24 Years Off

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:21:32 GMT

Welcome back! It does take time. I have just begun to notice that a year-and-a-half after my return to the water (28 years) I have gotten pretty low key and quite confident about what I'm doing even as I manage ups and downs in yardage, performance, etc. I have gotten really comfortable with the idea that I will be doing this for decades, and it feels really good--takes the pressure off. You'll find your sweet spot in a month or so, and it'll be great....

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:31:00 GMT

I would start with 10 X 100 with long rests in between the 100s then up it to 200s then 500s. When you can swim 5 x 500 with ease you are able to do anything you want. Seeing your breaststroke is a variety from 20 years ago I would be afraid of knee injury. Thanks coach. What a great board! You are so right my *** is a bit hard on my knees. After running today I did take your advise and swim a full hour.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 16:18:50 GMT

Welcome back to the water, Snailfish! Don't worry, your strength and endurance will come back. I recently returned after a 20-year layoff, so I am very familiar with what you are describing. When I first started my arms would get heavy and refuse to move correctly after about 75 yards or so. I tried swimming longer distances slower, but it just didn't seem to work. I was so out of shape I couldn't really go slow enough for it to be easy, and I ended going so slow it didn't feel like swimming. It felt better to just stick with intervals that I could complete, but that were still challenging to me. I started out with workouts on my own, something like: 200 free (I would mix in *** if my arms got too dead) 5 x 100 on 2:10, IM on the even ones rest a few minutes 8 x 50 free on 1:00 After a few weeks of workouts like that I started mixing my individual workouts with masters team practice once or twice each week. I would struggle through as much as I could, and would swallow my pride and take extra rest when needed. I would end the workout when I couldn't recover enough in 3 or 4 minutes to continue swimming smoothly. At the beginning I could only get through 1,000 yards or so, then 1,500 yards, then 2000 yards, etc. I started feeling much better at about the 6 week point, and after 4 months I really started to feel good from time to time. I think you are doing the right thing by not forcing it too much. Swim as much as you can with good form, rest, and then do some more. Keep working at it and you will soon start to feel strong and smooth again. Your response was helpful, thank you.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 08:25:15 GMT

Hi and welcome back Besides taking it easy and enjoying getting the feel back, might I suggest some ezy backstroke for muscle balance :2cents:

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 07:08:31 GMT

It's going to take a little while, you just have to be patient. I started last summer after 20 years off.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 13:06:54 GMT

Just 2 weeks back. What is wrong with some nice long swims thinking slow and easy with technique until you can swim about 2000m with ease. It takes at least 6 weeks before things start to come easily. Like George says. Just swim, long and easy......... Enjoy it; regain your feel for the water. It takes a bit of time. If you try too hard and suffer (or don't enjoy it) what's the point?

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 10:00:46 GMT

I would start with 10 X 100 with long rests in between the 100s then up it to 200s then 500s. When you can swim 5 x 500 with ease you are able to do anything you want. Seeing your breaststroke is a variety from 20 years ago I would be afraid of knee injury. Your advise makes sense. When my stoke falls apart should I keep swimming and gut it out, switch to *** for a lap, or rest. The short sets allowed me to get more consecutive free yards in. Thanks.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 09:01:55 GMT

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:52:40 GMT

The "slow and easy" advice all sounds good to me. Maybe if you slow down and decrease your stroke turnover when your arms start to disobey your brain, you'll be able to swim free a little longer/farther, thus developing more endurance? Even doing what you're doing with the short sets, I'd think your stroke/enudrance would improve - I mean, it's only been two weeks! Maybe somebody who knows about muscle fibers (which would not be me) would have advice about trying to push through vs. switching strokes/taking short rests. What would you do as a runner if this were happening with your legs? Seems like you'd have to do the run/walk thing - which is sort of what you're doing with mixing in ***.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:51:21 GMT

The only ones who suggest breaststroke are breaststrke swimmers. I never listen to them. Blasphemy!

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:50:37 GMT

When I swam with coaches they said swimming too much *** wasn't good. They wanted our endurance to come from swimming free. Is that not the case these days? These past few weeks I've been thinking what you just said. Thanks for the input. Please take my "advice" with a grain of salt. As a kid I was taught to swim *** stroke only, and quite honestly I did not realize that anything was missing from my repertoire - until I started swimming at our local pool as my sole form of exercise(due to several injuries) 2 years ago. I still don't feel as if there is anything missing from my workouts by not being able to swim the other 3, but I have made sure that the *** stroke I swim is as technically clean as possible. That was the most difficult thing for me in the beginning and I had a hard time making it through 500-1000Y workouts. Now I have built my endurance to the point where I log on average 3000Y swims 5Xweek, 80% *** stroke-the rest kick. If you are just coming back to swimming do what is the most comfortable for the longest distance and slowly incorporate the other strokes. *** ist best!:woot:

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:29:43 GMT

Just 2 weeks back. What is wrong with some nice long swims thinking slow and easy with technique until you can swim about 2000m with ease. It takes at least 6 weeks before things start to come easily. Your advise makes sense. When my stoke falls apart should I keep swimming and gut it out, switch to *** for a lap, or rest. The short sets allowed me to get more consecutive free yards in. Thanks.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:18:33 GMT

Is your stroke suffering because your arms get tired? I suppose my arms are tired. I am not winded and nothing hurts but my arms just don't do what my brain tells them (swim free correctly). Yet I swim another stoke for spell or rest and my arms work again. That's why the short sets.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:14:09 GMT

The only ones who suggest breaststroke are breaststrke swimmers. I never listen to them. When I swam with coaches they said swimming too much *** wasn't good. They wanted our endurance to come from swimming free. Is that not the case these days? These past few weeks I've been thinking what you just said. Thanks for the input.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:03:33 GMT

Welcome back! As a *** stroker who does not bother to swim the other 3 - I say--swimming *** stroke only and for long distances is the only way to swim.......to hell with free,fly and back! It looks like your body is trying to tell you something by switching back to the *** stroke....stop fighting it! When I swam with coaches they said swimming too much *** wasn't good. They wanted our endurance to come from swimming free. Is that not the case these days? These past few weeks I've been thinking what you just said. Thanks for the input.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:54:34 GMT

200 drill warmup . Do you mean stroke technique drills? Thanks for the help!

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:49:05 GMT

After a 24 year absence from competitive swimming I started back two weeks ago. My stroke (crawl) falls apart after about 200 yrds. I can keep going but with a terribly poor stroke. After a short rest my stroke comes back to normal. I've been swimming a 400 yrd warm up (I'll mix about 50yrds of *** in to save my stroke) then 10 x 50s on the 1:15. After that my stroke is breaking so I swim 25s then my stroke breaks again and I'll swim every other 25 ***. I've been swimming 30 to 45 minutes a day and running the same. Cardio wise I am in good shape (I've been running everyday for a long time). I can swim *** for long distances with no problem. Should I keep resting to let my stroke recover or just pound it out? Will swimming *** ever help my free? I would be thankful for any advise. At one time I was "real" swimmer and now I am embarrassed trying to get back. Welcome back! As a *** stroker who does not bother to swim the other 3 - I say--swimming *** stroke only and for long distances is the only way to swim.......to hell with free,fly and back! It looks like your body is trying to tell you something by switching back to the *** stroke....stop fighting it!

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:22:58 GMT

Is your stroke suffering because your arms get tired? Or, do you just feel like you lose the rhythym somehow? Either way, you could think about 1) swimming some pull sets with a pull buoy, 2) incorporating front crawl drills, and 3) mixing in some backstroke (in addition to the ***) to work the muscles differently. You'll get it back! A 400yd warmup after 24 years away already sounds pretty good to me....as does your ability to swim the ***-stroke.

RE: 24 Years Off

Former Member — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 07:01:47 GMT

RE: 24 Years Off

ourswimmer — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:33:21 GMT

When I first returned to swimming I was 26 and I had not swum for exercise in about ten years. I decided to start swimming again because I had just run a marathon and thought triathlon would be a more interesting way to spend a few hours. 500 seemed like a very long workout then, and no way could I have done it without stopping. My triceps especially got very tired very fast, screwing up my follow-through and my recovery. After a few months I did my first triathlon, an itty-bitty sprint. I was first out of the water by like 30 seconds in a race with just a 400m swim. (People started passing me pretty quickly on the bike, though!) I went to my first masters meet about 18 months later (at 27) and my first-ever masters race was 1500m. Twelve years later (at 39) I swam 1500m 1:10 faster than I had at that first-ever meet. Just keep it up and you'll recover your ability soon enough. Also, you may as well start right now with your shoulder-stabilizing exercises, because I assume you haven't been doing them during your running years. You don't want to an injury to derail you just when you feel able to increase your swim time and distance.

RE: 24 Years Off

The Fortress — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 03:27:16 GMT

What is wrong with some nice long swims thinking slow and easy with technique until you can swim about 2000m with ease. It takes at least 6 weeks before things start to come easily. I think George's advice is right. You have to start slow. I came back after 24 years as well and, after "pounding it out," immediately came down with tendonitis. Give you body time to adjust to being back in the water. Ramp it up very slowly. Try to swim with good technique. Keep swimming breaststroke. You don't want to do just one stroke. Do some drills and kicking besides all the swimming as well. Amd you might want to do some rotator cuff exercises to prevent the shoulder ouchies. Good luck!!

RE: 24 Years Off

pwolf66 — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 02:41:09 GMT

Welcome back to the water. I would shoot for an hour workout where you shoot for 2000-2500 yards. I would recommend a 400 swim, 200 drill warmup and then target longer reps (I.e 5x100, 3X200, etc) swims to build your swimming muscles. I would avoid doing too much shorter swims like 25s and 50s until you can build up your endurance.