On learning a new parlour trick & my #engagement. Smile @ultragirl09 #swimming

It's a big deal to learn a little thing even if lots of other people can do it. Juggling, whistling that kind of thing. So after a few years of false starts and a new commitment to success this swim season I tried again to band-only swim. Most years I quit after a couple times of going 12.5 m and having my legs pointing to the bottom of the pool with my arm cadence at 200. Same when I started again 2 weeks ago after taking at 4+ month break from swimming. 

But today I relaxed and with calm arm movement swam 50 m LC. Tried it again, 60 s length. Again, 58 s length. What more when I put the paddles on after this set for 8x100 p (no buoy) finally, after at least 10 years of hearing "engage your lats" (and wondering WTF), they engaged. Somewhere Coach BB is smiling!

It makes me no never mind that I have friends who are excellent swimmers, like AO, who can effortless swim 1000 m like this without any additional effort. Whether this translates into better racing or not is largely irrelevant, as this was more about the journey that the destination. And it will probably not have a large effect in wetsuit racing. But to as #AmyFarrahFowler says it adds "another arrow to my quiver of whimsy."

And hopefully a 1000 straight band swim before summer's end!