Revisiting the topic of flip turns

Maybe someday I'll be this excited to do flip turns.


Back on November 12, 2009, I wrote about flip turns, I did not like flip turns, I never wanted to do another one, and even asked you all why I had to learn them.

My coach met with me, we swam, and we worked on flip turns. He encouraged me just to add a few flip turns to each swim workout and eventually I would feel more comfortable with it. I told him OK that day, but my mind was saying YEAH RIGHT. I showed up for my next workout, not even thinking about flip turns and the most amazing thing happened. It freaked me out a little. I started swimming and when I got to the wall, without even thinking about it, with no panic, I DID A FLIP TURN. When I came up out of the water I had a little trouble breathing, and had to tread for a second, but not because I had trouble or lost my breath, but because I was excited that I had done it and the excitement broke my concentration. That day was a turning point for me. I would love to say that I did flip turns the whole time. I would love to say that they were perfect. I would love to say that I started loving them, but I can't say any of those things, but what I can say is that when I did flip turns that day there was a sense of peace,not panic. There was a sense of pride, not myself telling me I can't do it. I knew that day I had turned a corner in a very good way.

That was two weeks ago. I went and swam today. I swam 2200 yards. Only 300 of that 2200 was with a kick board. The other 1900 yards was freestyle, sometimes with a pull buoy ( for those of you who might not know what a pull buoy is it is a thing you put between your legs that causes your legs to rise (float) to the surface, so you learn how your body should be lined up. While using this you don't kick and you are only pulling with your arms.), but mostly without a pull buoy. I was swimming in sets of 100 and I am proud to say that in every set of 100's I did at least 2 flip turns. Again, they weren't all pretty, but I was doing it. Only a couple times did I lose my breath, only a couple times did I misjudge and turn too soon and there was no wall there for me to kick, but what amazed me is that I kept going in all the situations. I kept going. I kept swimming and then the most amazing thing happened. . .

Two of my friends were in the next lane over from me. We swim together in my master's swim class. They know I have been trying and trying to learn these flip turns. They stopped me and said, "Hey, Melissa, Nice flip turns. You are so fluid in the motion and so fluid in the water. GREAT JOB!" I thanked them and swam away. I wanted to laugh. When I am swimming I feel anything, but fluid. This all seems so hard and foreign to me still, but they were watching me, they saw me, and they saw that I was fluid in the water. Me, former fat girl, who used to doggy paddle and never put her face in the water. I am fluid in the water. Wow, who would have thought?