Hi, I am in my early 50s have run competitively most of my life. I started swimming when I was 3 years old, but never learned freestyle. Nevertheless, I feel comfortable in the water.
For the past few years, my training consisted of an hour of running (7 min/mile easy pace 4 times a week, 8.5 min/mile threshold twice a week.) After my third injury in 18 months (hip labrum tears and a sport hernia) my sports doctor said that I need to drop running and take up swimming. I bought the book "Swim Smooth" and after a 2 -3 weeks learned the basics of freestyle lap swimming. My question is how to best move from where I am now (this month I am working on mastering a the 6-5-6 drill and doing more efficient flip turns) to 60 minutes X 6 days a week of freestyle swimming. Does any one have any suggestions?
That's where I came from too, 40 years running, then arthritis in the spine caused agonizing pain. I simply started doing laps 3-4 days a week, up to 2500 yards which was about an hour for me. I swam for cross training on and off since the mid-80s, so it was nothing new for me. But I still had terrible technique and was not improving. So I hooked up with a triathlon coach and took a few swim clinics, next I joined a masters team at the local YMCA. Two days a week we do formal drills with the team. Forget about distance, it's all about technique and all the different strokes. A couple more days of mostly freestyle laps, anywhere from 1200-2500 yds just bouncing off the wall every 25 yds. Then one day a week an open water swim with the Tri club at a lake, 1-2 miles straight distance. What a pleasure, and no pain.
That's where I came from too, 40 years running, then arthritis in the spine caused agonizing pain. I simply started doing laps 3-4 days a week, up to 2500 yards which was about an hour for me. I swam for cross training on and off since the mid-80s, so it was nothing new for me. But I still had terrible technique and was not improving. So I hooked up with a triathlon coach and took a few swim clinics, next I joined a masters team at the local YMCA. Two days a week we do formal drills with the team. Forget about distance, it's all about technique and all the different strokes. A couple more days of mostly freestyle laps, anywhere from 1200-2500 yds just bouncing off the wall every 25 yds. Then one day a week an open water swim with the Tri club at a lake, 1-2 miles straight distance. What a pleasure, and no pain.
