Breakthrough swim!!!

Way to Go!  Congrats on the Olympic Distance swim!!

That is my next goal, but will be a while cause I just went through my own breakthrough swim about 3 weeks ago - just before I ran my first ever tri, a sprint distance tri on 9/14/008.

Up to that point I'd swim 100m sets freestyle, maybe got 300, a couple of times.  Just a week or so before that I couldn't even do 50m freestyle - it was all sidestroke.  A week further back I had my sidestroke breakthrough of going from 300m sidestroke to going 800m sidestroke.

Once I had that I turned my attention to learning freestyle, and within 1 1/2 to 2 weeks went from 50m to 300m.  I did it!  I thought, I finally could swim 300m freestyle and that was the distance I needed for my sprint tri.

Then,  days after the race, I hit the pool again and knocked out a 750m freestyle ... I was stoked!

Then, just today, I swam several 100m warmups, then went for 1/2 a mile, or 800m ... I lost count so I did at least an extra 50m and maybe an extra 100m, but I know for sure I got at least 800m.

That is half an Olympic ... can't wait to join you, and Congrats again!

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Nice Swim!  Once you get past a certain point, you really get the feeling that you could just swim forever.  The only limiter is when you actually start to TALK to the line at the bottom of the pool. 

I always try and make friends with the lifeguards at my local pool so that, when I'm doing my long swims, it gives a little more security knowing that they are aware of you, know you, and will keep an extra close eye on you.

Good Tip!

It was actually with the lifeguard's help that I first learned the sidestroke and built the distance needed to even at least try my first tri.  But then just before the race I was able to get my freestyle to 300m and so did that in the race.

I usually let them know I'm training for a tri and pushing myself each day out there, so hopfully they are keeping an extra eye on me. (Or maybe it is because I keep making hand gestures at the line - I haven't quite mastered talking to the line yet, but use hand signals instead ...)

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I was amazed at the effort that it takes from me to do 50 yards in 56 seconds, but to do 50 yards in 64 was the equivalent of the slowest jog imaginable.

That may just be the effort to move a larger body.  I guess that I see the same thing in the bike....16 mph is ez...17 is hard but ok...over 18 is killing it.