I've made it my new years resolution to get back into the water after being away from masters swimming for about six years (and two kids and countless sympathy pounds!) Once upon a time I had a bit of an obsessive personality when it came to working out. I always did too much too soon. Can anyone recommend a good read or a good online program that might help me better plan or pace my return to the water. I'm in my late 30's now and I'm starting to feel the aches and pains that I use to kid my dad about... we have an excellent masters program in my area but the emphasis (rightfully so) tends to me on appeasing the general populace during workout and not helping the out-of-shape get back into shape (safely). I'm expecting that I'll need to take care to watch over this myself.
Anyway, thanks for your insight!
Brandon
More excellent advice. Thank you again! I don't think I've ever been in worse shape and I'm weary of how things will feel in the beginning. It's amazing how easy it is to remember how good it feels to be in excellent shape and yet how much easier it is to slip into the habit of doing nothing. Here's hoping the lifeguards are alert when I make it back in the water...
I've ordered a copy of the Hines book off of amazon. Another friend recommended a video called Yoga for Inflexible People as a nice early cross trainer.
I'll let you know how things go...
Brandon,
My advice to you is to join the masters team that you mentioned. I'm quite sure that there are folks of varying speed there so you should be fine if you take it easy at first and just work back into it. Sit out if you need to. Don't do all the stroke work at first and just swim free. You will get back into the swing of things faster than you realize.
It sounds you're at the point I was about 6 months ago. I decided to start swimming again after 19 years off and started late July of this year swimming on my own and knocking out some laps. I then joined a masters team on 15 Sept. The first practice near killed me as I thought that my lap swimming would have been enough to get me a good base. Well in my case, it wasn't, maybe you're a more driven person than I was. I survived the first 3 weeks by skipping reps and subbing free for some of the stroke work.
What I realized after my first month is that I cheated myself by not joining the masters program in July. Again, my advice is to join the team and do as much of the structured workout as possible. Within a month you will be glad you did.
I hope this helps.
Paul
A master club is great for getting back, but you must not try to move up from the slow lane too soon.
The draw back of the masters club is that you are required to follow the leader (coach) and put up with some pretty bad coaches who have the hearding idea. You must be like sheep and do everything he says.
I worked with a masters club for six weeks in 1998 and was so crippled I could barely walk so no more of that.
I do prefer the swim alone thing for myself. I swim the stroke I want and work the way I want. I video my stroke and self correct.
