Life Is But a Swim
I started swimming at the beginning of the year, setting a goal of swimming a mile nonstop before the end of the year. I had been a swimmer growing up so I thought I just had to build up my endurance (i.e. do what I know how to do longer).
Around April, I came to the realization that - yes, while I was able to go longer in a single stretch - it was exhausting. I couldn’t imagine the type of “will power” I would have to exert in order to drag myself to the pool for endurance training 4-5 times a week for the rest of the year. That’s when it occurred to me that I had always heard about this guy Terry Laughlin and his Total Immersion approach to swimming.
I bought the book and the opening chapters grabbed me immediate: swimming is about reducing struggle first. In the subsequent months, I diligently practiced the drills until their sensations were internalized. In swimming terms, reducing struggle meant fewer (more elongated) strokes, less kicking, steady rhythm, and balanced rotation. When everything was put back together, I easily surpassed my previous max length (600 yds) with fuel to spare.
For now, let me just underscore that reducing struggle comes first. I’ll save the other life lessons I’ve learned while studying to swim with Terry for later. Before we go for speed, before we build up, let’s let go of the practices that look productive on the surface but take effort without yielding much in the way of results.