Hi! I'm a brand new swimmer, sort of. I swam on swim team for one summer in high school, and enjoyed it, but didn't continue. Here I am 21 years later, having spent most of the last 21 years at a desk sitting down, and I can't even remember HOW to do three of the strokes. I've been doing freestyle drills (to try to remember how breathing works) and what feels like billions of laps of breaststroke 5-6 days a week for about four weeks now. After the first three weeks I wanted some way to challenge myself and set goals, so I started this program:
ruthkazez.com/ZeroTo1mile.html
It assumes freestyle but I literally can only do breaststroke right now so I'm doing that.
My long term goals are pretty simple. I'd like to swim a mile ***, and a mile free, and become a competent enough swimmer to join a masters program. Not sure if I will ever want to compete, but community and a coach would be a great thing to have.
Shockingly to my previously almost entirely sedentary self, I love it. I love being in the water and I love what happens after I flail around a little at the beginning and all of a sudden I feel like I could probably just swim forever and I love how hard it is sometimes and it just feels great. I don't think there is any other sport or exercise that I could say that about. So that's pretty cool. :)
I have questions about technique, rest days, strength training, and avoiding injury. Hoping I can learn and build some community here. :)
I'd like to swim a mile ***, and a mile free, and become a competent enough swimmer to join a masters program. Not sure if I will ever want to compete, but community and a coach would be a great thing to have. I am guessing you are already competent enough, and only a lesser proportion of masters swimmers actually race. Now could be the time to work with a program to avoid developing flaws in stroke form which might occur.:)
Welcome, Lapras! :welcome: You came to the right place. Here on the Forums, we have developed our own little swim community that has (mostly) been very supportive and helpful. I have been here since joining USMS in 2010 and have made some nice, supportive friends who I've met in person at national swim meets around the country. As a matter of fact, __steve__ (above) is one of them! We have bumped into each other in Athens, Georgia and Greensboro, North Carolina at swim meets, and he's a really nice guy!
Spend some time looking through the various threads (including "The Breaststroke Lane"), and you will learn a lot. You may also want to check out this article I wrote for Swimspire; it may be of help to you: www.swimspire.com/.../
Good luck!
:cheerleader:
I am guessing you are already competent enough, and only a lesser proportion of masters swimmers actually race. Now could be the time to work with a program to avoid developing flaws in stroke form which might occur.:)
I was thinking I should be able to do a 25 or 50 free before I join the masters program. Maybe I should talk to the coach and find out if they have the bandwidth to help me with that. I'm not really sure what is holding me back. It might be that I am literally too heavy and out of shape to flutter kick for that long, or it might be that I get panicky and tense and flaily when I try it. I did it as a teen and didn't have these problems so IDK.
Thanks! :)
Hi Lapras,
I am a newbie too. I swam back in high school, life happened, 3 kids later and after watching my first born learning how to swim motivated me to pick it up again. So now I am starting to lap swim early in the mornings. Question for you all, what are you using to keep track of how many laps you are doing? I know there are all those fitness watches, but I am skeptical about them. Especially for swimming.
Oh, Lapras, I too just joined in Lifetime, but in NY. I see I am the only USMS member in that area. So I am stuck to swimming solo. Have you tried taking Lifetime's masters swim classes?
Thanks!
Here are a bunch of options you could use for counting laps for a long swim. Check out the low-tech version that slips over your finger: www.swimoutlet.com/searchresults.asp
I use one of those finger counters for (rare) long endurance swims when I am not swimming intervals. On most days, I do intervals and keep track of my workout on one of these that I keep at the edge of the pool: www.scuba.com/.../Innovative-Dive-Slate.html . When I return home, I enter my workout in my Go the Distance Fitness Log.
Hi Lapras,
I am a newbie too. I swam back in high school, life happened, 3 kids later and after watching my first born learning how to swim motivated me to pick it up again. So now I am starting to lap swim early in the mornings. Question for you all, what are you using to keep track of how many laps you are doing? I know there are all those fitness watches, but I am skeptical about them. Especially for swimming.
Oh, Lapras, I too just joined in Lifetime, but in NY. I see I am the only USMS member in that area. So I am stuck to swimming solo. Have you tried taking Lifetime's masters swim classes?
Thanks!
I took LifeTime's adult learn to swim class for four sessions and this week I am going to meet with the Master's coach and see if I think it's a good fit. I have been happy with everything that I have experienced there, so I hope it works out. And I hope your experience is as good as mine! :D
Where in the Phoenix area are you?
I lived there for 20 years and swam with each major masters group: Phoenix Swim Club, ASU/Swim Devil Masters, and Mesa Aquatics Masters.
Each has some learn to swim classes, along with their normal workouts for masters. I'd highly encourage you to connect with the group most convenient for you and chat with the coach.
I swam solo for years because I didn't think I was good enough for masters. Then when I finally did go, I realized that there are many people who swim with a masters group, some super fast and many who are not quite so fast.
Hi ssumargo!
As far as counting laps, I just think about it and repeat it in my head until I hit the wall, and increment up. I kind of prefer days when I don't count at all because I can do other mental gymnastics that are more interesting than being a tally board, hehe.
I took LifeTime's adult learn to swim class for four sessions and this week I am going to meet with the Master's coach and see if I think it's a good fit. I have been happy with everything that I have experienced there, so I hope it works out. And I hope your experience is as good as mine! :D
If you are swimming more laps than you can count, the $80 Swimovate Poolmate 2 watch works fine so long as you follow the instructions. Specifically don't stop or change strokes mid lap and make sure to push off from the wall strongly. It is is a little primitive as far as swim metrics, times, interval counting etc. For that you need to upgrade to something like the $150 Garmin swim or the even pricier triathlon watches. I used the poolmate for about six months, but as I became a more experience swimmer outgrew it and wanted something more advanced that was suitable for open water and triathlon.
Where in the Phoenix area are you?
I lived there for 20 years and swam with each major masters group: Phoenix Swim Club, ASU/Swim Devil Masters, and Mesa Aquatics Masters.
Each has some learn to swim classes, along with their normal workouts for masters. I'd highly encourage you to connect with the group most convenient for you and chat with the coach.
I swam solo for years because I didn't think I was good enough for masters. Then when I finally did go, I realized that there are many people who swim with a masters group, some super fast and many who are not quite so fast.
I'm just west of Chandler and south of Tempe in Phoenix. We joined the Tempe Lifetime and that is where I am joining masters. I think I looked at all the others and felt like the drive was too far.
I so appreciate you guys encouraging me to check out masters. I had my first swim with the group tonight and I made HUGE strides. It's so small, really, but I swam a 25 freestyle, more than once, all the way, without stopping and breathing water and choking and all of that nonsense. He had me do stuff I haven't done since high school and the other team members were very welcoming and warm. I'm really glad I have found joy in this sport.
And sort of off topic, but part of my motivation for starting was high triglycerides. Mine are down 20% in about 30 days of hard swimming (and some diet change). :D Feeling pretty great!!
