Swimming Photo Gallery 2
Submitted by: Timothy Carlson
Added: Tue Feb 10 2009
When the starting gun or horn goes off, a switch goes off in the brain. Magically, all the nervous anticipation, dread, fear and excitement is channeled into learned motion and muscle memory. For a sport that holds deep allure for individualists, the entry portal is participation in a massive runaway herd where everyone risks getting bumped, jostled, whacked in the head with elbows or legs, run over, pushed under water and just plain discombobulated in a watery riot. Somehow, sheer instinct that might have been inherited from genetic ancestors like the migrating geese, dolphins or lemmings takes over. Emerging from that pack unscathed and finding a clear path offers a huge dose of excitement and post-swim satisfaction. It’s what philosopher William James called “The moral equivalent of war.”
Then, when the initial sprint to get clear is over and the swimmers settle into the steady rhythms of open water swimming, the hundreds of hours of drills and workouts take over. The better trained swimmers look smooth and sinuous and powerful. The worst of us look like eggbeaters thrashing the water into reckless, useless spray. While most swims are short and the differences between a great and mediocre swim can be overcome, the gulf between the good and bad swim is significant. After all, a triathlon is an energy equation, and an awkward stroke is the natatorial equivalent of a gas guzzling SUV.
