Like an injured seal...

(Note: No animals, real or plastic, were harmed in the production of this post.)

"The human being, land-adapted for millions of years, struggles awkwardly when trying to propel himself through a substance 1,000 times denser than air." - Terry Laughlin (Swimming coach & author)

That is a fair way to describe my swimming. I struggle, in an admittedly awkward manner, to get myself from one side of the Olympic swimming pool to the other. Thrashing around in the water, splashing with my legs or not kicking hard enough. Or way too hard. It truly is a sight. If it's not my legs drooping down causing me to sink, then it's me kicking from the knee as opposed to the hip. As my girlfriend would say, "You have to flooowww." I can't tell you how many times I have heard that little piece of advice. 

So the question, obviously, have I learned to flow? Hint: No. 

This serves then to define my starting point. First step of my 1,000 mile journey. It is my Point A. My Point B is me no longer resembling an injured, less hairy member of the Phocidae family.

At the same time that I'm trying to get more swim time in, I'm also reading a book by the previously mentioned author, Terry Laughlin. It's called Total Immersion and if you go by the believers, it is apparently the Holy Grail of swimming technique. I hope so as I can think of few things more embarrassing than a guy with an island heritage unable to swim a few laps. To those of you that have the amazing luck to be naturally gifted swimmers, able to streamline their bodies and gracefully move up and down those lanes, you are indeed lucky. For those like me, we'll see whether there is actually anything to Mr. Laughlin's impressive claims. Here's hoping...

-Lou-