Honza F.: “the Coach Was Great, but Even after a Year He Didn’t Give Me as many Motivational Tips”
During COVID, My Friends and I Made a Bet that We Would Complete a Half Ironman within a Year. It Seemed like a Great Idea to Me, Except that I Couldn’t Swim.
Sabina approached me to write about my experience with the online swimming course, and since I’m chatty and enthusiastic about the course, I agreed.
My friends and I used to play floorball, go rock climbing, ride downhill bikes – we did everything action-packed… and when COVID closed all sports facilities, we had to find another form of entertainment… that’s when Radek, my buddy, came up with the idea to try triathlon… and that we’d sign up for a half Ironman in September, a year later. I remember my throat tightening when we shook on it because I knew I was the worst swimmer among all the guys.
At first I tried on my own, but I was just flailing in place like a fish on a cutting board… so I quickly found a coach. We swam together for a year, he was good, basically got me from the shallow end to the deep end and made the most of what he could… a carp on its last legs… and I was satisfied.
Learning to swim cost me tons of money, but it still wasn’t going as I wanted. It was actually frustrating as hell because June with the first test races was approaching, and I was pretty scared just thinking about it. I trained like crazy, but still couldn’t swim freestyle without feeling like I was dying after a short while. I somehow survived the short test race, half breaststroke, half freestyle, half on my back like a dead fish.
Right after that, I bought Sabina’s online freestyle course… I devoured it like a hungry wolf that very first night and couldn’t wait for morning training. I tried all the exercises, started from the beginning, and was frustrated when I couldn’t do something that seemed completely basic. I like challenges, but these exercises attacked my ego from all sides.
I went swimming almost every day, and after about a month, something clicked… and suddenly I could swim further and further… and I felt like Forrest Gump, who just kept running because he could. I couldn’t really do that much, but for the first time, I felt like I might die, but maybe not for an hour. An incredible WOW feeling.
Over the summer, I stopped with the coach and swam half doing exercises from the course and half endurance training. Every coach probably brings a new perspective and technique, but I didn’t hear as many helpful tips in a whole year as I got from this course.
In September, I completed my first half Ironman… all freestyle. And I think that if you decide to get off your butt and really push yourself, this course is all you need to start swimming.
Sports cheers, swimming especially, applause for Sabina.
Honza