Getting back in the pool after at 15 year hiatus

HI, Welcome back, unlike others here, or yourself, I didn't swim much more than the average person prior making it part of my lifestyle. I'm also relatively new to this. But I see threads where folks with prior swimming background overdoing it at first. For what it's worth, I would suggest spending a good portion of your time getting reaquanted, just taking it easy and enjoying it. 4. Any pitfalls I should look out for? I quit originally because of impingement in both shoulders (yeah- I'm a wimp) I don't believe avoiding shoulder damage is wimpish. If acute pain develops, by all cost's aviod it. There are many theraputic exercises for the shoulders out there to get you conditioned for safe progress. Plus, I'm starting to believe proper form is less demanding on the shoulders. I just want to know what's respectable for a 35 yr old guy. Checkout the USMS rulebook located on this site's main page. Here you can see the current records which to me are very impressive, and slight age related time differences. Later

I'm in the same boat here. I can tell you that it feels great to get in the habit of swimming every day again, but it might be best to not look at the clock for a while. I feel like I have made huge progress in 6 weeks, but I am still slower than dirt. (How slow? I did a 100 free from a push the other day in 1:04.) As for getting a sense of how fast people are at 35, well, there are people here in Michigan who are as fast as they were in high school.

Congratulations! You made an absolutely brilliant decision to get back into the pool. I myself just returned 6 weeks ago after a 30+ year hiatus, so I'm a bit envious of you. I wish I hadn't waited so long, but I am making great progress thanks to my Masters coach. So, here's my :2cents: of advice to you: Focus on your form. I read somewhere that 70% of swimming is form. If you have good form, the rest will follow. Don't worry about speed. Don't push yourself too hard at first. Listen to your body and give yourself time. Don't get discouraged. You'll have good days and some not-so-good days, but don't give up. And most importantly -- have fun!! :bliss: Oh, and I almost forgot. In just 6 weeks of swimming, not only do I swim better/faster, my body has improved immensely. I've lost weight, gained lean muscle, my body fat percentage has gone down, and I'm stronger. If a 55-year old out-of-shape, former high school swimmer can do it -- I know you can too!

Yeah, your shoulders are actually in worse shape now than when you quit. Consider working on stroke changes from day one. Changing to a wider hand entry has helped keep my shoulders happy as well as regular RC exercises. Buy some stretch cords, they are the same as they were 15 years ago. I went to Karlyn Pipes Aquatic Edge clinic a few months ago, and that is why I changed my stroke. Before then, it would be difficult for my shoulders to be fine for high yardage days or swimming several days in a row. Now a 5k days are not a concern, nor is swimming 10 days in a row. I got back into swimming summer 08 after 13 years away, so I know what your going through. I was fairly active, but I knew swimming was a different animal. I am using the same equipment I had 13 years ago, mainly pull bouy and kick board. I also bought a couple suits exactly the same style I used to wear 13 years ago. I figured I would worry about suit type and material when I had improved a bit but I am still wearing what I have, it's comfortable and it works for me. My first day back in the water I had a goal of stayong in the water at least 15-20 minutes, evenif I had to take a lot of breaks. Turns out I swam for over an hour and went further than I could have imagined, but had I only done 15 minutes and been dead tired, I would have been ok with it. Take it slow and listen to your body, especially your shoulders. No matter what the reason to getting back into the water, the experience should certainly be enjoyable! I went to a Karlyn Pipes 3 day swim clinic in August and have also been working to change my stroke. My shoulders have felt amazingly better since I have been working on it as they are not stressed like when I first got back into the water. Welcome back!

1. Any equipment changes I need to be aware of or are people using the same kick boards, paddles, fins and pull buoys that I used 15 yrs ago? The standards are the same. There are fancy versions of everything, but most people still used the basics. 2. Can you recommend a good practice suit? / competition suit? This has improved. There are 100% PBT suits that will last forever. No idea what PBT stands for, but I have a suit that is 7 years old now, still jet black, and eventually I expect the stitching to fail. They are about as lasting as the old 100% nylon suits, with a bit more give, but not as much give as the lycra suits. Lycra suits are still the most common, and if you actually want your suits to wear out so you can wear something different, lycra is still the way to go. I think jammers caught on after you quit, so you have an option other than briefs. I don't like them, too much drag. The 100% PBT is not a race suit :) 3. How pitiful should I expect to be? I haven't exactly been a paragon of fitness over the past 15 yrs. You are going to be horrible. Be happy if you can wash your back after practice for the first few weeks. It took me about six months before I felt like I could really train again. Your rate of return has a lot to do with how much effort you put into it, but still, months not weeks. 4. Any pitfalls I should look out for? I quit originally because of impingement in both shoulders (yeah- I'm a wimp) Yeah, your shoulders are actually in worse shape now than when you quit. Consider working on stroke changes from day one. Changing to a wider hand entry has helped keep my shoulders happy as well as regular RC exercises. Buy some stretch cords, they are the same as they were 15 years ago. I went to Karlyn Pipes Aquatic Edge clinic a few months ago, and that is why I changed my stroke. Before then, it would be difficult for my shoulders to be fine for high yardage days or swimming several days in a row. Now a 5k days are not a concern, nor is swimming 10 days in a row. Meet results, records and top 10 times are all available on the usms.org site. Just look under competition.

Hi All, I just joined the masters swimming group at my local Y. I swam competitively growing up before quitting my sophomore yr in college (good DIII program) but I've been out of the pool for the past 15 years. My goals are twofold: 1. Get back into some semblance of fitness so my kids dont think Daddy is a couch potato 2. Enjoy a little competition with like minded people. I'm eager to get back in the water but could use some advice to get re-started: 1. Any equipment changes I need to be aware of or are people using the same kick boards, paddles, fins and pull buoys that I used 15 yrs ago? 2. Can you recommend a good practice suit? / competition suit? 3. How pitiful should I expect to be? I haven't exactly been a paragon of fitness over the past 15 yrs. 4. Any pitfalls I should look out for? I quit originally because of impingement in both shoulders (yeah- I'm a wimp) I used to be a halfway decent sprinter (50/100 fr & 100 fly were my best events; anything longer than a 200 was the devil)- any idea where I can get a look at competitive times in those events? I just want to know what's respectable for a 35 yr old guy. First off...Welcome Back!! I've run across alot of these threads over the last year. I was in the same boat as you about 16 months ago! We are in the same age group (35-39), I'm 38. 1. The only equipment that I've added from what I've always used (what you listed) is a ankle strap (I used to use mini inner-tubes) and the freestyle snorkel. 2. I wear either just a Speedo Endurance Square Leg or a Speedo Endurance Brief with a big square leg drag suit over it. For competition I never tried a "tech suit" and they are now on the way out, so I'll be wearing a B70 Jammer most likely in 2010. 3. Won't lie here....its gonna take some time. Baby steps. I could BARELY hold my breathe to do a flip turn when I started.....during easy WARMUP!! There is a great "Workout" section on here with plenty of good workouts to fit most skill levels. 4. I had some inpingement issues with my shoulders over the past 5 or more years mostly when I got into lifting weights seriously (before I got back into swimming). I have found that the more swimming I do the better it has gotten. But thats just me. Just remember we are not 20 anymore, listen to what your body is telling you, and that while we may be competing its still about having fun! I used to be a distance/middle distance swimmer....in my new swimming life I'm finding that I'm doing much better in the sprints. Kinda nice!!! Although I do OW swimming in the summer/fall so that takes me back to distance. Point being, see where it takes you....pretty exciting stuff!!! Again, my biggest advice is "Baby steps".....set some short term goals (maybe weekly or monthly) to get you to some long term goals. Its the little victories I have each week in practice (and I train alone) that keep me coming back and staying excited. Best of luck!!! Lump

Congrats. I love reading about swimmers getting back in. The sport has so many positives to offer that about the only thing that can screw it up is ourselves! Be patient, we sometimes spend years gravitating towards complacency, but want a change back to be fast. Take your time, be patient, and listen to your body. It will come back, and you can have the time of your life getting it back. I try to concentrate on form and drills for shoulder help, and slowly add in the yardage.I wish you the best of luck, might even see you at a meet one day.

The best advice I can give is not to worry about your times. Forget about what you use to go for awhile. Concentrate on form and technique and you will be better of in the long run.

Welcome back. All the advice given here is well worth heeding - it will take time, a lot of time and no use rushing it, especially if you have had shoulder problems. Don't go gadget crazy, keep it simple. Read the blogs - don't worry about the times or interval, go at your own pace but don't be afraid to challenge yourself. Read Ande's Swim Faster Faster Tips - great way to get back mentally as well as physically. Pick a few and work on them. You should not focus on the "but I used to go...", and concentrate on current goals - I set up a bunch ranging from weight loss goals, # workouts per week, swimming in a meet, and target times. It will take time, but it will come back and maybe you will be able to do a PB in some event. This forum is a goldmine, lots of advice and lots of support - It's a great community. Good Luck

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going to keep my expectations low for "re-entry." As far as the shoulder thing goes- I'll have to see how they fare. Based on what I'm reading some technique work will definitely be in order. First practice is Tuesday so I think I'll try to ease in a little this week. The 11K days are DEFINITELY over- probably will try a nice easy 1K and see how it goes. The kids are VERY excited to see Daddy get back in the pool. My daughter is joining her first swim team soon so I am sure she's going to want to "race." I think she might have some talent for it- she has a real affinity for the water and a monster flutter kick (unlike daddy who barely kicks enough to stay afloat).