Hello!
This is an interesting question! I think that it's interesting because everyone likes these weird kind of smells. I would say that one of my favorite smells is gasoline.
That's weird. I guess I do like the smell of fresh linen.
Oh that's a good one! I really like the smell of a clean bathroom. I guess that would be bleach or something. I also love the smell of cholorine.
No way! Me too! It reminds me of the public pools and when I would go swimming during the summer.
I like to swim. I swim as a child and then got into swim team where I swam for 12 seasons or something like that I prefer to do back and free style strokes. Unlike my poor mistaken friend who mistakenly defined the word as something else, I know what backstroke actually is. The perfect stroke, relying on anctual physical strenght, ability and will, unlike breast stroke. Back stroke starts off on the wall, not on the block and you push off to start the race.
Interesting. How do you back stroke?
It's pretty basic, you just lay on your back and move your arms like a boat purpeller, keeping them close to your head and moving your hands so that you can utilze the  most power to push you through the water.
What about the feet.
For the feat you just kick like you were running kind of. It is very importnat to kick with your hips, moving your whole legs back and forth. Sometime people only kick with their feet or bend their knees and that doesn't get anybody anywhere.
So is it like the normal stroke?
Like freestyle? Yes, it's very similar except for you're on your back and there are different starts, turns and finihse.d finishes.
turns and finishes?
Ya, the turn on a back stroke can kind of be hard becaues you can't see where you're going or when you're going to hit.
huh.
that's where there are red things on the lane lines. The markers show you how far away you are and all back strokers are trained to count their strokes from the red so that they know when to turn around and do their flip.
can't they turn around whenever
No. If they turn to early then they have to just glide or they get disqualified. Sometimes people flip too earlier as well and then you don't have any wall to push off of.
and if you flip too late?
Ha, then you just run into the wall and it slows you down. Not to mention, it's super embarassing!
Haha that makes sense.
It can be an easy stroke though because you can breathe whenever you want or as many times as you want because you're on your back.
and the ending?
the ending is similar to the flip. You just count your strokes from the red but this time instead of flipping you just keep going and touch with your one hand.
touch?
Ya, you touch the wall. It's funny because this is where height can play a huge part. I've seen lots of people win just because they have long arms. They could be neck and neck that whole race but that last touch is how the race is decided.
Well that's cool What other things do you swim
I swim freestyle as well. it is the typical stroke. It starts with a dive then you kick and pull until the wall where you flip again and so on and so forth until you swim what you need to.
Are those races faster?
They can be. It is the fastest stroke. Or at least faster than back stroke. These races can be really short sprints or they can be really long mile races.
how do you know?
Each pull is 25 yards long and so you swim in incraments of 25. A plain 25 would be just one way. Most people can swim that on one breath.
That's cool.
Ya. 25 isn't raced unless it's in a little kid race.
What is the smallest big kid race?
That would be the 50. They get larger and larger the older and higher up you get. The 50 is just there an back and that is considered a spring sprint
A sprint?
Ya, and then there is the 100, 200, 500, 1000 and mile in high school swim. I don't keep up with the lolympics to know very much  about how it differs .
What other strokes are there? What are they?
Which one do you want to know about first?
Umm. I don't know. How about breast stroke?
Okay. Breast stroke is like the frog stroke .
Oh I know that one!
Ya, it is where you lay on your stomach and kick your legs out like a frog and push your hands in and out kind of like a frog. It's hard to explain.
That's cool! What else?
I don't know much. I never had to actually race in this one. It's best for shorter people with big hands or feet. I know that sounds bad but it's true!
Like midgets?
Kind of? I mean anyone can be good at it. It's all about streamlining and timing. I could be wrong but I feel like it is one of thsoe things that you're either good at or your not.
well what is the race like?
Swimmers dive off of the block to start this race and then on the turn and finish they have to do a too hand touch. If not they get disqualified.
What other ways can the get disqualified?
Oh, I don't know. I guess they can get disqualified when you dive off if you are kicking under the water or something. That's all I really know about it though.
Well what about the last stroke?
The last one is fly. Which in my opinion is definitely the hardest stroke.
how so?
Sorry, I was chatting with someone else.
That's fine. This is interesting. I can wait.
Fly is the hardest. It takes skill, flexibility, power, endurance. Everything. most people can't do it at all so they look like dying fish! But if you can do it then you just shoot across the pool. It's so cool to watch! I'm sure it takes a lot of practice and what not but I think some people are just able to do it and other people couldn't even if they trained their whole lives.
Haha that's funny. I think I've seen youtube videos about it before.
Ya, there are lots of them out there. The whole swim team thing is awesome. It's a team sport but very much an individual sport as well.
How can it be a team sport?
Well. In addition to individual races they have group races for 4 person teams.
Oh that's cool
Ya, there is a medly and a relay. The medley has all four of the strokes that I mentioned earlier but one person swims each one. The back stroke person starts and then others dive in when it's their turn.
What about the other one you mentioned? The relay one? Is that similar?
Yes and no. It's four people like the medley but its is all freestyle. The relay is faster and since everyone is swimming the same stroke, racers are put in order of anchor, speed, etc. It's fun! You should join a club or take a class sometime. BYU has some nice pools and so that's always fun to go swim in.
Maybe. I'm still only a freshman and i've never swam like that before.
Oh, well just go to one of the summer camps! I never did any but I wish I had. They looked like so much fun and you would learn all of the basics.
Oh ya maybe.
But just a word of caution. The first day you're going to get in and feel like you're so out of shape and you're drowning. Don't let it get to you! It still happens to me even when I've been swimming all year. It's just like getting into a good run. It'll pass.
Okay cool. Well thanks! I'll keep that in mind. I have to go to class so I'll ttyl . Byu! Bye I mean
Ya bye! it's been fun chatting with you cheers and have a great day!.