I am slow, and when I mean slow, I mean slow. I can do a 26 sec 50 with fins, but without I come in just under 1:20! I think a big part of it is just taking the fins off and doing a lot of kick sets to learn to feel the water better with my feet. I have a good breaststroke kick so I don't think my problem is an overly weak pair of legs, although they could be in better shape. Also, myankles are fairly flexible as I can point my toes and make my feet bend backwards past an even position with my shins. However, I do think that I need to loosen up my ankles when I kick. I feel like I get more out of my kick for those brief moments when I allow my ankles to snap back and forth with my kick. I think I actually need to relax more to kick faster as weird as that sounds.
I suppose the answer to my question is that I simply need to take of the fins and do kick set after kick set until I learn to feel the water better with my feet and become more efficient.
Ande,
I just read this whole thread and am very excited about trying your suggestions. I have always been a very slow kicker, in fact I'm all ARM's my feet just drag behind me, they move but to not propel me through the water.
I have a problem with my legs cramping, and this has been long-standing, 20 years plus. Even when I was in my 20's when a practice was tough, I would always end-up cramping. My coaches get puzzled, trying to figure it out... more electrolytes, banana's pears, etc... nothing really has made much of a difference, I have just sort of accepted that this is the way my body is. But now (after reading this thread) I'm starting to think that maybe my leg cramps are because I have never built up those muscles and I have just dragged my leg's around and when I am really tried (from a hard practice) that when I try to kick, I then cramp because those are my weakest muscle.
I guess the only why to verify this is to be very diligent about trying to strengthen my kick, measure my kick times (and incidents of cramping) over time. What do you think?
I think you might have hit the nail on the head Emyrold. I have suffered from exactly the same problem of cramping. It is particularly bad towards the end of a training session and always happens when I am pushing off the wall to sprint. Perhaps it is the action of straightening the legs and the tensioning of the muscles when I point my toes, but, whatever, it is damn painful and usually puts and end to the practice then and there. However, I must tell you I haven't cramped in about 2 months now and, recently, my workouts have increased a lot (so if anything I would have expected more cramping). I put it down to two things. 1. For the last two months I have taken a bottle of sports drink (here in Taiwan the brand I like is Supau) to the pool with me each time. This was on the advice of an old man who had been watching me swim and cramp up. It is important to start hydrating BEFORE you even get into the pool. I take drinks at regular intervals throughout my practice now. 2. Recently, on the advice of Ande I have really been practicing my kicking and hence strengthened the muscles in my legs. It now takes a lot longer for them to be tired and hence to cramp up.
My flutter kick times are steadily improving and so are my sdk's. I encourage you to do the practice sets Ande suggests and post your times up here. I, for one, would be very interested to hear of your progress.
Syd
Ande,
I just read this whole thread and am very excited about trying your suggestions. I have always been a very slow kicker, in fact I'm all ARM's my feet just drag behind me, they move but to not propel me through the water.
I have a problem with my legs cramping, and this has been long-standing, 20 years plus. Even when I was in my 20's when a practice was tough, I would always end-up cramping. My coaches get puzzled, trying to figure it out... more electrolytes, banana's pears, etc... nothing really has made much of a difference, I have just sort of accepted that this is the way my body is. But now (after reading this thread) I'm starting to think that maybe my leg cramps are because I have never built up those muscles and I have just dragged my leg's around and when I am really tried (from a hard practice) that when I try to kick, I then cramp because those are my weakest muscle.
I guess the only why to verify this is to be very diligent about trying to strengthen my kick, measure my kick times (and incidents of cramping) over time. What do you think?
I think you might have hit the nail on the head Emyrold. I have suffered from exactly the same problem of cramping. It is particularly bad towards the end of a training session and always happens when I am pushing off the wall to sprint. Perhaps it is the action of straightening the legs and the tensioning of the muscles when I point my toes, but, whatever, it is damn painful and usually puts and end to the practice then and there. However, I must tell you I haven't cramped in about 2 months now and, recently, my workouts have increased a lot (so if anything I would have expected more cramping). I put it down to two things. 1. For the last two months I have taken a bottle of sports drink (here in Taiwan the brand I like is Supau) to the pool with me each time. This was on the advice of an old man who had been watching me swim and cramp up. It is important to start hydrating BEFORE you even get into the pool. I take drinks at regular intervals throughout my practice now. 2. Recently, on the advice of Ande I have really been practicing my kicking and hence strengthened the muscles in my legs. It now takes a lot longer for them to be tired and hence to cramp up.
My flutter kick times are steadily improving and so are my sdk's. I encourage you to do the practice sets Ande suggests and post your times up here. I, for one, would be very interested to hear of your progress.
Syd
