As a kid my father and my coach always wanted me to swim the fly but I always resisted. Only once was I ever persuaded to swim the 100m fly. I went out hell for leather in the first 50 and even turned in front but the wheels came off in the second 50, in a bad way, and I ended up limping in the last 25m swimming one arm butterfly! I never tried again!
Now after a 20 odd year abscence from swimming I find myself actually wanting to swim fly and enjoying it when I do. It's a beautiful feeling when the fly is executed well: smooth, rhythmic and exhilarating. When you hit the zone in fly it is an even better feeling than hitting the zone in crawl. It is an addictive feeling.
How did I get into fly? Well it has only been recently really, but I started to do a set of 25m at the end of every practice. I started off really slowly: 10 times 25m at 30 sec's alternating fly and crawl. Slowly I have built that up to 40 times 25m at 30sec and more recently I have been adding a set of 10 times 50 fly at 90sec. Next I plan to cut the repeat interval down to at least a minute on the 50's and then add some 100's. I can't wait to try the 100's but I don't want to try before I am really ready for them.
I always laugh when I see SwimStud's "Fly: Just say no!" because that is exactly how I felt but I have to say now, a practice without fly is a a practice without my 'fix'!
Anyone else have a similar experience?
Syd
Parents
Former Member
Syd, I am just beginning to make this transition. People have told me I have a nice fly, but I've never had any endurance and never did more than a 50. I have begun to really enjoy the feeling of swimming the stroke, and want to do my first 100 in competition this SCY season. I aspire to 200 sometime down the road. So I have begun to drill one arm fly and do 50s with lots of rest. I like your idea about the 25s--I think I'll try that, and build up to sets of 50s with lower intervals as you describe. If I could only avoid breathing, it would be really easy! That picking up the head thing really slows things down. I am trying to learn to breathe looking down at the water instead of straight ahead. Think that will take some time.
I'll be eager to hear how you do--I'll keep an eye out for this thread.
Syd, I am just beginning to make this transition. People have told me I have a nice fly, but I've never had any endurance and never did more than a 50. I have begun to really enjoy the feeling of swimming the stroke, and want to do my first 100 in competition this SCY season. I aspire to 200 sometime down the road. So I have begun to drill one arm fly and do 50s with lots of rest. I like your idea about the 25s--I think I'll try that, and build up to sets of 50s with lower intervals as you describe. If I could only avoid breathing, it would be really easy! That picking up the head thing really slows things down. I am trying to learn to breathe looking down at the water instead of straight ahead. Think that will take some time.
I'll be eager to hear how you do--I'll keep an eye out for this thread.
