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!
i am 5'7" and 148 pounds and very muscular, for a girl. strong looking arms and strong legs.
the kicking on your side thing is interesting, i think that might be one of my problems. i remember when i first started swimming, i found it impossible to kick on my side--i basically had to stop kicking when my body was rotated.
i don't think the running would negatively affect my swimming. due to shin splints, i wasn't running much until the last couple of months. i was exclusively swimming for a long time, but still not really getting anywhere.
Try doing a 300 where you do 12 kicks on each side with 3 strokes for a 75, then 6 kicks/3 strokes for a 75, 3 kicks/3 strokes for a 75, and then regular free for a 75. Try doing 3 of these 300s with a minute rest in-between.
I admire you if you can run and swim at the same time. When I ran track and trained in swimming at the same time, it had a major impact on my swimming speed.
P.S. If you have trouble kicking on this drill, try using fins. Eventually, though, you want to be able to do it without fins.
i am 5'7" and 148 pounds and very muscular, for a girl. strong looking arms and strong legs.
the kicking on your side thing is interesting, i think that might be one of my problems. i remember when i first started swimming, i found it impossible to kick on my side--i basically had to stop kicking when my body was rotated.
i don't think the running would negatively affect my swimming. due to shin splints, i wasn't running much until the last couple of months. i was exclusively swimming for a long time, but still not really getting anywhere.
Try doing a 300 where you do 12 kicks on each side with 3 strokes for a 75, then 6 kicks/3 strokes for a 75, 3 kicks/3 strokes for a 75, and then regular free for a 75. Try doing 3 of these 300s with a minute rest in-between.
I admire you if you can run and swim at the same time. When I ran track and trained in swimming at the same time, it had a major impact on my swimming speed.
P.S. If you have trouble kicking on this drill, try using fins. Eventually, though, you want to be able to do it without fins.
