Getting back in the pool after a few years off...

I started by just swimming laps. I had been away from swimming for a long time and just getting to the end of the pool seemed like an effort at first. However, I got better and better, and now I do events like the 200 fly and the 400 IM. So, my advice is to just get in there and swim some laps - you will be doing interval training before you know it.

heh heh, I've been on and off swimming in high school ( I am currently OFF;) ), but I've started to get back into it. I'm in college now, so there's no coach to help me out, cause i'm not swimming for college. But we do have a pool and I've been going alot. I've started out by going like twice a week, now I'm going almost everyday. Just start swimming laps and mini-sets...stuff that you would consider easy and gradually increase the yardage/...meter..."age(?)":D and intensity. Every high school swimmer goes through it when they're coming from the off-season of eating potato chips and farting around. We just start out with the easy stuff and gradually increase the workout level. I found that running only helps a little. It may get your stamina up, but swimming is way more difficult than running. Running seems to only help your leg muscle endurance, but does almost nothing for the shoulder endurance....so being in the pool is probably the only way to go. good luck, David

I actually found that with a lot of running and a little swimming, my ability to swim for longer periods is decreasing. As was said before, there is no substitute. It seems like I am out of breath faster. Anyway, My way of getting back into it was by joining a group of people, such as masters and "compete" with them. My drive for better results are by constantly comparing myself with other people, even during workouts. This makes me push harder. I must however warn you not to overdo it, because of the change of injuries. Hope this helps

By the way, Scott. I see you are in Pittsburgh. Join one of the YMCA's that have a master program. You would certainly be welcome at the Sewickley YMCA. There are several YMCA's in the area with masters teams. Check out www.amymsa.org. It is the eastern PA YMCA masters organization

I've also been looking for ways to get back into the "swim" of things and have just been swimming an increasing number of laps or lengths a day (hey, I'm in my 50's and have been away from swimming for more than a few years--lol). But, just swimming laps does get boring after awhile. Several days ago I went to the library on an errand not related to swimming, and there on the fund raising table was a well used copy of Swimming for Total Fitness by Dr. Jane Katz. I bought it immediately, because the last half of the book has workouts that begin with 100 yards :eek: and progress to over 2 miles. Just what I had been looking for to get me back to a level where I can use the great workouts posted on this site. I haven't started using the workouts in the book yet but they appear to be clear and easy to follow. The book also has diagrams of all strokes, starts, turns, etc., common technique mistakes and drills to correct the errors.

If you are interested in these or other books by Jane Katz, you could also try writing her directly. In addition to being a good author and an amazing swimmer, she is a great lady and always willing to help our her fellow swimmer. The following excerpt from her bio on www.usms.org/.../ktz437a.htm contains her mailing address. I think the address is still current. If not my apologies to the new resident. When Jane was injured in a car accident in 1979, she created her own aquatic program to help her rehabilitation. She decided to share her knowledge and experience with others, and has written several books including: "Fitness Works" (1988), a practical book that offers step-by- step direction on everything you need to start your own exercise program including guidelines on training methods that cover cycling, walking, jogging, and swimming; "Swimming for Total Fitness" (1993), a progressive swim program with over 80 workouts; "Water Fitness During Your Pregnancy" (1995); "The All-American Aquatic Handbook: Your Passport to Lifetime Fitness" (1996) and; "The New W.E.T. Workout" (1996), that includes water exercise techniques. She also has a computer diskette with a "Work Station Workout" for those who spend time in front of the computer. For these and other publications, you can write Jane at 400 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

Another book, also by Jane Katz, is Swim Thirty Laps in Thirty Days. It is out of print but you can find it at Amazon under used books and sometimes on eBay.

Laineybug, I was glad to see someone else has Katz's "Swimming for Total Fitness". I'm also in my 50s hadn't done lap swimming for over 20 years - and never was a competitor or even a technically competent swimmer. But when I was younger, energy covered for lack of technique. When I decided to get back into swimming I worked with a coach who was terrific and taught me things I didn't learn in my 1960s Red Cross lessons. But endurance was a huge issue for me. It is still my toughest problem. I happened on the book and started working my way through the workouts. I started in the middle and even then they were too short so I added distance. I got a great deal of satisfaction by checking each one off and moving on. It rebuilt my confidence which was starting to get battered as I struggled to learn fly and flip turns. I've been in a masters group for 1 1/2 years - I'm almost always last - but I love it. And I still go to the workouts in the book when I'm swimming on my own. They are simple, easy to remember, and have served me well. I've recommended it to a couple other "older" swimmers like me who don't have the same endurance level that the kids in the group do.