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Another Swimming Question
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 2008-08-07 2:06 PM |
Master 1468    Montgomery, Tx |  Subject: Another Swimming QuestionFirst a little back ground. I was a baseball player from youth through college. As a kid I was on the swim team and usuly won my age group. I love the water and I would live underwater if I had the money (lottery = house under water like the hotel in Dubai). I am 6'2 250 and 32 years old. I am no stranger in conditioning as I was a personal trainer for a few years and have been in the gym more consistant than most since graduating college in 1999. My aerobic is pretty good as when running my legs would tire before the lungs at a moderate pace. Now Swimmin When I started swimming a few months ago 1 lap was real tough. Now I can almost do 20 laps without stopping, but it is tough. I see people swimming laps like I would jog. Nice and easy with little or no effort. When I swim I feel like I am giving maximum effort just to keep me going. I am concentrating on trying to reach and glide while rolling the body. Maybe I am doing good for the amount of time I have been doing this, but I want to be able to slack off in the pool if I want to!! lol The last 2 swims I have mixed in a pull bouy to help concentrate on stroke and it seems to help a little. My thought is to be able to swim longer then work on the speed. I want to swim further now
Patrick |
| 2008-08-07 2:41 PM in reply to: #1588259 |
Science Nerd 28760   Redwood City, California | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question Work on swimming farther and also your technique. You'll get faster when you build endurance, but having good form is also really important. Being smooth will help you be faster too. |
| 2008-08-07 7:53 PM in reply to: #1588259 |
Extreme Veteran 569 Colorado Springs, CO | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question my advice is to find a good coach, masters program, or swim instructor who is familiar with triathlons. A knowledgeable pair of eyes watching you is worth it's weight in gold. when on your own, technique, technique, technique. I'm not a huge fan of total immersion, but I like the quote of terry laughlin when he says: "conditioning is what happens as you practice good technique" |
| 2008-08-07 8:41 PM in reply to: #1588259 |
Expert 686 oregon ave, | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question Ahhhh swimming. It is so much different then anything else. To be able to swim at all takes so much work. To make improvements also takes so much work. Improvements come with time, effort and a ton of focus on form. I am no prize swimmer but I have come a long way -or I have come from zero to a respectful position. For a while I felt the same way. After about a year I realize that it was the harder stroke or kick that made me go faster. It was the smoother, well the smoother everything. To pierce a hole in the water, glide through it, and flow with the water instead of against it requires fluidity first then the speed and endurance will come. Work on form, form, form. Remember, it's not like anything else. |
| 2008-08-07 9:08 PM in reply to: #1588259 |
Member 14 Windsor, CO | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question Also remember, open water is a lot different than swimming in the pool. I learned that the hard way. Get in the lake when you can.
DB |
| 2008-08-07 11:40 PM in reply to: #1588259 |
Veteran 125 Kailua-Kona now in Oregon, | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question You sound just like I did 8 months ago. I used to tell my wife that I wanted to have a cruise speed that I could swim all day and not get tired, just like I do on the run or the bike. Well now I do have that cruise speed (Now if I could just get my speedy speed down), so my advice is to just be patient, it will come. But it takes work. Like the others say, work on form/technique, the more drag the more effort it's going to take to move you through the water and the more tired you're going to get. Swim as often as you can 4 or more days a week and take lessons if possible. Masters is another route as well. Form/technique is what it's all about. Oh, and patience. And breathing — don't hold your breath, that will make it feel like you are tired quicker. Even if you think you are not holding your breath, you probably are (talk to the fishes ...) You'll be swimming miles one day. Good luck! |
| 2008-08-08 10:17 AM in reply to: #1588259 |
Regular 58 Atlanta, GA | Subject: RE: Another Swimming Question Patrick - I echo some of the same sentiments expressed already - seek an accomplished swimmer/coach to help provide direct feedback. For all new swimmers I try to get them to think almost exclusively about the vessel (your body) that you're showing to the water. In simplest terms, you want to expose the least amount of surface area to the water. To do this, you need to find proficiency in balancing your body without the prop of your legs. I'm making a sweeping assumption that you are relying on your kick to balance your body, and as a result are going into oxygen-debt quicker than you should. Once you can get to a place where you are efficiently balancing your body in the water and not dependent on your kick to do so, swimming lap after lap at a low-level aerobic effort will be like going out for an easy jog. Good luck! Matthew For coaching: http://www.ENDURight.com For entertainment: http://www.thebackhalf.com |
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