First Two Laps

Every Workout Starts the Same

Make sure you're doing it for the right reasons

Free Swim - No Fins - No Paddles - No Buoy - No Kickboard - Take your time

As I slowly paddled my way to the end and back today I thought, "It's so quiet in here"

Nothing gonna steal my sunshine - Nothing gonna break my stride
I've got this new habit and I'm sharing it with the world

It's very simple - IF you have all the swim gear
You don't get to use it on your first two laps

I do have all the swim gear and I'm always excited to use it
My excitement for using it is exactly the reason why I don't

IF I don't remind myself what free swim feels like
I'll get to far away from the unfiltered activity

All of those tools are just too much of an advantage!
It will go to your head quickly if you don't keep it real

Pretty soon you'll start thinking that you are that fast but, you're only that fast with gear
You've got to remind yourself how tiring it is to swim with no gear assisting yourself
Trust me when I say this is a key part of what is having to happen, ongoing

I end up using these devices but not at first
Initially it's just me in the water
Me with goggles, that is

Life is too fast already
Don't get caught up in it
Life is not just a bunch of tasks

When you make time to swim
Make time to sustainably build this activity for life
For life means you won't hurt yourself, get bored, or burn out mentally
The activity has to be rewarding - something that doesn't bore or hurt you

There is no need for high performance
You're just going to that wall and back
Without stressing yourself out

That's your job here so keep it in perspective
My own first lap - I can't help but remember
There are so many mental mistakes
I've made about the way I do it

Firstly I don't just jump into the water
It feels cold to do it like that
I don't like the shock

Instead of jumping right in, I ease my way in
It creates a different kind of torture due to transition
From being in the open air - acclimating to being in water

The best way to do this for me - is slow
It's just to sit on the edge of the pool
And dangle my legs into the water
From around the knee down

This dangling of legs in the water is more than doing a slow introduction the pool
Sharing a lane with someone? Legs at edge of the pool is something
That person can easily see without disturbing his or her workout

If that person was swimming in the lane alone
There is a good chance he or she will be using
The entire lane instead of just their own side

By dangling your feet in the water
This sends a powerful, nonverbal
And very measured message

"It's time to share the lane and I'm entering into the pool"

There is a bit of etiquette
In terms of how we chat
With our lane neighbors
Observing space & time

If you attempt to have explicit verbal approval
That can interrupt another person's workout

In my experience, the quiet version of entering legs
Is better than the version of jumping in straight-away
It's also better than getting their attention and approval

We don't really need
The other person's permission
But we don't want to crash either
Try dangling legs rather than getting approval

Lesson Summary

Every workout should start with two laps without any swimming gear to remind yourself of the unfiltered activity before using tools like fins, paddles, buoy, and a kickboard. Swimming without gear helps to prevent overestimating your speed with assistance and reminds you of the effort needed without it. This practice is essential for sustainable and rewarding swimming activity. Here are some key points to remember:

• Beginning each session with free swim can keep you grounded and prevent overreliance on gear.
• Starting without gear helps maintain perspective on your swimming abilities and prevents boredom or injury.
• Take the time to enter the water slowly to acclimate and share lanes respectfully with other swimmers.
• When sharing a lane, subtly communicate your entry by dangling your feet in the water, respecting others' space.
• Nonverbal cues like dangling feet can send a clear message to neighboring swimmers without direct interruption.

Remember, it's not necessary to seek explicit approval for entering the pool, but it's important to enter gracefully and considerately to maintain a harmonious swimming environment.