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!
That nose clip may be why you use so much energy. I had to use one for a while, with a sinus infection, and it nearly killed me! I think once you ditch it, you'll see a big difference. Note~I still use one for my backstroke races to stay under longer after the walls.
Yes, I agree Cheryl. I think that it is hindering my air intake/efficiency by about half. If I get to blow out while in the water and be 'empty and ready for a big breath' when I breathe, I think I'll be able to really build up my endurance!!!
Wahoo!!! SOunds like you're making great progress and identifying what may have been holding you back. Keep up the great work!
Thanks! I just kept at it and kept at it. I feel like a completely different person than I did this time last year (42 lbs ago). Now I'm out of the pool until my new tattoo heals (sigh) but I'll do brisk walking and cycling. A guy I swim with maintains it takes one year to get "The Lungs." I think that's about right! Thank you for the kind words!
