What did you struggle with when you started swimming?

1. When I started Masters (age 30) I really struggled with racing 200s without dying. and 2. Kicking is really a weak point for me - since I started swimming- but it became VERY obvious when I started swimming USS as an adult and when I saw myself on video (1st time ever might I add) swimming 200 FR. I think #1 and #2 go hand in hand. While swimming USS for the past year with the kids I always got in the distance lane (just comes easier for me - I coast and make intervals) and I was always relieved when we did very little kick work. Started doing some speed work recently so that got me thinking about my kick - b/c it was not there. Coach has me do a 6 beat kick even during warm up to break my habit of NO kicking. First few weeks were painful - and that's putting it nicely. I thought I was going to DIE. Fortunately, I didn't. Then the real work begins. I also recommend starting out working on your kick SCY b/c I don't think I could have wrapped my head around adding a kick starting out with LCM. I'm sure some people could do it. . . but not me. Now I swim Mid Distance (instead of distance - ah those lovely days of pulling) and Chris Davis SR LOVES kick and swim/ kick sets which I feel are the most challenging sets out there (for me). My heart rate really gets up there pretty quick and it stays up there. In switching from Distance to Mid D/ more speed work, I feel like I'm in a different sport. I have a long ways to go, but I already see a nice difference when I throw in a kick during free speed work. You really get on top of the water. Plus, it helps to train with fantastic kicker/ swimmers (National team members if you can hack it). You feel forced to bust it out so to speak so as to save face. I'd also like to add that I would get "tweaky" shoulders when I swam the 1.5 hour masters workouts. (We did a LOT of pulling with paddles - daily I believe). Now, with the 1900 meter or so warm ups with USS I have not had tweaky shoulders for the entire time I've been swimming with them. I attribute this to a longer warm up, less paddle (ab)use and the fact that we build into our workouts (unless it's a pure speed day in which case I don't use paddles.) I'm also not suggesting that you run out and join a USS team as who in their right mind wants to do that?! What I am saying is that it's been very helpful to surround myself with swimmers who really excel in areas that I struggle with. It's also been helpful to do sets and work the sets that really nail your weak areas. And, the only reason I swim USS is really b/c the coaches are 100% accommodating to my needs as a masters swimmer. I'm really fortunate to have such latitude. I think that for the summer season I calculated that I will be swimming about 50% what the national kids train!

1. When I started Masters (age 30) I really struggled with racing 200s without dying. and 2. Kicking is really a weak point for me - since I started swimming- but it became VERY obvious when I started swimming USS as an adult and when I saw myself on video (1st time ever might I add) swimming 200 FR. I think #1 and #2 go hand in hand. While swimming USS for the past year with the kids I always got in the distance lane (just comes easier for me - I coast and make intervals) and I was always relieved when we did very little kick work. Started doing some speed work recently so that got me thinking about my kick - b/c it was not there. Coach has me do a 6 beat kick even during warm up to break my habit of NO kicking. First few weeks were painful - and that's putting it nicely. I thought I was going to DIE. Fortunately, I didn't. Then the real work begins. I also recommend starting out working on your kick SCY b/c I don't think I could have wrapped my head around adding a kick starting out with LCM. I'm sure some people could do it. . . but not me. Now I swim Mid Distance (instead of distance - ah those lovely days of pulling) and Chris Davis SR LOVES kick and swim/ kick sets which I feel are the most challenging sets out there (for me). My heart rate really gets up there pretty quick and it stays up there. In switching from Distance to Mid D/ more speed work, I feel like I'm in a different sport. I have a long ways to go, but I already see a nice difference when I throw in a kick during free speed work. You really get on top of the water. Plus, it helps to train with fantastic kicker/ swimmers (National team members if you can hack it). You feel forced to bust it out so to speak so as to save face. I'd also like to add that I would get "tweaky" shoulders when I swam the 1.5 hour masters workouts. (We did a LOT of pulling with paddles - daily I believe). Now, with the 1900 meter or so warm ups with USS I have not had tweaky shoulders for the entire time I've been swimming with them. I attribute this to a longer warm up, less paddle (ab)use and the fact that we build into our workouts (unless it's a pure speed day in which case I don't use paddles.) I'm also not suggesting that you run out and join a USS team as who in their right mind wants to do that?! What I am saying is that it's been very helpful to surround myself with swimmers who really excel in areas that I struggle with. It's also been helpful to do sets and work the sets that really nail your weak areas. And, the only reason I swim USS is really b/c the coaches are 100% accommodating to my needs as a masters swimmer. I'm really fortunate to have such latitude. I think that for the summer season I calculated that I will be swimming about 50% what the national kids train!