Who is your Coach?

Concho, I hope you are able to find some practices that work for you from the workout forum. forums.usms.org/forumdisplay.php 3 weekly swims of 2000 yards is great! Good luck and stay wet!:lolup:

I swim 4 times/wk 2000-2400 ea. time. 3 swims are essentially alone and one is with an uncoached/group coached bunch. I meet regularly with coaches I respect for technique critique and video myself fairly regularly. I am going to disagree with Terry about shoulders,look at the shoulder problem thread,we all have shoulder problems. Does good form help? Of course,but 20,30 40 etc.years of swimming is going to take a toll on shoulders(and knee's in breaststrokers) so I think we have to baby them a little.

I see this verbalized so frequently - shoulders need "time off" - whether months, weeks, days or select sets. I'll bet that if you asked an osteo or PT they'd say it's not a given that swimming is bad for shoulders or that shoulders need time off. If your shoulders need recovery time, you should examine how you're swimming. It's the biomechanical stuff, not volume or frequency that stresses shoulders. What is your medical basis for this assertion? Shoulders get tired with swimming, that's a fact, and it's not due solely to poor biomechanics. It's no different from any other sport and the injuries unique to them, knees in football and baseball, backs in golf, shoulders in baseball/softball as well. Certainly better technique can ward off injury and that is the first step but it is naive to believe that biomechanics explain away all soreness/fatigue/injury. I'm sure not gonna tell Jack Nicklaus he has poor biomechanics and that is why he has back problems.

OH NO. I agree with Geek:help: .

I see this verbalized so frequently - shoulders need "time off" - whether months, weeks, days or select sets. I'll bet that if you asked an osteo or PT they'd say it's not a given that swimming is bad for shoulders or that shoulders need time off. If your shoulders need recovery time, you should examine how you're swimming. It's the biomechanical stuff, not volume or frequency that stresses shoulders. Terry: I know you are right that biomechanics accounts for many shoulder injuries and problems. And I'm sure that's why I get some soreness although I'm working on that and trying to be "mindful" when I swim, especially on my restorative days. But I also firmly believe that volume, frequency or stroke choice can effect the shoulders. My fly, for example, is pretty good technically, but it still bangs up my shoulders if I do quantitites of it. (Hence, my recent 2 week layoff from fly after doing 900 yards of it one night.) When your shoulders are filled with loose cartilege and scar tissue, volume, overuse and just swimming hard during practice makes them sore or can cause tendonitis. I'm also just not a PT fan, except that I dutifully perform my rotator cuff exercises. PT people always tell you: "Take 4-6 weeks off and rest, rest, rest. It won't heal if you don't rest." That's what I hear "all the time." I don't believe that helps at all exept for the type of restorative-rest you described. More progressive types of orthopedists, ART practitioners or prolotherapy docs will give you the opposite advice. So I'm not resting, but trying to be mindful. P.S. When I first walked into my orthopedist's office over a year ago and he heard I was a swimmer, he just moaned and groaned about all his cases of "swimmer's shoulder." I'm just not sure we're all unmindful.... Allen: I agree with you! Geek: I agree with you too!

:-) I agree with leslie, geek and allen. i do have a question for leslie and everyone else: do your shoulders ever get sore from running? i know that sounds weird, but sometimes my shoulders feel weird in my rotator cuff when I'm running. Is it possible it's from holding my arms up? I know my shoulders hurt if I hold a kick board for too long. Anyone else experience this? Lisa: My shoulders don't get sore from running. Are you running in a straight up military fashion? Are you raising your hands above the top of your rib cage? Are you tensing your arms? If you are doing any of those things, it might bother your shoulders. Your arms should be very relaxed. I only pump mine when going up hills, which I try desperately to avoid. My shoulders and traps (or between my shoulder blades) hurt sometimes when I bike from constantly leaning over. That's another reason I don't do triathlons or bike at all. I would also get rid of that kickboard! They are a big "no no" for shoulders, just like paddles. I'm a no "equipment" type -- except for fins! Leslie

:-) I agree with leslie, geek and allen. i do have a question for leslie and everyone else: do your shoulders ever get sore from running? i know that sounds weird, but sometimes my shoulders feel weird in my rotator cuff when I'm running. Is it possible it's from holding my arms up? I know my shoulders hurt if I hold a kick board for too long. Anyone else experience this? Lisa Are you clenching your fists? If so try to keeop your hands open and relaxed with your wrists loose to the point that your hands almost flop. Your arm swing should be low, hands brushing your hips. And no side to side swing, the motion should be in the direction of travel. Here's a riddle for you - Why is swimming better than running?

Yes! So I should stop clenching? I can easily fix that. Hmmm....swimming is better because you get wet? :cool: Lisa No wind, no hills and the temperature stays the same year around.

:-) I agree with leslie, geek and allen. i do have a question for leslie and everyone else: do your shoulders ever get sore from running? i know that sounds weird, but sometimes my shoulders feel weird in my rotator cuff when I'm running. Is it possible it's from holding my arms up? I know my shoulders hurt if I hold a kick board for too long. Anyone else experience this?

Oh i forgot to answer the questions which started this thread. :D I swim Mon - Saturday, about 4000-4500 yards a practice. I am swimming with Y masters now, and we practice 3 days a week, the other days I write my own practice and swim alone. I do ab work everyday, and am doing a weight/running dryland schedule twice a week. I wish that my Y masters team practiced everyday, I hate swimming by myself. I feel like I push myself harder when I practice with the group. If only some of you hardworkers were in orlando! :groovy: