Hi everyone...I've been more of a lurker around here as I recently started working for US Masters as the web contractor, so I've been behind the scenes.
But today, I got back into the pool for the first time in YEARS. I hadn't done any kind of lap swimming for at least 20 years. I have a brand new Masters group just down the road. Problem is, they don't have a coach yet. So if someone can give me some advice, that would be great.
I did 8 laps (200 yards) *** stroke and thought I would die between each one, but it's a starting point. I would rest for about 30 - 45 seconds between each lap (watching hte clock) and then do another lap. After 100 yards I didn't know if I'd be able to double it, but I did.
Short term goal is to be able to do two laps without having to stop and gasp in between. My mid-term goal is to get my stamina back - I was very atheletic for years and most recently used to do a lot of long distance cycling, so I know it'll come back. My longterm goal is also to lose 50 lbs but know that swimming isn't the best way to do that, but it'll certainly tone me up. I'm dieting and doing other exercise but now I have pulled a calf muscle, so until that heals, swimming will be it for me.
If I had tried freestyle, I doubt I would have made it halfway across the pool!
I look forward to help anyone can offer me. I know I need realtime coaching too but that will have to wait for now.
Thanks,
MJB
Former Member
Originally posted by Guvnah
Depends on how you are doing the stroke.
Doing it with competition pace and quality is very demanding. But I recall from my childhood days (before any type of competitive swimming) that I could do a relaxed breaststroke all day, it seemed, but couldn't do freestyle to save my life at first.
Don't the YMCA (or the Boy Scouts or Red Cross, one of them, if I recall correctly) swimming classes teach breaststroke (and elementary backstroke) as "resting strokes"? You are totally correct. Many elderly people swim *** at our local pool but they do it at a very sedate pace. The wave, which is the style used in competition today, is much more grueling to perform. I would rather work harder each lap than swim the gravy train for a few hours.
Hi Marian,
As you may know, there are some more useful resources in the Fitness section of the USMS web site. It sounds like you have some swimming background, but it never hurts to take a refresher course on some of the basics. The "Getting Started" section has articles on Pool Etiquette and Using the Pace Clock -- and also a Pace Chart and Circle Swim Diagram.
The Fitness section also has monthly articles. Topics include: training, health, nutrition, motivation and other topics of interest to all types of swimmers.
If you're looking for something to stay motivated, try one of our Fitness Events:
The Check-Off Challenge encourages you to try all the different strokes and distances, and it can be done at your own pool during lap swim, or in a more structured environment such as a coached practice or swim meet.
The 30-Minute Swim challenges you to see how much you can swim in a half-hour, and is a great way to prepare for the One-Hour Swim and other Long Distance Postal Championship events.
The Virtual Swim Series is designed to take the monotony out of your trips back and forth across the pool. Now you can "Swim America's Waterways" and join others throughout the country and world in applying any pool lengths you actually do to virtually swimming some of the most interesting bodies of water in the US.
Enhance your swimming experience by checking out all the great Fitness resources offered by USMS.
Swimmingly,
Bill
Try keeping a workout log. You may not see much improvement from one day to the next, but in six months you'll be impressed with your progress when you look back on your workouts.
I have nothing to add, but just wanted to repeat this. Workout logs are great, especially after couple of seasons as you can go back, figure out what kind of progress you've made, what worked and what didn't, you get a record of your injuries, days you've been too sick to workout, etc... I'm on my third year of keeping logs, not just for swimming, but for all my sports/workouts and the wealth of information they provide is amazing....
Hi everyone
Well, my *** stroke might be as much energy as lifting the remote to change a channel, but to me, it's relative. I am out of shape; this was my second time n the water. I tried doing Freestyle and lasted as I figured, half a lap, so I broke back into my *** stroke again.
Do you know I didn't feel as trashed after a lap as I did on Day 1? My wind was much better. I didn't want to stop 3/4 of the way across the pool to catch my breath. There was a DEFINITE difference.
The other difference was that the other day, in 30 minutes, I got in 200 yards. Today - I did 450 yards! I timed my first lap to see my best (probably) speed and it was 32 seconds to do 25 yards of my flat *** stroke.
I felt like I could have swam more but my sister, 30 years in the Masters, told me get in for a half hour and swim as much as you can.
So there you have it!
I'm hungry now....time to raid the kitchen (not really...I'm on a diet bigtime)...
Marian the Newbie :cool:
Originally posted by mbriones
Hi everyone
Well, my *** stroke might be as much energy as lifting the remote to change a channel, but to me, it's relative. I am out of shape; this was my second time n the water. I tried doing Freestyle and lasted as I figured, half a lap, so I broke back into my *** stroke again.
Do you know I didn't feel as trashed after a lap as I did on Day 1? My wind was much better. I didn't want to stop 3/4 of the way across the pool to catch my breath. There was a DEFINITE difference.
The other difference was that the other day, in 30 minutes, I got in 200 yards. Today - I did 450 yards! I timed my first lap to see my best (probably) speed and it was 32 seconds to do 25 yards of my flat *** stroke.
I felt like I could have swam more but my sister, 30 years in the Masters, told me get in for a half hour and swim as much as you can.
So there you have it!
I'm hungry now....time to raid the kitchen (not really...I'm on a diet bigtime)...
Marian the Newbie :cool:
Congrats on your progress. That is the stuff that will keep you going back to the pool time and time again.
I have a friend who took up swimming so he could do tri's. He was a runner and biker for years before that. He only works on his freestyle, because that suits his needs. But he does breaststroke as a "recovery lap". I watched him one time. His breaststroke has about as much effort in it as using the remote control to change the channels.
I work on all four strokes and a 100 SCY *** sprint - giving it all that I have - really wipes me out.
Originally posted by Scansy
His breaststroke has about as much effort in it as using the remote control to change the channels.
You mean I'm not getting any benefits during channel surfing? Next you'll be telling me that leaning back in the recliner chair is not considered exercise. ;)
Originally posted by mattson
You mean I'm not getting any benefits during channel surfing? Next you'll be telling me that leaning back in the recliner chair is not considered exercise. ;)
Alas, no exercise there. However getting out of the recliner (for instance, to get that next beer) is, indisputably, good solid exercise (especially if done repeatedly, for which those beers will serve as all-important carbo loading, as indicated in another post).
mbriones-
Check out the thread I started about e-mails & viruses. It is kind of freaky if indeed some one took the otyher persons e-mail address & sent to me a virus. I don't know enough to know how it was done,though. Is htere a way I can keep it from happening in the future?
thanks,
Criag
Originally posted by craiglll@yahoo.com
mbriones-
Check out the thread I started about e-mails & viruses. It is kind of freaky if indeed some one took the otyher persons e-mail address & sent to me a virus. I don't know enough to know how it was done,though. Is htere a way I can keep it from happening in the future?
thanks,
Criag
There are loads of viruses out there that send themselves from the infected computer to people in the address book on that computer. It also picks one of the names in that address book and "spoofs" that address as the senders address.
The only way you can avoid getting such email entirely is to cancel your email service. You can stop such emails from hijacking your computer addressbook by religiously using current antivirus software - best to use something that automatically updates its virus signatures daily - because new viruses are released/discovered daily. If you've been using email long without such protection, its a strong possibility your machine is currently infected and sending such email/viruses out to others.
I use MCaffee Viruscan Online. There other such services.
