login
swimming help
-
No new posts
 2009-07-14 9:14 PM |
 16 |  Subject: swimming helpI'm brand new to this sport. My run is doing fine and my biking is pretty good. My swimming on the other hand really sucks. I have a sprint in 5 weeks. The swim is .46 miles. I timed myself for the first time today in open water. I swam 800 m in 23:06. The problem is, I do most of it using the breaststroke. I can't swim for very long swimming freestyle. I have been swimming 3 days a week in a pool mostly. I quit the pool and started swimming in open water only. Does anybody have any advice to increase the length of time I can freestyle . I don't run out of breath, my shoulders start hurting pretty intensely. Any and all advice is welcome. I'm kinda of a big guy to be doing tri's. 6'3" and down to 255 now. |
| 2009-07-14 9:35 PM in reply to: #2285805 |
Extreme Veteran 597   Fairfax | Subject: RE: swimming help redfish511 - 2009-07-14 9:14 PM I'm brand new to this sport. My run is doing fine and my biking is pretty good. My swimming on the other hand really sucks. I have a sprint in 5 weeks. The swim is .46 miles. I timed myself for the first time today in open water. I swam 800 m in 23:06. The problem is, I do most of it using the breaststroke. I can't swim for very long swimming freestyle. I have been swimming 3 days a week in a pool mostly. I quit the pool and started swimming in open water only. Does anybody have any advice to increase the length of time I can freestyle . I don't run out of breath, my shoulders start hurting pretty intensely. Any and all advice is welcome. I'm kinda of a big guy to be doing tri's. 6'3" and down to 255 now. Have you considered getting a swim coach? I highly recommend getting a coach for any beginner as getting down proper technique (and not getting in to bad habits) is key. You can usually find a coach for around ~$30 a session at your local pool. Twice a week should suffice. How long are your workouts in the pool? I didn't see anything in your logs so I can't say for sure that you're not doing enough yardage, but generally the consensus is swim, swim lots, and swim often. If I were you (and you felt comfortable about the bike and the run), I'd be in the pool at LEAST 4x a week, if not more. ** edit: Oh, and welcome to the sport! Good luck! Edited by strostertag 2009-07-14 9:35 PM |
| 2009-07-14 9:42 PM in reply to: #2285805 |
Member 11 Tuscaloosa | Subject: RE: swimming help Get this book: http://www.totalimmersion.net/I am 6'5" and down to 230. I used to hate swimming. Somebody in the lane next to me one morning recommended Total Immersion to me. I read it, practiced the drills, and now I can swim freestyle about 5 times longer than I could about six weeks ago. Even if you don't do the drills, the lessons from it make swimming make sense. |
| 2009-07-14 9:46 PM in reply to: #2285805 |
| 16 | Subject: RE: swimming help Just got on this site tonight looking for help. I keep A training log at home. I try to swim 3 days a week and spend at leat an hour in the water. I was talked into this tri by a friend. It's actually been great motivation for working out. The only local pool we have is at the YMCA and no coaches available. We do have a triathlon training facility about 30 minutes from here but they cost an arm and a leg. My goal is not to win but to cross the finish line and say "I did it". I'm actually having a lot of fun just training and meeting a lot of great people. I am competing in the 35-39 clydesdale catagory and my times looking pretty good. I just hurt so bad when swimming( shoulder). Can breaststroke all day without pain. thanks for the advice. I will definitely look into a swimming coach. |
| 2009-07-14 10:07 PM in reply to: #2285857 |
Regular 104 | Subject: RE: swimming help redfish511 - 2009-07-14 9:46 PM Just got on this site tonight looking for help. I keep A training log at home. I try to swim 3 days a week and spend at leat an hour in the water. I was talked into this tri by a friend. It's actually been great motivation for working out. The only local pool we have is at the YMCA and no coaches available. We do have a triathlon training facility about 30 minutes from here but they cost an arm and a leg. My goal is not to win but to cross the finish line and say "I did it". I'm actually having a lot of fun just training and meeting a lot of great people. I am competing in the 35-39 clydesdale catagory and my times looking pretty good. I just hurt so bad when swimming( shoulder). Can breaststroke all day without pain. thanks for the advice. I will definitely look into a swimming coach. I recommend the swim coach as well. In the mean time, check out some videos on youtube. They helped me quite a bit: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH9z7eTfEvo |
| 2009-07-14 10:25 PM in reply to: #2285805 |
Veteran 172 | Subject: RE: swimming help I was 220 when I started. Here is a link to a product that has helped me. I am new to triathlon as well. Hope it helps. http://www.triswimcoach.com/catalog/home.php?bid=23&partner=craig0812 |
| 2009-07-15 8:04 AM in reply to: #2285805 |
| Modesto, California | Subject: RE: swimming help redfish511 - 2009-07-14 7:14 PM I'm brand new to this sport. My run is doing fine and my biking is pretty good. My swimming on the other hand really sucks. I have a sprint in 5 weeks. The swim is .46 miles. I timed myself for the first time today in open water. I swam 800 m in 23:06. The problem is, I do most of it using the breaststroke. I can't swim for very long swimming freestyle. I have been swimming 3 days a week in a pool mostly. I quit the pool and started swimming in open water only. Does anybody have any advice to increase the length of time I can freestyle . I don't run out of breath, my shoulders start hurting pretty intensely. Any and all advice is welcome. I'm kinda of a big guy to be doing tri's. 6'3" and down to 255 now. Best thing for you to do is see a coach, if your shoulder pain is from a stroke flaw then swimming more will only make the pain worse. Having a coach will help identify many of your stroke flaws and help you to correct them, allowing you to swim faster,longer and with less energy expended and greatly increase performance. Using a DVD , book or videos involves allot of trial and error will not identify your stroke problems or offer instant feedback that you would get from a qualified coach. Many people have done a sprint using breastroke, although it may feel comfortabe at a slow pace it is not the most efficient to use. |
|
|
|
View profile
Add to friends
Go to training log
Go to race log
Send a message
View album
CONNECT WITH FACEBOOK