I need to speed up building up my cardio, and I need to decide how to best go by doing it.
Don't really want to drastically increase my swimming, since I alerady do 2400-3000 Y or M a day (depending on waht pool we end up in SCY or LCM), and about couple times a week or so twice a day. This is all my shoulders and upper body are willing to handle without getting strained to a point where it starts feeling like a serious muscle irritation ratherthan just DOMS. Still need time to build up the strength there. I'm relatively pleased with how my strength is comingalong. My cardio really frustrates me. :rolleyes:
I'm a klutz when it comes to running and don't really want to add strain to the joints etc. that running will do. Wanna save my legs for swimming. Really don't want to do stuff that will increase risk of injury that will take me away from swimming training.
Now that my friend filled my head with the idea that I might have a chance to qualify for FINA master's games in Italy, which I was planning to go to and just watch my friend swim. I'm not really sure how realistic that idea is. Maybe 50/50. I dunno.
I'm kind of unsure as to what would be a good choice to give my cardio more of a push, something I can do as a second workout of the day. Do I get back in the pool in the afternoons, and do some intense kicking sets with longer fins (this actually sounds like something I'd be pretty eager to do)? Something dryland?
Well, this is about as far as I had thought this through (not a lot just yet). So many options - I'm not sure which way to turn. Any input, ideas, suggestions you guys might have that can help me think this through would be welcome.
Or... maybe I just more patience. I'm not sure if I'm pushing it too hard or not hard enough. It must be one of "those" days today.
Former Member
Update...
So I went rollerblading today. Haven't done that in last 3-4 months. Went for some 12 miles. It was okay.
When I skated a lot (I speed skated for couple of years, with rollerblades) I used do two round trips of 14 miles. 45 minutes a piece. One in the morning, another in the afternoon.
With rollerblading I have something to compare to, as far as the conditioning and strength etc. I still have a long way to go. I'm at about 1/4 or 1/5 (just guesstimating) of what I remember my best shape to be. It's better than 1/10th or less... where it was when I started 5 1/2 months ago.
Here's what bugs me though... After rollerblading for couple of hours, I went back to the pool for a Butterfly clinic. About 1/2 though, I started getting leg cramps. Ugh! Not only that they hurt, but I can't do the drills etc. with cramps like that, and it seems like a waste of a workout (or a part of it).
Similar thing happened when I tried some running. Leg cramps for a week, and it sets me back with swimming.
Yea, I stretched, and warmed up with rollerblading... Drank about 2 liters of water while I was at it, one liter before it, and another once I got to the pool.
Most likely, I'm trying to do too much too soon. Last time around, it took me a year to year and a half to get in a really good shape, maybe even up to 2 years. It's only been 5 months so far... Someone keep reminding me of that, will ya!
Well, the cold while worst in other parts of the US because of snow is actually worst for us to swim because of the lack of indoor pools. I swim in an indoor health club pool sometimes and now swim in it because the other pool doesn't reopen until after Jan 4. I have been to Newport Beach a few times in that area. I swam one time on a team at Newport Harbor high school there for about 8 months as a teenager. I came from one of the poorest backgrounds since a lot of kids on that team came from parents that were upper-middle class or higher. Usually, went to Huntington Beach more often since its closer to Fountain Valley. In the past 10 years I live there, I visit the beach only about 5 times. Never learn to surf like the swim practice article in Swim Magazine talk about swimmers doing there. But did you know there was a real Gidget and she was one of the first girl surfers back in the late 1950's.
Originally posted by cinc310
Well, doing butterfly after tht rolling skating that much would make you tried.
well... Kind of true.
I've been doing double workouts about 2-3 times a week for last few weeks... This morning, I was stiull in the cold-pool-shock, so I showed up for practice, but didn't swim.
Friday morning, there was frost on the ground, and the pool was very cold! I'm guessing around 70-72. Alone, that's okay, but a 72F pool, in a 30 degree weather... well... I think I may have done some 2000 or 2500, never even warmed up. It was paiful to swim through muscle spasams. Especially when abs spazz out around your stomach and make you nauseated.
I was freezing cold all day, and that's after a long hot shower and a 2 hour nap wrapped in a down comforter, with one cat on either side of me. It was ugly!
I was swimming, and thinking, is this how hypothermia feels, jsut before you pass out??? It felt like I couldn't move.
As it turns out, the 2 days over christmas, someone turned off the heater switch on the pools. UGH!
last 2 mornings, knowing the pools haven't fully heated up yet, I just couldn't bring myself to get in... with the frost out on the ground. In the afternoons, it was fine, even with the colder pool. Freestyle clinic yesterday afternoon, butterfly today.
It's kind of odd, I swam in the ocean when it was 68-73.. and it wasn't nearly that bad. I think cold water combined with freezing temperature outside made it bad.
Plus, my massage therp. tells me that my right delt is overworked, and staring to get inflamed... so that gave me another excuse to take it easy.
Soo... then I figured... my legs aren't hurting (yet)... so, I went rollerblading. You'd know the area, down on Balboa peninsula in Newport Beach, there is about 3 miles of sidewalk along the beach. So I went up and down twice... probably around 12 miles, maybe a tad more. It was around 65 or 70 at the beach, nice and sunny. It was just beautiful!
I know, I know, long ramble. I'm trying to convince myself that I did the right thing by skipping on last 2 workouts. Don't need to push so hard I hurt myself. On that note, I think I'm gonna crawl off to bed. It's 10PM now, and there's a 5AM workout tomorrow.
Hi Wayne!
Thank you very much for the good info!
I've just started incorporating some thradmill work in the afternoons.
Just yesterday I did 1 hour (4 miles) roughly 10 min brisk walk, 5 min run. Get my heart rate in the aerobic range, with periodic 'stretch' to the max.
I also discovered that my apartment complex gym has couple stretch-machines, that help you stretch in a proper form. I think other than the machine, what is helpful irthat they have posted stretches for just about all body parts.
I'm planing on doing that at least couple times a week, and stretches alone, more often.
I'm off you read the article you're talking about.
BTW, that just reminded me ... my coach speaks highly of you and the materials on your website, he's recommended it to people on the team more than once, and we have a link to yours from our website. (MV Nadadores Masters)
There are two ways to get better swim times while out of the pool.
Stretch
Circuit weight training
I am one of those breaststrokers Cynthia is talking about. Short little legs, huge shoulders. In high school and college I had less flexibility than anyone on the swim team:D
Since becoming a Masters swimmer and making the top 10 now 18 years in a row, my secrets are stretching and circuit weight training. To be honest I have not been in shape a whole year for tens years now. When I want to make the top 10 I stretch more and go to the gym. I can keep my heart rate in the aerobic area for the entire 30-40 minutes in the gym. That is often hard to do because of hogs who monopolize a machine.
I have articles on what you might need at http://www.breaststroke.info
