So, as a know-nothing-newbie, I decided that I should swim most days, but with very modest session totals. Lately I typically swim 1200m-2000m per session. (I love the idea of 10km per week!!)
I've wondered if I would be much better off with 3km+ sessions, but maybe 3-4 times per week?
The thing is - I love swimming daily, and I DO NOT LOVE being in the pool for over an hour. I'm doing what I love, but sometimes love is blind!! :)
I'd love to hear from experienced swimmers if you think that most days per week at modest volumes is a better recipe than fewer times per week at much higher volumes. Maybe it depends on how newbie you are? Maybe it depends upon what you are training for?
Thanks for any thoughts you may have on this. I appreciate it greatly.
Right now I swim 4-5 days/week at about 3,000 yards a day. I took 33 years off & after five months of practice managed to set a state record in one event and in another swam the 4th fastest time in the US so far this year. ElaineK says do what makes you happy and this has made me really happy. I'll likely add a 6th day per week and start doing some drylands. Eventually. :)
:applaud: I'm happy FOR you! I love reading inspiring stories here on the forums. :agree:
Hey, Skuj, it won't all be great OR lousy. Some days, you're the dog; and, other days, you're the hydrant. I have had some days where I'm excited to get to the pool, and then I get in, and nothing feels right. I struggle with my technique, I struggle with my intervals, and I feel like crap. On other days, I can hardly get myself out of bed; but, once I get in the pool and warm up, I feel great! I have given up trying to make sense of it other than I'm 57, and my body just doesn't respond to physical demands like it used to when I was younger. Good sleep (which is hard to get these days) plays a huge factor, as does my various physical issues. I never know what's going to happen.
Last Saturday, I swam my best time in two years in the 200 fly and 200 breaststroke. I came really close in the 50 breaststroke, and I swam faster than I thought I would in all four of my races and the relay.
I arrived at the meet on Sunday ready to duplicate Saturday's success. I swam the exact same warm-up as Saturday; however, my 200 IM felt like HELL. I almost scratched the remainder of my races. My husband was with me, though, and I didn't want to disappoint him, especially after our 1-hr drive to the pool each way. I also didn't want to disappoint myself by quitting; but, Saturday really took it out of me.
Immediately following the 200 IM, I swam the 50 backstroke, an off event I hadn't raced in two years. I thought, what the heck, I will swim this race and then see how I feel. I ended up only five one-hundredths of a second off my 2017 time at that meet, and I hadn't trained that race at all! After that, I was in a much better mood, and I even volunteered for a relay at the end of the day.
The moral of the story: Take it one day at a time, and don't let any one day in the pool define you as a Masters swimmer or a person! Keep an eye on the long-range goal. ;)
Right now I swim 4-5 days/week at about 3,000 yards a day. I took 33 years off & after five months of practice managed to set a state record in one event and in another swam the 4th fastest time in the US so far this year. ElaineK says do what makes you happy and this has made me really happy. I'll likely add a 6th day per week and start doing some drylands. Eventually. :)
:applaud: I'm happy FOR you! I love reading inspiring stories here on the forums. :agree:
Hey, Skuj, it won't all be great OR lousy. Some days, you're the dog; and, other days, you're the hydrant. I have had some days where I'm excited to get to the pool, and then I get in, and nothing feels right. I struggle with my technique, I struggle with my intervals, and I feel like crap. On other days, I can hardly get myself out of bed; but, once I get in the pool and warm up, I feel great! I have given up trying to make sense of it other than I'm 57, and my body just doesn't respond to physical demands like it used to when I was younger. Good sleep (which is hard to get these days) plays a huge factor, as does my various physical issues. I never know what's going to happen.
Last Saturday, I swam my best time in two years in the 200 fly and 200 breaststroke. I came really close in the 50 breaststroke, and I swam faster than I thought I would in all four of my races and the relay.
I arrived at the meet on Sunday ready to duplicate Saturday's success. I swam the exact same warm-up as Saturday; however, my 200 IM felt like HELL. I almost scratched the remainder of my races. My husband was with me, though, and I didn't want to disappoint him, especially after our 1-hr drive to the pool each way. I also didn't want to disappoint myself by quitting; but, Saturday really took it out of me.
Immediately following the 200 IM, I swam the 50 backstroke, an off event I hadn't raced in two years. I thought, what the heck, I will swim this race and then see how I feel. I ended up only five one-hundredths of a second off my 2017 time at that meet, and I hadn't trained that race at all! After that, I was in a much better mood, and I even volunteered for a relay at the end of the day.
The moral of the story: Take it one day at a time, and don't let any one day in the pool define you as a Masters swimmer or a person! Keep an eye on the long-range goal. ;)
