I need seriously help for how to improve my SCY times. My LCM times are so much better than SCY by comparison, I know this might sound a little weird, but it's true. I suck at short course, and love racing in long course. I don't know what's causing this, but would like to go faster in both SCY and SCM. Currently I am not swimming for a masters team, because we don't really have one near by where I go to college. I do swim with our school swim club sometimes, but they practice at night, and I am more of a morning, afternoon swimmer, since I mostly have to work on projects for my classes at night. Just a little background on my swimming if that gives you a better idea of where I come from and how to possibly give me some advice. I started swimming when I was almost 3 years old, and first taught by my father. Since I was not born and did not grow up in the swimming power house-the US, I did not get to do competitive swimming until I decided to go to high school in Texas. I was a really solid distance freestyler, and breaststroker, and I have fairly decent butterfly too. I did suck at backstroke, and still do. :frustrated: But I had to almost completely stop racing/competing after only one year swimming on my high school team due to severe back injuries, and heart condition (I kindda have the same problem like Dana Vollmer's, my heart could stop at any random moment). Plus I was still picking up English, and had to complete my high school in just 3 years as I did not want to fall behind, (I entered high school as a sophomore). Now I am a junior in college, and I just recently started swimming everyday again, and found out just how much I miss racing and competing in the water. I make up my own workouts most the times, and sometimes use the masters' workouts you guys posted here. They seem to work pretty well for me, and I do feel I am getting stronger and faster every now and then. Distance freestyle is still my favorite, and I am starting to get closer and closer to my personally best time I set in high school almost 5 years ago! I just looked up the top 10 times for my age groups (18-24), and my 800m and 1500m (LCM) times fall within them!! It's pretty encouraging for me to know that. I am planning to also get faster for my fly and breaststroke and IM.
Dang, I can't believe I just typed such a long, lousy paragraph thingy about me and swimming. Sorry for making you guys read through all of that. But any advice for getting faster in SCY? Thanks so much! I have enjoyed reading through all of your comments (most of them are hilarious) here, and my dad just joined a couple weeks ago too! I can't wait to join a masters' team after I graduate. Should be tons fun!
All the best,
-Anlynn
P.S. What exactly is a "natural swimmer"? I have been told that I am one, but have no idea what it really means, though it sounded a lot like a compliment. lol. :joker:
The other thing is my backstroke turns (well..which is just like a flip turn except push off on your back) are just miserable sometimes. lol. I can't seem to get off the wall fast or powerful enough and have trouble holding my breath for the under water dolphin kick right after the turn.
Anlynn,
I think a lot of folks struggle with keeping enough air to do a decent SDK to start off a leg of backstroke. Most folks exhale out their nose as they turn or while on their back to prevent water from going up their nose.
Some thoughts
You may be blowing out all your air as you turn. This may be uncomfortable, but you can try a few flips w/o exhaling at all to get familiar with exactly when and where the "water up the nose" feeling starts and stops. Then try exhaling only during that time on the flip. On the less extreme side, but simiilarly, exhale slowly as you flip, trying to save some air for your SDKs.
Also, a lot of folks on here a few weeks back were talking about a nose clip. That will help keeping in air as you flip (since you won't need to exhale), and you can save all your air for exhaling as you SDK off the wall (through your mouth).
As for you power off the walls, there are a lot of things you can do. On your next business trip, hit up the hotels "Olympic" sized pool and just do streamlines/turns. Since there's really no room for swimming, just practice getting a tight streamline off each wall, especially after a turn, and getting a strong push off each wall.
I like to push off on my side with my feet about shoulder width apart and pointed about 45 degrees away from either straight up or straight across - I find I get some good torque when I twist onto my stomach this way.
Also, any spinning/running/biking and a few trips to the weight room should help with your leg power.
The other thing is my backstroke turns (well..which is just like a flip turn except push off on your back) are just miserable sometimes. lol. I can't seem to get off the wall fast or powerful enough and have trouble holding my breath for the under water dolphin kick right after the turn.
Anlynn,
I think a lot of folks struggle with keeping enough air to do a decent SDK to start off a leg of backstroke. Most folks exhale out their nose as they turn or while on their back to prevent water from going up their nose.
Some thoughts
You may be blowing out all your air as you turn. This may be uncomfortable, but you can try a few flips w/o exhaling at all to get familiar with exactly when and where the "water up the nose" feeling starts and stops. Then try exhaling only during that time on the flip. On the less extreme side, but simiilarly, exhale slowly as you flip, trying to save some air for your SDKs.
Also, a lot of folks on here a few weeks back were talking about a nose clip. That will help keeping in air as you flip (since you won't need to exhale), and you can save all your air for exhaling as you SDK off the wall (through your mouth).
As for you power off the walls, there are a lot of things you can do. On your next business trip, hit up the hotels "Olympic" sized pool and just do streamlines/turns. Since there's really no room for swimming, just practice getting a tight streamline off each wall, especially after a turn, and getting a strong push off each wall.
I like to push off on my side with my feet about shoulder width apart and pointed about 45 degrees away from either straight up or straight across - I find I get some good torque when I twist onto my stomach this way.
Also, any spinning/running/biking and a few trips to the weight room should help with your leg power.
