needless to say, my foray into swimming began with a trip to Dick's Sporting Goods. I bought a speedo training suit, racing goggles, a swim cap, and a combination lock for the locker room. That day, I went to the pool to test everything out and have my first workout. A few minutes before stepping into the water, I realized that I probably should have looked at a few videos or articles of how to swim. I had always loved the water, from jetskis, powerboats, and waterskiing to kayaks, the beach, and lounging by the pool. Unfortunately, I never really cared much for the actual practice of swimming. Everytime I tried to do laps, I would get exhausted and frustrated. It just wasn't fun.
I stepped into the water, and dove right under. I didn't know it at the time, but my natural instinct was to do the regular breaststroke underwater pull, dolphin kick, streamline and all. That isn't anything too profound, and may have been a result of watching all those Brendan Hansen videos, but it felt good that it was so natural. I swam a few laps of breaststroke, and kicked into the finish with a smile on my face.
It has only been a couple of weeks since that day, but my technique has improved dramatically. I just joined a masters swim team in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Fins Aquatics Club. It's a wonderful team, with great coaches and teammates. Joining this team was definitely a great step towards becoming the swimmer I want to be, and I'm looking forward to the rest of the journey.