Time to learn to swim....again

This year I will learn to swim.  I will overcome my fears of getting my face wet, putting my head under water, not being able to put my feet on the floor of the pool, and I will enjoy it.  Well I hope so.

I have to write these things down as I have to be able to remind myself why I am going to put myself through the experience of lessons again in 2014.

Ever since New Year when I went to my GP with a painful knee following taking up Zumba and doing too much I have heard time and time again, why don't you take up swimming?  The simple answer is I can't swim.  I have had various people attempt to teach me over the last 40 odd years, but I've never got far.  I did manage to swim a tiny bit once, a long time ago, but it was only a few strokes and since I was holding my breath pretty much most of the time, and panicked when I couldn't feel the floor of the pool it wasn't really what I could count as a success.  I also got terrible neck and back pain while trying desperately not to get my face wet.  I think the last time I tried to learn it was at Newham Leisure Centre about 15 years ago.  I don't remember much teaching going on, but lots of people splashing and getting in each others way.  The taste of chlorine was horrible, and the arrival of a nasty cold easily became the reason (excuse) to miss class and then, well, I just didn't bother to go back.

So I have signed up to swimming classes at the London Aquatics Centre.  To be honest I'm not really sure how many classes I've signed up to.  I guess I will just keep going until I can swim.  This blog is my attempt to document my progress.  I really really want to learn to swim.