The last time I swam was in mid-March. I train alone, usually 1500-2500, 3-4 times a week. I just turned 62. I was feeling in a good space, doing a masters personal best at just shy of 61 in my best event, even though I've started back at this at 54.
I've been doing resistance band training, yoga, and a mini-elliptical trainer, plus 125 pushups every day. However, my resting heart rate, which was down to low 60s (56/57 overnight), is now 70-ish.
Will I be able to get back to where I was, if/when the pools re-open, and if so, how long should it take.
Side note: will pools likely be safe? I live in Brooklyn, NY
The short answer to your question is : Yes! You can definitely get back into swimming and regain anything you have lost. How effective you will be at getting back into it will depend on your technical foundation, and on how you plan to start your training program. If you immediately jump back into swimming with distance, intensity and interval-based training, you may quickly run into problems, especially in terms of injuries, which will set you back potentially further than you were to begin with! Instead, taking a careful, measured approach to returning to swimming will allow you to not only enjoy your comeback but quickly regain what you may have lost. Once you start swimming again, it may be a good idea to get a stroke coach to take a look at your technique, so that you can identify weaknesses in your swim and focus on working on these first. This will help you to ease back into swimming and preserve an injury-free stroke.
As to your question about the safety of getting back into the pool, I am positive that if/when your pools open they will have a set of safety regulations to follow. At my pool, swimmers must reserve a lane, and you can only share a lane with family members. Entry points alternate in each lane, and swim time is limited to 45 minutes. Your temperature is checked upon arrival and you're required to wear a mask in the entryway of the pool. It feels very safe and organized, allowing us to practice the sport we love amidst some very dark times. Hope they open your pool soon so you can get back in the water!
The short answer to your question is : Yes! You can definitely get back into swimming and regain anything you have lost. How effective you will be at getting back into it will depend on your technical foundation, and on how you plan to start your training program. If you immediately jump back into swimming with distance, intensity and interval-based training, you may quickly run into problems, especially in terms of injuries, which will set you back potentially further than you were to begin with! Instead, taking a careful, measured approach to returning to swimming will allow you to not only enjoy your comeback but quickly regain what you may have lost. Once you start swimming again, it may be a good idea to get a stroke coach to take a look at your technique, so that you can identify weaknesses in your swim and focus on working on these first. This will help you to ease back into swimming and preserve an injury-free stroke.
As to your question about the safety of getting back into the pool, I am positive that if/when your pools open they will have a set of safety regulations to follow. At my pool, swimmers must reserve a lane, and you can only share a lane with family members. Entry points alternate in each lane, and swim time is limited to 45 minutes. Your temperature is checked upon arrival and you're required to wear a mask in the entryway of the pool. It feels very safe and organized, allowing us to practice the sport we love amidst some very dark times. Hope they open your pool soon so you can get back in the water!
