Hi, guys, I'm 20 years old and I've decided to take up some swimming classes for my next quarter. I have been out of athletics for a very long time (for seven years). I haven't done any consistent exercise since my sophomore year HS PE class, and that was almost five years ago. On top of that, I am a writer with all the usual cliché ambitions so I spend a lotta time on my ass. I was looking at some writers' bios recently and you know what I noticed? Very many of them have short lifespans! Haha... oh no. So I realized very quickly I needed to develop a "core exercise" for myself. Since it's a bit late to do anything that's a team sport, it obviously has to be individual. I hate running. Lifting is a bore. Golf is... not ideal. Actually, to be honest, the decision was rather quick. I chose swimming. Now this is very odd for one reason... I'm hearing impaired. How will I hear the instructor/coach? Believe it or not, I actually hear better, much better, when I'm in the water. Go figure. Obviously, not as good as when I'm out of the water with my hearing aids in, but there's something about being in a pool or a body of water that just helps me hear better. For example, I did some laps recently. When I checked in with the lifeguards, I had to ask them to repeat themselves. Then I got in a lane and struck up a conversation with a very buoyant, soft-spoken fellow next to me and not once did I say, "What?"
Maybe the soundwaves bounce against the water and, naturally, my head is in the thick of it?
But I digress...
I'm going to swim. Thankfully, I already know how. I'm sure many of the technique junkies are ready to contend this! I took swim lessons when I was a wee lad, loved it all except the springboard. Then I jumped and I loved that too. I can't dive, though... I do the, what is it, the bunny hop? My legs bend when I go into the water. Anyway, hahah, once I remember arguing with a swim instructor at a Water Babies school (and he was an Olympian) about the word "freestyle"... it was my first argument over semantics. He tells me to do some freestyle and then I start swimming backstroke (my favorite back then). I figure, "free... style", right? So I do whatever I want! How did they start calling it "freestyle" anyway?
So my swimming never really got anywhere but then along comes eighth grade and I'm figuring out what I want to do with high school. I let the family know I'm interested in swimming or water polo... something water related, you know? My brothers absolutely hated the idea. They tried to get me interested in football and wrestling, even started teaching me moves... well, of course, I hated that idea. My goal the entire time had been to distinguish myself from the rest of the family, you know? Well that did go somewhere... I ended up joining nothing at all. Not good. But on the flip side, I did write more than I would've, and that's always good.
So for most of high school and the beginning of college, I was extremely inactive. I also gorged myself on sodas and candy. Plus, I all but eliminated breakfast from my diet. I wonder if I stunted myself at all. I know for a fact I measured 6'2 without shoes in my sophomore year and then about a year ago my dad measured me and I was 6'0... oh dear God. At least I put on weight well. In senior year when the homeroom teacher asked us all for our weight, and I said 234, everyone in the classroom was audibly disbelieving. But the scale does not lie.
Now that I'm getting back into things, I've been on a diet. Quite pleased with my results so far. After losing about seven pounds last summer for my brother's wedding, I lost about another four pounds until the week of Thanksgiving last month when I eliminated soda and candy. That hasn't been as hard as I thought it would be. I've gone from 223 to 208 where I am now. I also measure 6'1.5 now. Naturally I've been curious about some of my bodily dimensions... I'm quite pleased to have a 6'6 armspan. I wish I had larger feet though (size 12). I don't think there's much I can do about that.
Sorry if this is all very long-winded or totally tl; dr!
I like this forum a lot. I've been lurking here for about a week and looking at threads old and new. It's awesome that you all capitalize the beginning of your sentences and end them with periods.... unlike some other places I could name.
So now... whose bums do I have to kiss? :bow:
Former Member
Cor,
Have you thought about joining a team?
At my practices, the workout is written on a whiteboard, and if you are swimming with others, you just do what they are doing, so the hearing thing shouldn't be too much of a problem. But... I don't know jack.
Nothing improved my swimming more then swimming with an organized team. The forums are great, but having a live coach and other swimmers in the water to help you out will accelerate your learning quite a bit.
I will also warn you that we have a high drop out rate of non swimmers who join my team. When you first start, you will feel incredibly slow. It will take you six weeks or so to get with it. Three times a week for six weeks, and you will be a regular.
My team is half "not previous swimmers" and half "previous swimmers". Previous swimmers being people who swam competitively seriously at some point.
I am a previous swimmer, and I have come back to swim masters twice after multiple years of not swimming in between. It is hard not being able to keep up with the slowest lane and not being able to finish the workouts. I would say it took me 2 weeks before I had enough endurance to swim an entire workout and still leave the water under my own power, and six weeks before I was happy with where I was.
So, if you join a team, build a Christmas chain. If you can stick it out for 3 practices a week for six week, you are golden.
Stretch cords and/or resistant weight training is a good example of "dryland training". I tend to do high rep/low weight type of weight training, always good for both cardio and muscle strength.
Stretch cords? That's great, I think I have a few old ones lying around somewhere.
I've used some fins so far. The first time I put them on and swam I was like, "Oh wow, I shouldn't get used to these things" and found it very hard to take them off. :D
Glenn: That's awesome, man. Although I admit I had to wiki "Franz Gruber"... but I know what Silent Night is (was a member of Honor Choir way, way back in 3rd and 4th).
Have you thought about joining a team?
Most definitely. My school has a team that takes anyone, experience or not. I don't know how or where else I'd join a team, though, if there are alternatives.
As for me dropping out? Hah! I'm stubborn to a fault. Once I decide to do something, that's pretty much all there is to it.
And, uh, I don't understand why I should build a Christmas chain? :confused:
funkyfish: Thanks for the encouragement! :)
And, uh, I don't understand why I should build a Christmas chain? :confused:
Sorry. The Christmas chain was to help you count down 18 practices equally spread over six weeks. A little random... sorry, but my Christmas chain is down to 5 links! (for Christmas)
Think I can take more than 3 times a week? :)
Hey... three times a week is outstanding for someone starting up! Don't sell yourself short!
By the way, written any good books lately we can all buy and help your career along? :D
swimshark: Well, I already have gone more than three times a week. Of course, that's without a coach and teammates present. :waiting:
Redbird: I'm working on it! Being a successful published novelist is roughly the literary world's equivalent of being an Olympic swimmer. As soon as William Morris and Random House or Simon and Schuster will have me, I'll let you all know. :D
Meh. My internet has been terrible since the New Year. Less time on my butt, I guess, though I do sorely miss YouTube.
So, I've been on a swim team for a week now. It's... not as killer as I thought it would be. Is there something wrong with this picture? I'm not dying every time I get out of the pool, not even close to it. Should I swim more? Push myself more?
I have no perspective here. :confused:
Earlier I tried my hand for the first time at flipturns. I've got the somersault down, now I just have to time them right for optimal blast-off. :) And this morning I think I did my first semi-successful dolphin kick... but I ended up in like... the middle of the pool before I hit the surface.
Question about exhalation: isn't there some kind of trick swimmers use to exhale nice and easy underwater so they can inhale real quick? Every time I exhale, nose or mouth, huge bubbles clobber my face and obviously slow me down.
So, I've been on a swim team for a week now. It's... not as killer as I thought it would be. Is there something wrong with this picture? I'm not dying every time I get out of the pool, not even close to it. Should I swim more? Push myself more?
Spend time now working on technique and learning the basics that you don't really know yet. Make sure you know some drills for each stroke. Make sure you know each stroke. Work on your flip turns, open turns, IM transitions and under water pullouts. When you are comfortable with everything you will need to do during practice, and good at some of it, you can start pushing yourself physically. It should only take you a few weeks asking questions and building a solid base. Once you start pushing yourself in practice, it becomes much harder to slow down and work on the basics.
If you can do a 100 IM legally, and you can do a 50 of each stoke legally, then you have a base to work from. This is assuming you want to swim something other than free, which I think you do. If you are a tri guy, and only swim as part of your tri training, then this advice can be thrown out the window.
Earlier I tried my hand for the first time at flipturns. I've got the somersault down, now I just have to time them right for optimal blast-off. :) And this morning I think I did my first semi-successful dolphin kick... but I ended up in like... the middle of the pool before I hit the surface.
Thats good! Michael Phelps comes up in the middle of the pool too! Keep up the good work, and in the future it might even be intentional.
Question about exhalation: isn't there some kind of trick swimmers use to exhale nice and easy underwater so they can inhale real quick? Every time I exhale, nose or mouth, huge bubbles clobber my face and obviously slow me down.
Couroboros, try moving forward while exhaling, then the bubbles will stream past your chin in a nice orderly fashion :)
In reality, breathing is part technique, part body adaption. I exhale slowly through my nose and mouth, about half a deep breath, and inhale the same amount, every third stroke when I am swimming moderate pace. You will feel the need to breath more often then you are actually breathing until your body adjusts. This is something that will probably resolve itself as you swim more.
If you really are getting bubbles in your face when you exhale and you weren't just joking around, the problem is not with your breathing but with your stroke. Work on smoothing out your stroke, swimming in a straight line and you should not have bubbles in you face. You might also be holding your head up too high. If you are at one end of the pool, and you can see the water line at the other end of the pool... A neutral head position is somewhere between your hairline (or wig line if Jim Thorton) and the middle of the top of your head.
I didn't see anyone address Couroboros' concern about hearing his coach.
Some coaches write the workout on a board that is posted by the pool. If your's doesn't maybe you could ask her to print the workout and put it in a ziplock bag for you to keep at the end of the lane.
I think if you tell a coach about your hearing loss he will be more than happy to figure out a way to communicate with you.
A wild thought... there are mp3 players made for swimmers and waterproof cases for mp3s/ipods. I wonder if there are waterproof cases for some hearing aids, or maybe you could adapt a waterproof case some how.
Lainey
