What do YOU need to do to have a major swimming breakthrough?

What do I need to do? 1) Work on my kicking - as much as I hate it, I HAVE to start working my legs a lot more than hardly ever - this is gonna be the hardest thing I need to do. 2) Adjust my eating habits even more - in progress 3) Find a coach, not just someone who posts a workout on a board. I compete, I love to compete so I have to try and find a coach that will help me compete better - in progress 4) Swim with a purpose - not just do the board but actually have a goal for each session whether it's breathing, SDKs, stroke, turns, etc - in progress 5) Swim more often than 2-3xweek - in progress 6) Address my lack of flexibility - after Nats, I start Yoga 2x week.

Anyone working on having one?

1. improve my flutter kick. 2. decrease distance per stroke in freestyle. 3. attempt to SDK off the wall. 4. move swimming up the workout priority list so i'm not thrashed from running for every workout.

At 63, I don't think there any break thru points for me . i will try hard each year to stay even!!:bump:

I agree with PWolf66 on the finding a coach and getting into a training program instead of just doing workouts written on the board. I was successful (in my mind) when I swam in age group, high school, and college because of consistency. I think that right now that is going to be a long-term goal for me. 1. Don't be afraid to swim in a meet-thinking about this one but not there yet. 2. Continue with my consistent workout schedule of 3-4 times a week-so far I have done 2 workouts this week. 3. Do extra drills and kick sets after the workout is over-which I started this week.

I've already taken it up a notch by committing to 4 - 5 swims/week and keeping to a 3000meter (minimum) workout - I can really feel the difference in my swimming from just this. Next steps to really bust it out: I'm a solo swimmer so I need to push myself more often. It's easy for me to just coast. SDk off every wall Get back into strength training - weights 2 times a week, maybe 3 Be more consistent with yoga Keep on keeping on with the healty diet - I'm eating a lot more healthfully these days so I need to stay with this and if I can, I'd like to lose about 10 pounds. And of course, visit SFF every day and work a tip a day

Allright ande, Ill bite. I would like to go under 2:00 for 200 SCM free. I train by myself, and usually in a scy pool (easier to get some speedy sets in without the slalom action in the meter tank). I cobble togther workouts from the sets I find on this site. Right now, I can pull off a 1:56-57(ish) scy from a push in practice. I swim M-F, ~1.5h/workout. Weekends are hiking/biking/something that doesnt involve chlorine. Heres what I think I need to do: 1) work on "sprint endurance". My understanding of this is fast swims on fairly speedy intervals - ex, sets of broken 200s. I tend to psych myself out on these sets cause I know theryre going to hurt. I need to suck it up and do them once or twice a week (more?). 2) swim a 200 for time at least once a week. 3) 2-3 SDKs off every wall. Very hard for me; I start to gasp after about 100 y of hard swimming and surface too fast to suck wind. 4) Lift weights 3x a week. 5) stretch! 6) enter more meets. Matt

I now have a coach. Even though I still workout alone at least I have someone to give me workouts and whose expertise will help me become a better and faster swimmer. I have also started a strength training program with a trainer. It's a good arrangement. She wants to do a triathlon and needs help to improve her swimming. So we're trading; I'm her swim coach and she's my trainer.

I guess that we all want to be better. It takes more time than we are willing to commit at some point.

since we're beginning the SCM season, I'm curious if anyone is working on having a breakthrough season? Where are you now? What would you like to do? When? How? The work begins now, what you do today and over the coming weeks and months prepares you for your focus meets in Nov & Dec. Ande