24 Years Off

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.

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:

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

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 ***.

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.

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.

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?

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

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

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.