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?
I have returned to swimming to lose weight as I am still rehabbing my pelvis and most cardio is out, after being on .
Great for getting back in it!
Alright, I'll give you my thoughts since I was not too far from where you are now. First thing is ADJUST YOUR DIET *****NOW*****! I cit way back, and renormalized what I ate before I got into the water. Lost 12 pounds with that (granted I cut WAY back) in a few weeks. Then when I started swimming, I ate more due to the calories burned. And at this point, I've lost over 25 pounds, and I'm really not trying to (almost the opppsite).
But GET THE DIWT SORTED FIRST.
Now, that said, for the rest of it. Just get in there and do it. I still am sorting out pacing, but I'm getting there. I bought a Garmin Swim which I don't much care for but I have a pace clock now. Once I got settled into a comfortable routine, I picked up the workouts. And I got uncomfortable, which is what I kind of need.
When switched to workouts, I was a little over 160 (from 185 before I started with the diet thing). Heart rate was 66 (from 72). Now I'm under 160 (157-159 depending), but my heart rate is mid 50's, and actually under 50 if I skip a few days. I am a lot more concerned about heart rate as a measurable than anything else. And I credit following SwimDog's workouts for that.
Congrats for getting back in. Diet diet diet, and make sure you do NOT get comfortable in your workouts.
Others may have differing opinions, but that is what worked for me, and I think it will f0r you, too.
I have returned to swimming to lose weight as I am still rehabbing my pelvis and most cardio is out, after being on .
Great for getting back in it!
Alright, I'll give you my thoughts since I was not too far from where you are now. First thing is ADJUST YOUR DIET *****NOW*****! I cit way back, and renormalized what I ate before I got into the water. Lost 12 pounds with that (granted I cut WAY back) in a few weeks. Then when I started swimming, I ate more due to the calories burned. And at this point, I've lost over 25 pounds, and I'm really not trying to (almost the opppsite).
But GET THE DIWT SORTED FIRST.
Now, that said, for the rest of it. Just get in there and do it. I still am sorting out pacing, but I'm getting there. I bought a Garmin Swim which I don't much care for but I have a pace clock now. Once I got settled into a comfortable routine, I picked up the workouts. And I got uncomfortable, which is what I kind of need.
When switched to workouts, I was a little over 160 (from 185 before I started with the diet thing). Heart rate was 66 (from 72). Now I'm under 160 (157-159 depending), but my heart rate is mid 50's, and actually under 50 if I skip a few days. I am a lot more concerned about heart rate as a measurable than anything else. And I credit following SwimDog's workouts for that.
Congrats for getting back in. Diet diet diet, and make sure you do NOT get comfortable in your workouts.
Others may have differing opinions, but that is what worked for me, and I think it will f0r you, too.
