I do not work out with a team and do all of my swimming solo. I use lots of workouts I have found on and through this forum and find them very helopful. I do not/have not competed, and am not sure that is in my future, but one never knows:rolleyes:
I know only a handful of actual drills, so when the workout calls for drills, I am at sowewhat of a loss. Can anyone direct me to a source for drills and explanations of how to do them? I'm up for anything that does not involve IM anything:wave:
Thanks for any help you may have for a floundering swimmer:bouncing:
I get some of my woprkouts from www.swimplan.com. They explain the drills they want you to do. Swimming was always my second or third sport. I was never very fast but very dependable. I had a colectomy in 1997. Now swimming is my only sport. running is impossible because I get nauseous and my knees are now too old & beaten up for basketball and there is no real lake or water body in eastern Illinois to row in. At first I felt very weird about having these two odd scars on my belly that sort of look like a icasso painting. Then I realized that people are more freaked out by seeing me do a breathing treatment during a meet than the scars. Most people at meets don't even realize that you have never raced or even what race you are doing. Race! Racing is why you do the drills.
Nancy, I too have the same trepidations. I guess we come from a non-swimming back ground so a swim meet is very intimidating.
A rules thread had my head spinning. Not only would I get killed in a meet, my lack of rule knowledge would be embarrassing.
I need to follow your lead and volunteer. That will get me more comfortable.
I do encourage anyone with swim meet intimidation to volunteer for a meet!! I had a FANTASTIC time as a volunteer at Nats in Fed'l Way. A few of the things that I learned:
1. I did not know you could not wear a watch (no HRM which I wear in all my swims). That's about all I know about rules.
2. During swim warm ups one MUST enter feet first (no diving until a diving lane opens (I was a safety marshall)
3. There are ALL sizes, shapes, ages and speeds (I will fit right in) that swim in the meet.
4. There are so very many inspiring people who swim! Lung cancer does NOT stop someone! I loved talking to many of the swimmers and hearing their stories.
5. I love swimmers -- they are unassuming, non-glorification seeking people who swim for the love of it. So many thanked me and other volunteers and were truly having a wonderful time.
6. Though everyone would certainly like to WIN something, at this level people seem definety to be swimming for themselves (and surely for the event I would do being long distance) and for the love of swimming.
&. I can do this!!!!
If I had not had a bicycling weekend scheduled with friends, I would have volunteered for most if not all of the meet. I will now be looking for a meet to sign up for! And Rich, I will try to take someone with me as my cheer-er.
.... after volunteering at NATS yesterday in Fed'l Way!! It was fantastic and I am so very inspired to give it a try -- someday soon I think.
Nancy,
Thanks to you and so many others that volunteered last weekend. It was a fantastically well run meet. :applaud: :applaud:
And don't be afraid to enter a meet. I swam my first meet ever at age 50 and have been having a blast ever since. Nationals this year was a first for me and I hope to make it every year from now on.
Biill...hogwash! ;)
I know. I've been doing road races and tri for so long that a swim meet seem almost alien. I just need to see one. My biggest concern would be not know the simple things that can get you DQ'd. Oh yeah, I have no idea what to race. Again, what I'm used to is one race for everyone.
I'll have to try and set myself up for next season. At least I have a plan now.
