My swimming has gotten better, much better. I'm much more comfortable with it now. I have went from floundering and embarrassing to, well, not quite as floundering and embarrassing. haha.
I can comfortably swim a lap now and then a little more without stopping. I know that sounds elementary to you guys, but to me it's nice considering just a little less than two months ago I couldn't swim with my head down in the water and had to come home and blow bubbles in a sink to get used to that.
I swim probably total of 8 laps, but they're broken with rests after a length. no hurry.
So many things that I've worked on. But flippers have really helped me. I only use them about 1/2 or less of my swims. They allow me to focus on my form from the top of my body while I glide with them. They keep me afloat and my butt up while I'm thinking head down, arms up, roll, etc. Then sometimes I just "torpedo" with them, head down, and kick with my glutes, breathing to the side occasionally, arms out dive position, no strokes. I gotta get used to my butt rocking a lil bit side to side.
Sometimes I use the paddles, I hate it, but I do cause I've been told it gives you a feel for the water better and strenthens the pecs/arms.
I had thought my head was more down, but yesterday my swim buddy reminded me that it's not. He videod me on my phone and I watched it. Funny, you don't look like you THINK you look. My head was not down. Once I put my head more down things got better immediatly, including my endurance. much less drag. I'm keeping it flat enough that a lil water leaks in on every turn to the side and that helps. I"m still just breathing to one side for right now.
Thing is I love it. I've never really taken to something like this, sportswise. I've never dreamed about any sport. I've trimmed off bout 5 lbs as well in that time. My pants are really loose and I'm (inserting redface here) buffin up a lil. My abs are more defined and my legs/butt/chest are showing some defintion. Wife noticed that.;), well my swim buddy did too. He said that he could see changes thru my neck/shoulders.
I swim most mornings before work, which sets my mind for the day. Usually in about 45 or an hour. some rests in between.
I guess, besides the exercise part of it feeling good, I like the solitude. Nobody can talk to me or disrupt me while I'm gliding along. It's my time.
I'm working on pushing my endurance up a notch or two now, as well as keeping my arms up.
I read you guys posts and value your friendships. I hope that one day I can quit lurking and lend some good advice. I'm not sufficient yet. However, I hope that another newbie lurker can read my progress and learn from it.
G'day folks,
Mark
Former Member
If you're working hard to get 8 laps done . . . I would not recommend using paddles at this point. Paddles are really (IMHO) a tool to be used by swimmers with advanced skill and fitness. It's too easy to hurt your shoulders through misuse.
my 2 cents
It sounds like you've made a lot of progress. Keep up the good work! I agree with Sabretooth, don't use the paddles for now. They can help increase strength, but they can also cause serious shoulder injuries if your technique is not great. If fins are helping you, keep using them, just be sure not to get addicted to them. You may want to try swimming a lap or two with fins, then a lap or two without to try to replicate the feeling. Videotaping yourself was great, but I'm sure you found it can be a little humbling too. Re-tape yourself every once in a while to see what's improved and what still needs work. Keep the old videos, and in a year or two (maybe even less) you'll be amazed how much better you're doing.
Yea, typically, I've developed a sort of routine:
stretch, swim one lap, use flippers for two or three laps, paddles one, rest, breaststroke a full length, brief rest, breastroke back. swim full lap slowly with no flippers or paddles.
then repeat until I'm just flat exhausted.
Since I'm not good yet, a great amount of mental goes into this as I'm getting my breathing/turning rhythm down.
Your doing great!! I can swim, but have been on a 27 year vacation and I can only do about 8 laps before I have to stop.
Don't give up!! I too like the "me" time swimming gives a person.
It's amazing the resistate swimming has, at a younger age I never notice it, but now, I fell it, even when I flip turn and go back down the pool lane I feel my own water current from the previous lap. It's a weird feeling.
Keep up the good work!!!
Hope this helps!
I was 65+ years old when I thought that starting swimming would be a good thing to do. So I went to a local community college pool, enrolled, and put on an old swim suit and jumped in. did 4 strokes and totally collapsed and could barely climb out of the pool. Went back a few weeks later to see what would happen, I am not a quitter. With the encouragement of the others there I was able to swim a lap after about a month. So here I am 75 years old now, kept at it, kept at it, kept at it and kept at it; switched pools to a fitness center, took lessons from a coach there, and sometimes swim 73 laps that equates with roughly a mile 3 to4 times a week. I also still have a full time job, so there is life after 65.
