We’re actually completely satisfied to welcome the stunning Rebecca Gillis to our workforce of bloggers. Rebecca has been swimming competitively since she was eight years outdated and has an exquisite capability to doc the ups and downs of a aggressive swimmer. Each fortnight we are going to submit one thing new from Rebecca, however be warned, except you’re a swimmer, you couldn’t probably perceive.
So right here’s the factor about aggressive swimming: it’s an Olympic sport, worldwide and generally even national-level meets are televised, and it has a number of the hardest working athletes. We’re speaking seven, eight, and even upwards of 9 practices every week.
This being stated, after I introduce myself to somebody as a swimmer, there may be normally loads of confusion that follows.
“That’s cool, I do swimming classes too!” is a reasonably typical reply. I can’t stress sufficient to those individuals how totally different aggressive swimming is compared to the once-a-week dedication of swimming classes.
The opposite half of individuals leap to the exact opposite: “So are you the following Michael Phelps then?”. For starters, I’m an average-sized teenage lady, NOT a 6’4, 28 12 months outdated man. And no, I’ll most probably not win a complete of twenty-two Olympic medals in my profession.
Maybe probably the most irritating response, nonetheless, is when individuals brush it off as “not an actual sport”. I’ve actually had a man inform me that swimming “takes a minimal quantity of ability” and that he may in all probability beat me. He, then again, is a self-proclaimed skilled bowler. To not hate on bowlers, however I certain would like to race him within the pool.
The truth is, to coach for a sport that supposedly requires “minimal ability”, I’ve seven or eight exercises every week. Two or three of those are mornings (hooray for 5am wake-up calls!), every about two hours spent within the water. Don’t neglect concerning the dryland, cardio and suppleness coaching, too.
So to any of the individuals falling into the classes listed above, I invite them to stroll, or fairly SWIM a couple of miles in our fits.
Till subsequent time,
Rebecca
