This is awful. I really want to be able to swim freestyle - I can do the *** stroke no problem. I'm taking a workshop and my instructor tells me "your freestyle stroke is very strong" but I'm so WEAK! I'm swimming in a 25 yard pool and I can't make it much more than halfway across the $#$@! pool without having to break into the *** stroke, and I feel like I am just dying.
I'm not in HORRIBLE shape, but not great shape (the current shape is round but my lifestyle changes will eliminate that in time)...I do martial arts, circuit training, can walk 2 miles without a problem.
What can I do to work up to freestyle without killing myself? I don't want to shorten my swims by trying to do freestyle and then dying and having to settle for less time in the water/moving around/burning it off.
Help!
Today I used agility paddles as well - they really helped correct my arm strokes (I was rushing my right stroke after breathing). I am turning things around rapidly. I did one lap of *** stroke to warm up, 10 laps of freestyle, and then one lap of *** stroke to cool down. I did the freestyle with and without fins, and with and without hand paddles. I'm using the fins and paddles to build my stamina and keep my water position correct. One swimmer remarked how good my stroke looked so I'm definitely getting there! I did one full lap of freestyle (with the fins) without a stop and almost died but I made it!
Today I used agility paddles as well - they really helped correct my arm strokes (I was rushing my right stroke after breathing). I am turning things around rapidly. I did one lap of *** stroke to warm up, 10 laps of freestyle, and then one lap of *** stroke to cool down. I did the freestyle with and without fins, and with and without hand paddles. I'm using the fins and paddles to build my stamina and keep my water position correct. One swimmer remarked how good my stroke looked so I'm definitely getting there! I did one full lap of freestyle (with the fins) without a stop and almost died but I made it!
