Swim Class Update 2

So tonight was the second to last session of swim class. It would've been the last class, except for the unfortunate poop-in-the-pool incident a few weeks back.I've gotten a lot better in terms of speed, form, and endurance, although I still am not quite where I'd like to be on anything other than freestyle. Butterfly and doing flip turns were a lot easier than expected, and breaststroke was a lot harder. Meghan, the instructor, thinks this is mainly due to my knee surgery. She should know - she switched to swimming after she blew out her knee at soccer, and doesn't like breaststroke either.
I don't feel weak anymore, which makes me happy. Soccer is a good whole body workout, and I lost a lot of muscle all throughout my body after I injured my knee, and for a long time it was very slow to return. When the class started, I gained two lbs at first, and then lost it. My waist is slightly trimmer. My shoulders, ribs and arms are slightly more muscular, although it's not noticeable unless I wear my black blazer, which no longer fits even though it was fine two weeks before class started. Sigh. Some people hate shopping for swim suits or jeans, but I hate shopping for blazers.
What I like the best, however, is the fact that I can do an exhausting workout and not feel the least bit sore afterwards. That is a very good thing. I get cranky if I don't get enough exercise but I also get cranky if I'm too sore, so swimming has been a good way to wear myself out.
A few random notes, in case you're thinking about hitting the pool. If you can, buy a swimsuit made of a certain kind of durable polyester rather than lycra/nylon. (I won't bore you with the chemistry reason for this) They're usually marketed as 'endurance' suits or some similar name. I've had one for five years. It's outlasted at least five or six lycra suits.
If you wear a swim cap, wet your hair down with unchlorinated water before getting in the pool. That way your hair is saturated with plain water and it takes a lot longer for the chlorine to diffuse in. I've noticed a big difference since I started doing it.

Swim Class Update

My swim class is almost halfway done. I was mistaken in my original blog - it meets three times a week, not two. So far, we've covered freestyle, backstroke and breaststroke. With each stroke, we learn the individual components, and then put it together. I've learned a lot. Backstroke took about two classes before it sank in. Breaststroke is a lot harder. It's different now than when I learned it, and I've had to relearn it. I'm hoping it gets easier soon.
It's interesting to learn a new sport or physical activity as an adult. It's very different than it was as a kid.
In any case, it's a buttkicking one-hour workout each class. I'm in a lot better shape now, even though it's only been a few weeks. Much to my annoyment but not to my surprise, I've gained two pounds. My midsection is trimmer but my arms and shoulders have bulked up. This is pretty typical for me - I build muscle very quickly.
We start learning butterfly next week. The one good thing is that I've never learned it so at least I won't have any pre-existing bad habits that I'll have to break.