I have been swimming for almost 2 months about 5 times per week. In the beginning I did mostly freestyle and a little breaststroke but have been taking a class to learn the other strokes. I found out my breaststroke technique was off and am revamping it. I can do backstroke but am still refining technique a bit. I am learning butterfly - learned dolphin kick this past week.
My question is about how to spend my time at the pool. I have been spending about 45 minutes in the past month. I warm up with a little freestyle. Then I spend about 10-15 minutes each on backstroke, breaststroke, and butterfly (aka dolphin kick right now). Is that a good idea? Or should I devote entire workouts to one stroke at a time? I think that could work better - I would have more time to get the technique down. But I worry I will lose something if I don't maintain a little every day. Any suggestions? Should I spend more time in the pool?
Thanks -
Sara,
I swim with the NASA masters group at Northwestern. We do have some complete beginners, so don't feel at all shy about trying the group out. There are noon and evening workouts three days a week as well as Saturday mornings. Drop me a note (skip@pobox.com) and I'll put you in touch with our fearless leader, Pam Smith.
(edit) Let me add something else. Pam is very good about adjusting the workouts to the needs of individual swimmers. One fellow who's a new swimmer with us and a complete beginniner seems to swim something completely different than the rest of us, something I assume Pam has tailored to his needs. I've been training for the USMS postal swims this summer so she understands that sometimes I am going to do something else when the workout calls for 3x200IM. Also, as we age our bodies ache in different ways. Some days I can do a little fly, some days not. Some days my knees hurt so I stay away from breaststroke. yadda yadda yadda...
Skip Montanaro
Sara,
I swim with the NASA masters group at Northwestern. We do have some complete beginners, so don't feel at all shy about trying the group out. There are noon and evening workouts three days a week as well as Saturday mornings. Drop me a note (skip@pobox.com) and I'll put you in touch with our fearless leader, Pam Smith.
(edit) Let me add something else. Pam is very good about adjusting the workouts to the needs of individual swimmers. One fellow who's a new swimmer with us and a complete beginniner seems to swim something completely different than the rest of us, something I assume Pam has tailored to his needs. I've been training for the USMS postal swims this summer so she understands that sometimes I am going to do something else when the workout calls for 3x200IM. Also, as we age our bodies ache in different ways. Some days I can do a little fly, some days not. Some days my knees hurt so I stay away from breaststroke. yadda yadda yadda...
Skip Montanaro
