General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks Rss Feed  
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2009-03-24 9:00 PM

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Subject: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks

I haven't swam in any real way since I was in middle/high school. I picked it back up last December. I couldn't even swim a full lap, my breathing was all over the place. Fast forward to now, I complete 2500 yard workouts (non-stop) and aerobically I'm fine (wore my HR strap in the pool a few times).

Now, my BEST pace on a non-stop mile swim is 2:00minutes/100M. Most of the time I end up around 2:05minutes/100M. Now, not that it really matter but I'm wearing good ole' swim trunks (not even jammers) and obviously pool swim with no wetsuit. I don't care about gear for training. I'd really like to get to say 1:45 pace (well really 1:30 but trying to be realistic here)

What should I do:
Am I can going to find that much time in my form?
Should I just work harder (in terms of HR)

How should I get there
Kick my own butt in the pool
Take a lesson
Take a clinic
Drills you can recommend



2009-03-24 9:20 PM
in reply to: #2038206

Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks
Take some lessons or at least have someone take a look at your stroke on a somewhat regular basis. And suck it up and get some jammers; the baggies will slow you down. A lot of swimming is about technique. Get someone to tweak yours. There are any number of drills you can do that can help. But it's better to have an outside eye take a look and go from there. It's hard to know what you're doing wrong when you can't see.

Edited by wurkit_gurl 2009-03-24 9:22 PM
2009-03-24 9:56 PM
in reply to: #2038206

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Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks
merlin2375 - 2009-03-24 8:00 PM
Am I can going to find that much time in my form?

Yes. Technique is everything. The more good stroke instruction you get the quicker you'll get fast. Practice bad technique and you'll engrain that muscle memory into yourself so bad, it will be much harder or impossible to break.

Get real swim trunks. Part of swimming fast is mental. Be as fast as you can in the pool and you'll be faster in the race.
2009-03-24 9:58 PM
in reply to: #2038303

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Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks

breckview - 2009-03-24 10:56 PM
merlin2375 - 2009-03-24 8:00 PM Am I can going to find that much time in my form?
Yes. Technique is everything. The more good stroke instruction you get the quicker you'll get fast. Practice bad technique and you'll engrain that muscle memory into yourself so bad, it will be much harder or impossible to break. Get real swim trunks. Part of swimming fast is mental. Be as fast as you can in the pool and you'll be faster in the race.

^^^

Work on technique and best way to do that is with coaching. I've swam for 5 years with same mistakes and trying to break those bad habits is super hard. When I get lazy or try to go hard, I fall back into my old ways.

2009-03-25 12:32 AM
in reply to: #2038206

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Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks

You will find that much time in your form.

You will find even more time in a swimsuit that looks uberdorky on you. The speed increase is proportional to how mortified you would be to be seen in the suit. An extra 0:02/100M if it's fluorescent green tiger stripe.

And wax your entire body for the last 0:04/100M. It totally works... Trust me....

2009-03-25 7:36 AM
in reply to: #2038206

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Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks

Get the jammers.
Take some lessons.

Seriously.  Maintaining proper form where your hips and legs are "up" will be much easier without the drag of trunks. 



2009-03-25 7:53 AM
in reply to: #2038206

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Subject: RE: Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks

Thanks all! Sounds like good advice. I am going to order some jammers today and schedule a lesson in the next couple of weeks.

Do jammers generally run true to size or should I go one size up or down?

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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Oh, I found my swim pace and...it sucks Rss Feed