Anyone give up on swimming to the pace clock and find comfort in just lap swimming for exercise? I have never swam any other way than intervals even after a 20 year layoff.
But I have been on a three month downward spiral. I'm so far out of shape that the couple of workouts I tried were so discouraging that I just want to quit. Yet I swam in a lake last week and felt pretty good. Went to the pool today and intended to just try to swim for 30 minutes straight but damn that clock - swam 6x200 on 4:00. Three months ago I could do 10 on the 3:30 in my sleep and 10 seconds faster per. I just don't want to do this anymore at least not now to even get back to that point. I wouldn't mind just trying to swim a 5k this summer nice and slow instead of competing. I pretty much just need the exercise to lose some weight and be healthy. Yet compteting was what always had motivated me even if it was just against myself and the clock.
So did anyone take this tact and live to tell me how awesome it is? You burn more calories, no more flip turns, no more clock, just swimming.
Parents
Former Member
Well, went to the pool and did 7x200 without looking at the clock. Rested until I felt ready, about 30-45 seconds?, and repeated. I was finally curious of my time swimming like this on the last one and came it at 3:15. That's about 20 seconds slower then my in-shape aerobic pace. But man does it feel good to have all that air.
I found another fringe benefit of this type of swimming is stimuli. People at the pool prolly think I am mean cuz I just go in there to do what I gotta do and don't interupt me in the middle of my set. I don't usually like the outdoor pool because it is too hot for intense workouts and there is too much riff raff. But now I can dodge a ball floating in my lane, check out the scenery and talk to the college girl in the lane next to me and tell her how I used to be this great swimmer when I was 12 but I gave it up to focus on basketball (prolly would have had a D-1 scholarship if I kept it up).
Finally it was time to show off so I did 4x50 on the 1:00. Swam :43s on the first 3 and then busted out a :38 on the last one.
Well, went to the pool and did 7x200 without looking at the clock. Rested until I felt ready, about 30-45 seconds?, and repeated. I was finally curious of my time swimming like this on the last one and came it at 3:15. That's about 20 seconds slower then my in-shape aerobic pace. But man does it feel good to have all that air.
I found another fringe benefit of this type of swimming is stimuli. People at the pool prolly think I am mean cuz I just go in there to do what I gotta do and don't interupt me in the middle of my set. I don't usually like the outdoor pool because it is too hot for intense workouts and there is too much riff raff. But now I can dodge a ball floating in my lane, check out the scenery and talk to the college girl in the lane next to me and tell her how I used to be this great swimmer when I was 12 but I gave it up to focus on basketball (prolly would have had a D-1 scholarship if I kept it up).
Finally it was time to show off so I did 4x50 on the 1:00. Swam :43s on the first 3 and then busted out a :38 on the last one.
