Arguably, I already know how to swim. I can keep myself afloat. I can kick and paddle my arms in unison enough to get me where I'm going. I feel comfortable in the water. But no one ever taught me to swim. To me, "swimming" was really "screwing around in Lake Michigan" or later, in James River.
So when the local YMCA finally offered the adult beginner's swim class this cycle, I signed up. Even if I don't take up swimming laps as part of my exercise routine, at least I'll know what I'm supposed to be doing to make it a workout.
Tonight was the first class. As expected, there was a mix of people who had rarely, if ever, set foot in a pool and people who felt comfortable paddling to one end of the pool and back. For the paddlers, we first started with kicking, which was pretty easy: don't bend at the knee. So far, so good. Then, add in some arms, all while using a floaty to keep us up. Again, no problem.
Then we hit something I knew I couldn't do going in: putting your face in the water without holding your nose. I know the theory. Just blow out through your nose. Easier said than done. The instructor said to pretend you're blowing your nose into the water, that the water is a giant tissue. As someone who's allergic to dust mites, I am intimately familiar with blowing my nose, so this shouldn't be hard.
I kept stopping and panicking because I felt water going up my nose. It got a little easier when we ditched the floaties and swam more or less like normal, but I was still stopping every three or four strokes to breathe and keep from panicking. By the end of class, I was slightly more comfortable with blowing through my nose, but I was still getting a lot of water up my nose. Most of the other people in my lane said they were having the same problem, so I didn't feel so bad.
Worst case is I give up on the nose thing and get a nose plug. I had one as a kid, and while they look goofy, the work really well. But, I'll give it a few more classes and see if I can get the hang of it. Goggles are also on my list. I borrowed some for tonight, but I'll want to get my own. At least I remembered to wear my contact lenses. Go me.