why am i so sloooooooooow? i've been swimming since i was 21, i'm now 30. When i was 21 i basically taught myself to swim and with a few tips here and there from lifeguards, i was able to swim 3 miles in the pool at approximately 35 minutes a mile.
fast forward a few years, i would consider myself a much better swimmer now, i've gotten a few lessons with coaches and i've been told my technique has gotten better. but my speed has BARELY improved!!! i'm talking major changes in technique and training, and it still takes me 34 minutes to do a mile! that's a 1 minute improvement over the time when i had taught myself to swim! it's ridiculous. and i swim so much...i swim in open water and have been doing master's for 7 months now.
is it possible that i was just born slow, or do you think i need further refinement to my technique? none of it adds up--i work very hard in the pool, my technique sounds like it's decent, and i am physically in very good shape. i can swim 9 miles in open water, but i just cannot bring up my speed! it's ridiculous. i don't want to be fast, i just want to be somewhere near 30 minutes per mile!
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re the video ...
get your friend to video from the deck ... walking (carefully) along as you swim. You need to be in the 3rd or 4th lane with no one between you and the camera. The still water allows a good view of your stroke above and below the water. Then do as George suggested ... getting video from head on and from behind.
p.s. I'm really slow but faster in the pool than in the ocean, but working on getting the stroke count down -- a new coach --- will really help
I can swim 16 to 17 strokes per 25 ... without thinking now. If I really focus, I can get to 12. I was swimming 20ish when I started with masters swimming. The thing that amazes me is that my coach is amazing. He always has some very simple improvement that helps every time I go.
re the video ...
get your friend to video from the deck ... walking (carefully) along as you swim. You need to be in the 3rd or 4th lane with no one between you and the camera. The still water allows a good view of your stroke above and below the water. Then do as George suggested ... getting video from head on and from behind.
p.s. I'm really slow but faster in the pool than in the ocean, but working on getting the stroke count down -- a new coach --- will really help
I can swim 16 to 17 strokes per 25 ... without thinking now. If I really focus, I can get to 12. I was swimming 20ish when I started with masters swimming. The thing that amazes me is that my coach is amazing. He always has some very simple improvement that helps every time I go.
