Hi,
I posted this on another swimming web site but then I found this one and it seems to have a bit more activity so I thought I'd post it on here as well.
I'm a fairly new swimmer (been doing it for about 2 months) and although I have progressed quite a bit there is still one thing that I have a problem with which is getting tired. Here's what happens to me:
When I first kick off the wall everything is fine, technique is good and breathing is good. In fact, I am going at a pretty decent pace and am having absolutely no problems. But at around 75m to 100m I seem to just hit a wall and all of a sudden I feel like I am swimming in a vat of molasses and going really slow. Eventually my form starts to break down and I find it difficult to get a breath. I don't know why this happens and was wondering if anyone else had experienced this or would have any suggestions on getting past this ? I don't think it's my technique because, as I said, everything is totally fine up to a certain point (i.e. stroke is good, I'm maintaining a pretty good horizontal position to minimize drag and breathing is good in that I am exhaling completely, or as completely as I can, underwater and getting a pretty good gulp of air when I do breath) and then it's like WHAM! I just start getting really slow. I'm also in good shape since I ski, mountain bike and hike so I know my lungs should be fine, but when I'm swimming I just reach a point where I get so tired I need to rest. Anyone have any suggestions.
Joe--
VO2 max is extremely sports specific. Researchers have done one-legged bicycle training trials where they get volunteers to exercise their right legs but not their left legs. After getting the one leg in shape, their VO2 max is great in the trained leg--but pathetic in the unlegged one.
Now factor in that other sports simply don't train your swimming muscles very well. You might be in great running or cross country skiing or biking shape, but this really doesn't confer much advantage at all in swimming. To get endurance in swimming, you need to do a lot of swimming--gradually work your way up in the distance, giving your body time to adapt.
You may also have more "fast twitch" muscles than "slow twitch" ones, which means you'll end up being better ultimately at sprinting than distance swimming. Still, if you have endurance in other sports, it would seem to me that you can develop endurance in swimming as well. Remember: Rome was not built in a day, and it can take a while to train muscle groups that have never been seriously worked before (at least in an edurance sense.) Keep at it, adding no more than 10 percent a week to keep injuries at bay.
We always had a saying that anyone and everyone is good for about 83 1/2 yards of good form, even if in poor shape. At that point the wheels fall off and it ceases to be fun........
When I started back in 1983, it took me a year to build endurance to the point of being able to hammer a 100.
I think you need to keep on keepin'on until you do achieve a higher level of swim fitness. It'll come......
Don't get discouraged, most of us have experienced the same thing. :p
Hi Joe,
I totally agree with Jim when he says that VO2 max is sports specific. I can swim for miles but am a horrible runner. A few years ago, I became determined to incorporate running (well, jogging) into my exercise routine. I started out jogging a block (no joke!) and slowly increased each day or two by another block. After several months of this, I was able to "jog" for an hour (I'll bet many of you are laughing, but it was a real effort for me!) My big success was completing a six mile race. I've decided that swimming is much better for me and currently, probably couldn't jog more than two blocks. ;)
Try using a pull buoy. I find that kicking uses up a lot of energy. It might be just the help you need until you build up a bit more swimming endurance. Besides, if you're looking towards ocean swimming, there's not a huge need to kick anyway.
Good luck!
-GG
I found the way to combat that last hard 25 is to look forward to it. I always save a little extra for the last lap. If you dig deep and view this as your opportunity to excel, it becomes your favorite lap of the race.
Thanks for the replies. I kind of had the feeling all along that the answer would involve practice and patience. When I jump into something I usually want results right away but I guess there are no shortcuts to developing good swimming fitness. This is a really great board by the way, lot's of good info. A little personal info about me and my swimming goals:
I'm 34 years old living in San Diego. I have no desire to have blazing fast lap times but do wish to get fit enough to swim distances of 1/2 mile to a mile. My 2 ultimate goals and the reason I took up swimming in the first place is to be able to do Ocean swimming (specifically in La Jolla Cove) and to be able to complete the requirements for Scuba certification.
25 yards, rest 10 second, repeat, repeat and keep repeating. When your stroke starts to fail, or your getting too slow, extend your rest to 20 seconds, keep at it. Next week, mix in some 50 yards, then rest 10 seconds and so on, In a month, you'll be doing 100 yard intervals, maybe 150's. once in a while go for a long extended swim, measure your improvement over time,,, it's the best motivator.
Good Luck
