General Discussion Triathlon Talk » my MASSIVE swimming gains Rss Feed  
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2010-07-05 10:20 AM

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Subject: my MASSIVE swimming gains
I'm pretty happy right now. June 27 i decided to pursue a triathlon and did my first ever swimming of laps at the pool. I stunk. THe laps went 1. freestyle, 2. sidestroke, 3. breast stroke. 4. survival backstroke. then rarely did i complete laps without jumping to either sidestroke or the survival backstroke. I swam as a kid a lot and could stay alive all day but can't do anything continuous except for those two strokes.


Since then i've been watching videos on freestyle and specific drills to improve it. I've been taking notes on what the drills are and then bringing them to the pool. I have spend a fair amount of time at the pool since june 27 but haven't done laps at all. It's all been drill work. Maybe I'd do one lap in freestyle during my drills but most of it was technique stuff.

Well today I went to the pool with the intention to swim 1/4 mile freestyle without stopping. I concentrated on the technique that i have been working on and successfully did 1/4 mile in 9:15 min. It felt so good that i did another 1/4 in 9:10 and then a third 1/4 mile in 8:46. 8 minutes and 46 seconds is truly an incredible feat for me compared to where I was just a couple weeks ago and I'm pretty certain that I could have done the entire 3/4 mile without stopping if i had had that as my goal for the day!


2010-07-05 10:53 AM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Doesn't it feel great when the swimming finally 'clicks'? I had my click last week & have been improving steadily ever since! Could you post the specific drill videos you watched? They sound helpful!
2010-07-05 12:57 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
I got a package of stuff from www.totalimmersion.net I started with "Perpetual Motion Freestyle in 10 lessons" dvd and am working on the "triathlon swimming made easy" book. The DVD is an easier way for me to learn swimming I've decided.

edited to fix hyperlink.

Edited by czeqm8 2010-07-05 12:58 PM
2010-07-05 1:21 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Congratulations!  I bet that feels fantastic.   
It's also inspirational for me -- I too am starting to train for my first triathlon, and my swimming stinks too.  It helps a lot to hear that drills and practice can make such a difference!   
2010-07-05 1:30 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Way to go! Keep up the great work...watch out - you won't be able to call yourself a non-swimmer much longer!
2010-07-05 2:46 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Did you teach yourself everything?  I've been trying to do this myself, but have only managed to improve from about 2:30/100 to 2:10.  I haven't focused a lot on drills, though, which drills have helped you the most?


2010-07-05 2:50 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
mharms - 2010-07-05 2:46 PM Did you teach yourself everything?  I've been trying to do this myself, but have only managed to improve from about 2:30/100 to 2:10.  I haven't focused a lot on drills, though, which drills have helped you the most?


There are soooo many drills on that video. I did drills almost exclusively. I actually took 2 pages of notes to the pool with me. I'd do a drill. Make sure it seemed as perfect as I could make it, then i'd go to the notes and see what was next.

So, yes, I did teach myself everything....... if you don't count the video.
2010-07-05 6:08 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
I received the T.I. DVD a couple of days ago and have only watched the first three lessons on it. I've always had problems with freestyle (or any other type of swimming other than dog paddle), so I'm really hoping something clicks at some point.

What kind of notes helped you? I would love to take the DVD to the pool with me, but I don't want to take my laptop where it might get splashed-on.
2010-07-05 6:57 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
RBesecke - 2010-07-05 6:08 PM I received the T.I. DVD a couple of days ago and have only watched the first three lessons on it. I've always had problems with freestyle (or any other type of swimming other than dog paddle), so I'm really hoping something clicks at some point.

What kind of notes helped you? I would love to take the DVD to the pool with me, but I don't want to take my laptop where it might get splashed-on.


He has the dvd in outline form.
1.1
1.2
1.3
2.1
2.2
2.3
etc.

I just wrote down the name he gave each on a piece of paper, and some ideas from each topic so i'd remember what he did. I stuck that paper in plastic and set it on the edge of the pool on a towel. I'd do one thing till cozy, read the next item, do it, read, etc.
2010-07-05 6:59 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
RBesecke - 2010-07-05 6:08 PM I received the T.I. DVD a couple of days ago and have only watched the first three lessons on it. I've always had problems with freestyle (or any other type of swimming other than dog paddle), so I'm really hoping something clicks at some point.

What kind of notes helped you? I would love to take the DVD to the pool with me, but I don't want to take my laptop where it might get splashed-on.


oh, i don't see any reason to watch more than the first three lessons till you are good at the drills from the first three lessons. Well at least for me it would have been a bad idea.
2010-07-06 10:24 AM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains

I just wrote down the name he gave each on a piece of paper, and some ideas from each topic so i'd remember what he did. I stuck that paper in plastic and set it on the edge of the pool on a towel. I'd do one thing till cozy, read the next item, do it, read, etc.

That makes sense to me; I may try it. Thank you.


2010-07-06 1:54 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
I'm still waiting for it to "click" for me but, thankfully, have two more months until my first tri.  I am making progress though and that - along with the encouragement from my husband - keeps me going!
2010-07-06 7:03 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains

Congrats!  Its such a great feeling, isn't it?  My swimming has "clicked" in the past week and I've found my swim workouts to be really enjoyable and something I look forward to (and I'm a runner...never considered myself a swimmer!). 

I have some Total Immersion dvds that I've watched but what really helped my swimming "click" was swimming with a masters group.  After a couple workouts with the coach watching me in pool, giving me specific drills and coaching, I feel like I've improved 1,000%.  So, I highly recommend this route if you need specific guidance and structured workouts.

 

2010-07-08 10:28 AM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
czeqm8 - 2010-07-05 6:59 PM

RBesecke - 2010-07-05 6:08 PM I received the T.I. DVD a couple of days ago and have only watched the first three lessons on it. I've always had problems with freestyle (or any other type of swimming other than dog paddle), so I'm really hoping something clicks at some point.

What kind of notes helped you? I would love to take the DVD to the pool with me, but I don't want to take my laptop where it might get splashed-on.


oh, i don't see any reason to watch more than the first three lessons till you are good at the drills from the first three lessons. Well at least for me it would have been a bad idea.


You're making a sound choice to narrow your focus to Lessons 1 to 3. I consider those lessons to be "learning pre-school." I am finishing up a User Guide for which all those who already ordered the 10-Lesson Series will receive a notification and link to download by July 15. In that User Guide I identify Lesson 1 to 3 as the Foundation group of lessons, Lesson 4 thru 7 as the Strokebuilder group, and Lessons 8 thru 10 as the Emerging Skills or Kaizen group of lessons.

The Foundation group of lessons are designed to
1) simplify and streamline your brain’s *information-processing* demands, and your muscles’ *energy-metabolizing* demands because learning new skills imposes unusually high demands for mental energy, and the source of mental energy - glycogen and oxygen - is the same source your muscles use.
2) develop learning habits—how you should think, plan, evaluate, adjust and learn from experience in all the lessons that follow – indeed the framework for making literally hundreds of critical decisions for years into the future; and
3) develop the body awareness and body control that are critical to mastering the stroking skills you begin learning in Lesson 4.

While the Foundations group isn't overtly focused on stroking skills, it doesn't foreclose the possibility that a very inefficient swimming might still make "massive gains" in swimming, as you've discovered, and which I'm delighted to hear.

Beyond your choice to focus on 3 lessons I'd also counsel that you limit yourself to 3 Steps in nearly any practice. Narrower focus will lead to greater real understanding and skill.
2010-07-08 11:32 AM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Well done on the improvement, swimming always seems to feel like an uphill battle.

Gary Hall Sr. just finished a series of 10 well thought out posts on our forum, you should be able to find them by searching for swim myths. They help you to decide the order of what parts of the stroke you should work on. Some really great stuff.

Edited by mkarr0110 2010-07-08 11:33 AM
2010-08-03 9:18 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
I am another formerly lousy swimmer who is gaining from the TI method of swimming. I did two sessions at the pool (freestyle laps) where I really struggled (strugglestyle?) I could not finish a single lap.

Here is my assessment of what I was doing wrong:
1. my feet were too low in the water and my head too high. I felt like a was dragging my feet along and because of that felt the whole time like I was fighting the water. The harder I stroked the more effort it took but I didn't feel like I was making faster progress

2. because I was working so hard I was breathing really hard. I was blowing air out as hard as I could while my head was under water so I could suck in as much air as I could when my head was out of the water

3. not rolling side to side enough... my arms and legs were doing all the work

4. I did not feel relaxed, smooth or efficient. I was churning up the water and making lots of bubbles but it wasn't getting me anywhere.

I got Freestyle Made Easy and it was a revelation for me. I watched the whole thing through but just before I went to the pool for my first session I only watched the first few drills.

I am a confirmed sinker and the DVD really empahised to me that stuff like balance doesn't come naturally to some people and it is a skill to be mastered like skating. I can skate so I thought I can learn to balance in the water too.

My first session was a bit of a disaster in terms of progress. All I was doing was balance drills... balance on your back, balance on your front, balance on your side. On my back my legs were too low and when I kicked I travelled along the pool but in the direction my feet were facing not in the direction my head was facing! On my front I couldn't bring my backside up enough and on my side when I kicked I went around in circles! Also, in the middle of one drill I spontaneously sank right to the bottom of pool... and I was in the deep end too!

However, I gained so much from that first session. The DVD really emphasised being relaxed and either the DVD or a book I read said to make the practice sessions fun! I had heaps of fun and made myself relax in the water. I had a person spotting for me to let me know if I was horizontal and when I went backwards, spun in circles or sank to the bottom we both had a good laugh. It was great to feel relaxed in the water again after fighting it for 2 sessions because I grew up in the water and used to love swimming. I just never mastered freestyle.

Anyway, by my second session I really got the hang of the balance stuff. I got a feel for how even slight head movements affected the rest of my body and found much better positions to balance in. After the end of the second session I tried a few laps to see how much my swimming had changed.

I just went slow with really relaxed arms to see how it felt. It was so relaxing to glide through the water and used so little energy that I could not work out where to breathe. I usually breathe every third stroke (bilaterally) but with that relaxed stroke I was getting up to five and then realising I had to breathe so rolling into "sweet spot" (on my side) and breathing there. Because of that I didn't really "achieve" two full, smooth laps but I did learn that swimming through the water could feel effortless. My breathing was also really relaxed. I just bubbled air out when my head was in the water and didn't feel like I needed to gasp for air when on my side. However, my timing still needs work to bring everything together.

I feel that I have pretty much mastered balance and breathing but my timing needs work now. The next TI drills on the DVD are all about timing!

I am looking forward to my next session in the pool now instead of dreading it!


2010-08-03 9:25 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
Instead of doing 3/4 of a mile shoot for an entire mile!
2010-08-04 12:35 PM
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Subject: RE: my MASSIVE swimming gains
This all is very inspiring. I'm horrible at swimming and have been looking for ways to get better. I swim with a group and we've been doing mostly drills and not really much actual swimming so I felt like I wasn't making much progress and was getting frustrated. Finally I had my coach examine my technique and he told me I'm guilty of all the mistakes mentioned above, i.e. lifting my head to breathe so my legs sink, not rotating enough and not gliding through the water. I watched the Total Immersion video to get some other tips, but have not yet practiced them in the pool. After hearing everyone's success stories I'm looking forward to practicing and hopefully making similar gains.
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General Discussion Triathlon Talk » my MASSIVE swimming gains Rss Feed