funny mime-show swim tips
I see lots of the same people on a regular basis, so I have many "smile and wave" buddies at the Y and in the pool.
Yesterday, after my laps, I was working on my dolphin practice. (With my fins, I've been doing a couple of dolphin laps deep underwater, a couple of laps on the surface with my arms streamlined, then a couple of laps on the surface with my kickboard, and then a couple on the surface with breaststroke arms).
One of my buddies was splitting the lane. Her husband was in the next lane. Suddenly I realized that she was dolphin-kicking, too. I figured out that she was trying to show me the right way. I stopped to watch her and commented on how hard it is for me to learn. She doesn't speak much English beyond "hello," but somehow managed to convey through hand signals that when I'm on the surface my chest is lifting up too far out of the water and I'm not moving my hips fast enough (or maybe not forcefully enough--not quite sure). She wasn't wearing fins, but could really move quickly. I noticed that instead of streamlined arms, she kept her arms down by her side, so I tried that, too. She would watch me swim halfway down the lane, tap my foot, then show me again. It seemed to work well enough that she was pleased.
Her husband tried to help a bit with translation when we got bogged down. He speaks only slightly more English, but basically said that they've seen me since I was first learning to swim and I'm improving (something along the lines of "good, swim beautiful now"). They made my day!
Yesterday, after my laps, I was working on my dolphin practice. (With my fins, I've been doing a couple of dolphin laps deep underwater, a couple of laps on the surface with my arms streamlined, then a couple of laps on the surface with my kickboard, and then a couple on the surface with breaststroke arms).
One of my buddies was splitting the lane. Her husband was in the next lane. Suddenly I realized that she was dolphin-kicking, too. I figured out that she was trying to show me the right way. I stopped to watch her and commented on how hard it is for me to learn. She doesn't speak much English beyond "hello," but somehow managed to convey through hand signals that when I'm on the surface my chest is lifting up too far out of the water and I'm not moving my hips fast enough (or maybe not forcefully enough--not quite sure). She wasn't wearing fins, but could really move quickly. I noticed that instead of streamlined arms, she kept her arms down by her side, so I tried that, too. She would watch me swim halfway down the lane, tap my foot, then show me again. It seemed to work well enough that she was pleased.
Her husband tried to help a bit with translation when we got bogged down. He speaks only slightly more English, but basically said that they've seen me since I was first learning to swim and I'm improving (something along the lines of "good, swim beautiful now"). They made my day!