The Barrel that Swims Like a Dolphin

Now the title of this blog is "Swimming is Easy" and so far my examples seem to indicate that the only those who can swim easy, are thin people. Fear not my friend. Today I'm going to the other extreme with another fine example witnessed during my morning ritual. Back some years ago, when I was just catching the daily swim bug and still lacking the knowhow to pull any distance without hanging on the wall for a while, I witnessed a fellow lap-swimmer who was not as wall-challenged as I. He was what I would call a machine. He could swim for an hour without so much as lifting both ears out of the water at the same time - a goal I wished for but had no idea how to achieve. Anyhow, this isn't about time in pool - I'll save that for another day. This is about size. I concluded after watching his stamina that there were any number of lessons I could take away. The first was body type didn't matter. This guy was what some might call the short, fat variety of man-dom. He was shaped like a barrel - thick at the top of his chest as he was at the base of his torso, with legs like short logs, yet he moved through the water with grace and style. There was a clear sense of timing and flow. He was in control. I plan to address all these in future posts. So I leave you with this. Anyone can learn to swim. We just need to learn what works for us. This blog will focus on those skills as we go forward. Until next time - being all wet isn't bad at all! - Splashdog