beginners thread??? or forum?

TotalImmersion.Net has a forum that seems to have a fair amount of beginner activity on it.

Ya, thanks. It is a good forum. But it is their forum for TI. I don't feel like I could talk or get any advice from them due to "their" technique. I'm just frustrated. I know I'm only a beginner. I practice every day and the biggest thing, for me, is the breathing. I'm turning right, pulling air in, head down, PUSHING air out my nose and still only make 3 or 4 rotations and feel like I'm smothering. My body doesnt' feel satisfied. I can run 3 miles on a treadmill and do ok. I just didn't think this breathing would be that hard. :mad: I guess I'm taking this so serious because I finally am doing it. I've wanted to do this for many many years and here it is. I hope I'm not cramping anyone's style in here. Please bear with me. I'll get it, I don't give up easy. I keep telling myself what I'm doin right. Thanks for the ears/eyes. Mark

hey mark, when you swim backstroke it is a good idea to exhale exclusively through the nose. HOWEVER, nobody has a nose big enough to exhale all the necessary "bad air" when it is underwater, (nor to inhale the necessary oxygen). There is a lot to be said about breathing for swimmers, but you've got plenty of other things to pay attention to at this point of your development.

The biggest thing I found to help with breathing is to stop everything else and focus just on breathing. Stand in the shallow end and pretend to swim. Do everything you would normally do except move forward. Keep your head down, and practice just rolling it to the side, inhale, turn it back, exhale, until you've got it down. It's a good skill to practice in the bathtub too...and then you don't have to worry about people watching you if you're self concious. Good Luck!

Originally posted by midaged Is there a "beginners" forum?? Not necessarily inside of this one, but anywhere out there in the e-swim world that you guys can recommend? .... There is not a beginner’s forum on this message board, but there are ways to target the information you want. The best place to do so on this board is currently this General Discussions Forum. Ask questions. There are a lot of beginner, intermediate, or newcomer friendly folks on in this forum. The more specific the question/topic the better. The more “swimming newbies” that post to this forum, the more likely it will be that it will become a haven for newcomers. Try searching the archives on a specific topic. A link to the search index is in the menu bar at the top of most every page in the Forum sections. Try viewing posts by specific forum members. If you click on a “Profile” link for a member you will find a link for “Search for all posts by this user.” (Look to the right of their user ID.) The forum FAQ page will help you with these and other aspects of how the board works. As for other webs or message boards for newbies, the pickin’s are fairly slim. Occasionally, just to see what’s out there, I search the web for swimming instruction in the basic categories of beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Beginner information is fairly easy to find. But once you get past the point saving yourself from drowning there is a huge leap into information that is primarily targeted towards folks who are seeking to break a record somewhere. If you know of any sites that target regular folks, feel free to put them up here. FYI: Sometimes it is difficult to slog through the archives, but there are some very knowledgeable (and witty) folks here, so it can sometimes be worth the effort. I frequently post to threads or questions that are more oriented to “swimming basics”. If you view my collection of posts through my profile you will have relatively easy access to a number of “beginner” oriented threads. (Just a suggestion for a place to start.) Figuring out who is or is not newcomer friendly here is a pretty quick lesson. Swimmers in general are very friendly people, but like any public message forum it sometimes requires patience. If you encounter some negative feedback (occasionally some whack-job will go on a tear here), just stick around and the atmosphere will eventually change for the better.

One thing - Don't be afraid to ask 'dumb' questions. Everyone, even national record-holders, had to learn to swim at some point, and for most of us it did not come easily. Chances are, any questions you may have that you think may be too 'dumb' to ask are the exact same questions a lot of other swimmers had at some point.

Thanks for those tips. I do that drill and it does help. Actually I ho`ld onto the wall with one hand deep on the wall and the other at the surface and kick. I know it sounds stupid, but I'm so green that I didn't even know what "masters" meant. I just read up on it this morning. I found this forum trying to find someone out there that had a beginners swim forum. I don't even KNOW anyone personally, except my 20 year old coach, that swims correctly. So, I just want to know more about swimming and have limited resources. I checked and we don't have a "masters" swim program here, but there is talk of organizing one. Thanks again, Mark

midaged - I'm not a beginner but am new to this forum. It seems like many on this board are swimmers of modest capabilities and are treated very well by all. There are some awesomely fast swimmers here too but I haven't yet found a lot of arrogance. You said "3 or 4 rotations." I assume that means complete left/right arm sequences. First thing I suggest is to breathe every complete stroke pair (left/right). Pick a side to breathe on and breathe every time on that side. If you are trying to breathe every 3 rotations, you are probably starved for oxygen. Watch very good swimmers train and they breathe "every stroke" most of the time. If you are a newbie - you are not very efficient right now, which means you are working extra hard compared to strong swimmers. No reason to limit access to oxygen.

hoffam, thanks for those great words. I am breathing only to my right. Lead r arm, l arm follow, r arm & breathe. It's probably just what you said, I am working so hard and so non-efficient. I can feel that. My coach says I'm thinking too much about it, but that in itself is very hard not to do. I won't say I"m athletice per se, but I am focused and intent. I'm a pretty decent runner. I'll keep working on and eventually, I'll get it. If it were quick and easy....then everyone would be freestyle swimmers! ;) As for the forum, yes I have read many posts and I see no signs of arrogance like typical of some boards. Everyone here is helpful and experienced and nice mentors. Thanks, Mark