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Review content:
So, so, so many people have taken up triathlons. For all outward appearances these are smart, normal people with nice lives. What's even stranger is that more would like to take up triathlons, but they don't because they claim to be afraid of the swim portion. I have only ever met one person who was actually afraid of the bike portion, and that was my own Mom. There was of course some sort of traumatic bike experience when she was younger, there was also a traumatic football experience that left her in a full body cast, but luckily for her very few 60 year olds take up football. Anyway this post is about learning or re-learning how to swim.
For all those people who want to do a triathlon but are afraid of the swim portion, Evans pool at Green Lake has some great programs! They are very low-key. On Monday and Wednesday nights from 8:00 to 8:30 they offer a "Strokes Class", where you can improve your swim stroke. Absolute beginners and accomplished swimmers take this class, it works for everyone. Also it is almost always a one to one teacher/swimmer ratio. These classes are taught by three different people; Mike, James or Steve. They are all excellent! If the strokes class seems a little too advanced, you can also get plain old adult swimming lessons. Why go to Evans pool for that you ask? Because Mike and James teach those lessons, and they are great! You get very clear instruction from very calm, non-intimidating ex-swimmers. If you're looking for an aggressive, chip-on-the-shoulders kind of coaching experience, or one where you're in a group of eight or more and you all have to wear matching t-shirts that advertise a need to cure something other than your own lack of fitness, this isn't for you. While joining a group of people with like minded goals can be very effective, it does not work for everyone, even those of us who have survived a disease or two! The swim coaches at Evans pool will video tape your session and critique it for you, but this is as hard-core as they get. These lessons are completely focused on making you a better swimmer while enjoying the experience, without a crowd.
If you're already an accomplished swimmer, but haven't been in the pool since college, come and do the masters swim workout on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 8:30 to 9:30 at night. It's a good group of people.
If you want to do that triathlon and the only thing holding you back is the swim portion, and you just finished reading this post, you no longer have an excuse to not get out there!
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