armed with my brand new pair of goggles, the knowledge i'd gained from this and other helpful sites, and not much more, i hit the pool for the first time just over two weeks ago.
being a runner, i expected my endurance to cross over to swimming.....man was i wrong. i was totally winded after just one lenght (25 yards). i had to rest for quite a while before i was ready to go again. all the while, there's a 76 year old pluggin away in the lane next to me. i'm thinking, how in the world does he do that?
two weeks later, i've discovered that even though the fitness gained in running doesn't cross over, the principles of endurance do. that is, large improvements can be acheived in the beginning. i can go for two laps (100 yards) non stop, and start back again without much rest.
one question. i'm breathing after each stroke cycle now(right-left-breathe). should i try to increase the strokes between breaths next or add another lap, or both?
tj
Former Member
I would definatly recommend the book "Fitness Swimming" by Emmit Hines. I used to be a recreational swimmer and was wondering why I could only do a couple laps and feel like dying. I ended up doing the drills in this book and realized I knew NOTHING about proper swimming! This was a year ago, I am now ready to enter a masters meet in my area in the 1500 and I can honestly say it was because of this book.
Make sure you are stretching and getting in plenty of warmup at the beginning of your workouts. If you are getting winded before you get fully warmed up, it will ruin the rest of your workout.
There's nothing wrong with breathing every stroke cycle as a beginner. There are more important things to work on (head position, body roll, distance per stroke, relaxed arms during recovery) before you attempt to tackle alternate breathing.
The best way to learn is to either hire a personal instructor or join a masters team. If those are not viable options, the Hines book that the others have mentioned is a great place to start.
Let the water help you, if you let it the water work for you it will keep you up. Then all have to do is press each hand down to your thigh. It will be easier than you think.
Yes get somone to help you. There are some tips on my web page www.swimdownhill.com
George
I have to agree with everyone else. I could barely do a couple of lengths when I first started out. Then I read some articles about front quadrant swimming and about balancing in the water (press your chess down until your hips rise) and suddenly I'm loosing count of how many lengths I've done. When you press your chess down and your hips are high you aren't dragging your legs low through the water, and you don't get as tired. Your legs will feel almost weightless. Oh yeah, you don't have to do a six beat kick either, a two or four beat kick is just fine. I also second finding a trainer for a little one-to-one coaching, it will make a huge difference.
Swimming is all about technique, not just grinding out yards. A good coach, book or cd regarding drills is invaluable to learning to swim efficiently. TI and Emmit Hines offer some great advice on drills for learning to swim or for refining your stroke.
Hook'em
Blue
