Started swimming again this year in an effort to get in better shape. Haven't done it since college (I'm 43), and that was just for exercise. Did it as a kid, now my kids also swim. At any rate, I'm just doing laps right now. Usually 6 sets of 500, occasionally only 5 and occasionally 7 or 8. ~5 days a week when life doesn't get in the way (so about 15,000 yards per week). About 25% ***, 25% back, and 50% free. I have occasionally thrown some fly in there, but I just can't do it without it fatiguing me to the point where the remainder of the set is very suboptimal.
At any rate, I am wondering at what point I should start looking to transition to doing workouts, rather than just laps. There is no Masters program that will work for me, so I'd just be following the posted workouts from the forums. Should I just jump right in? Should I start from "week 1," or just hit it right in the middle? Also, should I just be looking mostly at the general workouts, of mixing it up with the IM workouts to get more strokes, or start with general and slowly work my way towards the IM stuff?
Anything y'all need to know to help guide me the right way?
Well, THAT was humbling!
So observations from trying out a small workout.
- Not going to do another one of these the morning after 67Queen and I have a date night - lap swimming after a couple glasses of wine, NP. This was a little more challenging.
- UDK's......you could call these things "ankle breakers" for all I am concerned.
- I have a newfound respect for sprinters. 250 yards of any stroke (well.....except fly) is easier than a 25 yard sprint.:oldman:
- I think that the CIA could replace water boarding with backstroke sprints and get the same result. :drown:
- Just threw away my neti-pot, as I won't be needing it if I keep doing backstroke sprints :drowning:
- I had forgotten how obnoxious some groups of people, collectively, are. Water aerobics people start taking over teh pool 45 minutes before their 30 minute long class starts :frustrated:
- Lane ropes are removed 15 minutes before lap swimming ends (see above)
At any rate, trying to inject a little humor into the morning. Actually felt good to do a little fly for short durations. But holy smokes, it took it out of me! Will definitely try to get an earlier start next time, so as not to run afoul of the water aerobics people. There are triathlon people in teh pool until 8:00, the first water aerobics person is usually there at 8:45, and they start filing in around 9:15. Class starts at 10:00. By 9:30, they move your wattle bottle and stuff so they can put their stuff at the end of the lane.......which of course means you have to move it just to get out of the pool.........but I will say that fins, paddles, deck bag, a printed workout, etc. served to be a bit more of a deterrent. One good thing about sprints, though! When the obnoxious water aerobics people see you pounding the water hard, they are less likely to walk across your lane right in the middle of your workout.
Maybe my water aerobics gripes should go in Elaine's solo swimmer rant thread. It has been a while since I either swam on the same day as they had a class, or I wasn't done by 9:15. Speaking of Elaine and that thread, just curious. What part of GA? Grew up a bit south of Atlanta and swam for a team that was in Forest Park, but is now in Jonesboro - Tara Tarpons. There were 3 of us that made the 45 minute trek up to Forest Park a few times a week.
Well, THAT was humbling!
So observations from trying out a small workout.
- Not going to do another one of these the morning after 67Queen and I have a date night - lap swimming after a couple glasses of wine, NP. This was a little more challenging.
- UDK's......you could call these things "ankle breakers" for all I am concerned.
- I have a newfound respect for sprinters. 250 yards of any stroke (well.....except fly) is easier than a 25 yard sprint.:oldman:
- I think that the CIA could replace water boarding with backstroke sprints and get the same result. :drown:
- Just threw away my neti-pot, as I won't be needing it if I keep doing backstroke sprints :drowning:
- I had forgotten how obnoxious some groups of people, collectively, are. Water aerobics people start taking over teh pool 45 minutes before their 30 minute long class starts :frustrated:
- Lane ropes are removed 15 minutes before lap swimming ends (see above)
At any rate, trying to inject a little humor into the morning. Actually felt good to do a little fly for short durations. But holy smokes, it took it out of me! Will definitely try to get an earlier start next time, so as not to run afoul of the water aerobics people. There are triathlon people in teh pool until 8:00, the first water aerobics person is usually there at 8:45, and they start filing in around 9:15. Class starts at 10:00. By 9:30, they move your wattle bottle and stuff so they can put their stuff at the end of the lane.......which of course means you have to move it just to get out of the pool.........but I will say that fins, paddles, deck bag, a printed workout, etc. served to be a bit more of a deterrent. One good thing about sprints, though! When the obnoxious water aerobics people see you pounding the water hard, they are less likely to walk across your lane right in the middle of your workout.
Maybe my water aerobics gripes should go in Elaine's solo swimmer rant thread. It has been a while since I either swam on the same day as they had a class, or I wasn't done by 9:15. Speaking of Elaine and that thread, just curious. What part of GA? Grew up a bit south of Atlanta and swam for a team that was in Forest Park, but is now in Jonesboro - Tara Tarpons. There were 3 of us that made the 45 minute trek up to Forest Park a few times a week.
