As a new swimmer, and being 47 years old, I basically swim freestyle and a little *** (have trouble keeping my kick legal). Today, during my morning workout provided me by this very website, a dolphin kick was necessary. Quickly donning my zoomers (I suck at kick) I proceeded down the pool. Seeing as it still took me forever, I had a lot of time to ponder lifes meaning. For me its "Start early if you want to swim fly." For although two years into my swimming career, no way I can do fly. Even if I had the strength to get my arms out of the water that long...I am so rhythmic challenged I will never pull it together. Oh well, I feel comfortable swimming free, and so far the lack of the additional events hasnt hurt me none. Anyone out there learn to swim fly at such an advanced age?
I started teaching myself three or four years ago and actually had a coach look at it maybe 2.5 years ago. I am swimming all three distances at nationals this year. While there are definitely some folks who just struggle with the timing, I don't think it is as hard to swim the longer distances as people think it is. If you are swimming more than three times a week, I think you should have the endurance to carry it off. But unlike the other strokes, where you can just slow down if you are tired, you have to keep it together in fly. So people panic and flail and think it is *so hard*. But if you spent a year swimming it and refusing to do one arm unless absolutely necessary, you could swim a decent 100.
I started teaching myself three or four years ago and actually had a coach look at it maybe 2.5 years ago. I am swimming all three distances at nationals this year. While there are definitely some folks who just struggle with the timing, I don't think it is as hard to swim the longer distances as people think it is. If you are swimming more than three times a week, I think you should have the endurance to carry it off. But unlike the other strokes, where you can just slow down if you are tired, you have to keep it together in fly. So people panic and flail and think it is *so hard*. But if you spent a year swimming it and refusing to do one arm unless absolutely necessary, you could swim a decent 100.
