I just started getting back into a routine of swimming laps so that I can improve my fitness enough to start taking surf lessons within the next month or two. Right now I aim to swim a mile each workout, and in a few weeks I'm planning on adding some sprints and breath control sets to mix it up and get in better shape. I'm not interested in swimming for speed or joining a Master's group, I simply want to swim regularly to build up my fitness and stamina, and also to challenge myself and get some adrenaline pumping. My question is, how do I know if my swim workouts are hard enough for my fitness and stamina to improve? Is it enough for me to just be breathing a little fast, or do I need to kick my own butt and feel pretty out of breath at the end of a set or workout? I try to swim at a vigorous but constant pace, but after swimming a mile I'm not the least bit tired or out of breath. I know that I need to push myself out of my comfort zone to build fitness, but how far is far enough?
Do some internet research on target heart rate, and check your heart rate periodically during your workout. You don't need a fancy heart rate monitor; a simple waterproof digital watch and two fingers on your carotid artery will do the trick.
A couple of times during my daily swim training sessions, I will check my pulse at the end of a set or after a practice race. As soon as I hit the wall, I check the pulse in my neck at the carotid artery and count the beats for ten seconds. (Multiply times six to get the rate for one minute.) After my last fast set before cool-down, I will check my pulse, and then check it again in two minutes to get my recovery heart rate.
Here is link with more information:www.heart.org/.../Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp
Do some internet research on target heart rate, and check your heart rate periodically during your workout. You don't need a fancy heart rate monitor; a simple waterproof digital watch and two fingers on your carotid artery will do the trick.
A couple of times during my daily swim training sessions, I will check my pulse at the end of a set or after a practice race. As soon as I hit the wall, I check the pulse in my neck at the carotid artery and count the beats for ten seconds. (Multiply times six to get the rate for one minute.) After my last fast set before cool-down, I will check my pulse, and then check it again in two minutes to get my recovery heart rate.
Here is link with more information:www.heart.org/.../Target-Heart-Rates_UCM_434341_Article.jsp
