Couch To Triathlon (12) - My First Swimming Lesson

So I finally took the plunge (pun intended) and had my first swimming lesson! I've been really putting it off as I know running and cycling inside out, but swimming is a complete unknown for me. Like many people, I never learnt to do the front crawl when I was younger and so whenever I go swimming (which is extremely rarely) I just do breaststroke. 

Just like when learning to ride a road bike, there are so many things you just don't consider when you first start. For example, whenever I have been swimming before I breathe out of my mouth and wear a nose plug to stop water shooting through my sinuses (very painful, would not recommend.) The swimming instructor told me straight away we wouldn't be using the nose plug and we practice breathing out through my nose with just my head in the water. What a revelation! It's so much easier! I just never knew that's how you do it because I'd never been taught. 

I had an absolute blast and really enjoyed the lesson. I'd been putting it off for so long and almost dreading it, but swimming is great! Well, when you do it properly! It's amazing how different it is to learn to swim with proper technique like an athlete for a sport rather than flailing around just to stay afloat. Front crawl is incredibly simple in reality and if you're knackered after a few lengths, it definitely means you're doing it wrong.