I hope confetti tossing is allowed here...
I started swimming on October 12th of this year. The first time out, I would do one length (25 yards) of *** stroke and need an oxygen tank at the end of the pool. Trying a freestyle lap got me about 1/4 the way across before I felt like my lungs were going to blow.
So I kept with it. I do endurance building things M and W and then 'marathon swims' on Fridays where I am adding 50 yards each week until I get to a mile. (72 laps). I had to do nothing but freestyle recently because of my groin pull, and have been taking it easy. My goal was to start with one minute between a 25 yard lap of freestyle and decrease that time 5 seconds per week until I was at 0. This week, I was supposed to be at 25 seconds. Anyhow, today, out of nowhere, I went for my first freestyle lap, got to the end of the pool and said to myself, hmm...I'm not tired...so flip and keep going! So I flipped and went back the rest of the way! I didn't have to stop!
I couldn't believe it! If I hadn't gotten creeped out by the covered deep end of the pool and its creepy drains and creepy lane lines hanging into the water looking like dead legs, or other body parts, I think I would have been able to go farther - I tend to swim as fast as I can out of the deep end which wears me out. I was the only one in the pool or I wouldn't have creeped out. Long phobic story that dates back to my childhood, spared for another day and another topic.
Anyhow, I am very pleased that I have made such progress. Swimming rocks and it has made my chiropractic adjustments less frequent, my muscles stronger and longer, and a leaner me - with a resting heart rate of 53 now. WOO HOO!
(Letting my Roomba vacuum up the confetti now)...
-Marian
Parents
Former Member
Congratulations on your progress. Your experience is one of my favorite parts of swimming, the ability to constantly see improvement in speed, endurance, technique, and general proficiency. I went from 400 yards in an hour to 1650 yards in 35 minutes over the course of 3-3.5 months and I was ecstatic with myself. Of course I rained on my own parade with a foolish stretch that strained a rotator cuff but I am getting better slowly and I am once again working back into my endurance so that I can beat the 30 minute mile mark. My ultimate goal is to break the 25 minute mark. As your endurance grows you will start to look for ways to lengthen your stroke and reduce the effort required to swim a lap; this is the best way to build endurance, swim smarter and not harder. I worked on stroke length, my catch, my kick, body roll, hand entry point, etc., etc.. Have fun!
EDIT: I think I might even splurge and pick up a FSII Jammer once I break the 30 minute mile mark! Why not give myself something to shoot for.:)
Congratulations on your progress. Your experience is one of my favorite parts of swimming, the ability to constantly see improvement in speed, endurance, technique, and general proficiency. I went from 400 yards in an hour to 1650 yards in 35 minutes over the course of 3-3.5 months and I was ecstatic with myself. Of course I rained on my own parade with a foolish stretch that strained a rotator cuff but I am getting better slowly and I am once again working back into my endurance so that I can beat the 30 minute mile mark. My ultimate goal is to break the 25 minute mark. As your endurance grows you will start to look for ways to lengthen your stroke and reduce the effort required to swim a lap; this is the best way to build endurance, swim smarter and not harder. I worked on stroke length, my catch, my kick, body roll, hand entry point, etc., etc.. Have fun!
EDIT: I think I might even splurge and pick up a FSII Jammer once I break the 30 minute mile mark! Why not give myself something to shoot for.:)
