baby's first day at the pool

Yesterday my training partner Erin (a coworker who convinced me to join the Tri) and I logged 20 miles biking in Westchester. Not a bad ride, but we found ourselves sitting on one butt cheek at a time all day.

Nervous and excited, we made our way to our first swim meet at the White Plains YMCA and met our coaches. It was like freshman year of high school - except everyone is half-naked in spandex. Awkward hellos for the newbies (me) and high fives and jeering from the veterans.

Erin having been a life guard "back in the day", took off like a dolphin. I however got pulled aside into the kiddy pool group and was handed a swim kick board. How embarrassing. After several drills rolling side to side, elbows high, ear and cheek to water, I got over the freakiness of having water in your mouth when taking a breath. Once and awhile I met Erin at the end of a lane and we exchanged pleasantries such as "should've quit smoking earlier" or "how fast does a doggy paddle get you across the Long Island sound?"

Severely waterlogged, hair smelling like a condom (unused, unflavored), and off-balanced with water in ear, I learned key important factors today;

1. Look down in stroke - look at horizon during breath
2. Keep one cheek and one eye in water at all times
3. Don't freak in deep water, just keep even breathing
4. Pick up stroke in high angle and fluid reach forward
5. Watch out for the warm spots in an unheated pool......