Just for context, I started swimming five years ago and I'm 42 years old. After a lot of floundering I got down to 1:50 per 100, and I do about 3000 meters a workout. I used to just swim it out, now I'm working on intervals and actually trying to push myself in a semi intelligent way.
I am haunted by my kicking problems, inasmuch as they're weaker than my arms and I tend to always move from side to side. I came to the conclusion this morning in my workout that breathing on only one side on every second stroke was forcing me to angle out every stroke and compounded my problems with keeping straight and letting my kicking propel me forward as opposed to side to side.
I started working this morning on breathing on alternate sides on every third stroke and while I have to re-train my lungs to accept the breathing differently and get comfortable one goggling the non dominant side, I immediately saw a big change in how I was gliding through the water and felt like I was swimming a bit with a pull buoy.
I had back surgery two years ago and for 18 months only swam with a buoy which probably made my problems a lot worse because I wasn't working on my core but was getting stronger with my pull, and wasn't addressing my weak kicking problem and facing up to the challenge of breathing on one side was pulling me a bit askance every stroke.
Anyways here's the question for you pros. Am I thinking about this problem right?
I tried to post the workout I need today. When I was working half through on breathing side to side I felt I had to go a lot slower to accommodate the new breathing technique and get comfortable with turning to the left, as well.
Any feedback would be really helpful. I know it's going to take a long time to put the breathing, catch and kicking pieces back together but I really want to get down into the 1:30's per 100 just for me, and I know without some great kicking I will never ever get there.
Merry Christmas guys.
I definitely try not to use toys except to help. I swam with a buoy for two years because of back surgery and sciatica that reared its ugly head. Once that all settled I started trying to swim better. I havent used the buoy in a year, FYI, but the preciptious drop in times and realiziing im snaking around led me to believe my inferior kicking/strength is first order of business.
The self coaching is probably another major issue. I started swimming five years ago after I hurt my knee jogging and except splashing around and the obligatory lessons as a child (Im 42), havent swam as a swimmer ever. I basically jumped in the pool and couldnt swim 4 laps. Worked at it to where I did 3000k a day, tried to watch better swimmers (lots!) than me and emulate what they did. I acknowledge youtube videos, and my committment to offset my inferior genes, and skill, by doing lots of research and winning my goals on eventual proficency of technique would be helped by a coach.
Now I am at a stage where swimming 3000 with no plan is not a good workout, I have realized. I was in Chicago for a week a few months ago, joined Masters because I knew I now needed to learn and I participated in workouts at UIC and saw what a workout that had a plan meant. That was a big lesson for me.
Regarding toys, i use the kickboard or snorkel to kick as hard as I can for 500-600 after I do my 3000 everyday.
During my 3000 i am focusing on trying to biltaeral breathe, work on rotating from hips and not from shoulders. Working on where my hands enters so even though i think its shoulder length its maybe not...basically trying to figure out the snaking problem that emerged once I started kicking and thus started really dragging my body.
Fins. Sometimes I do 1000 meters, 100 with fins, 100 without, with no rest; to try and get a feel for a more powerful kick propelling me and then trying to emulate without fins power right afterwards. I dont use the fins with the kickboard that much. I prefer to streamline with snorkel and kick. Then my shoulders dont strain on the kickboard and I can work on slipping and sliding as much as I can. I find kicking with the fins very hard, and also you have to do a lot less to achieve power so Im conscious of trying to use them to understand how I generate power, than to trick myself into thinking the 1:30 with fins was me improving.
Ive also used fins to work on that Bow and Arrow drill a previous poster - Steve - suggested which I find devilishly hard, especially when I drop more to one side than the other so I need my fins to keep afloat and moving. I do the drill 100-200 a workout since it was suggested.
I used paddles during the year 500 or so a workout but have out them aside because compartively my legs are a bigger problem, and I dont think they helped as much focus on my elbow high and making the brick of the forearm and hand as I would tradeoff for having a toy.
The biggest themes Im trying to grapple with now is understanding on a physical level how one creates power and maintains it, and secondly, strengthening what I see as a very weak fitness in generating said power and then knowing what to do with it.
Merry Christmas guys.
I definitely try not to use toys except to help. I swam with a buoy for two years because of back surgery and sciatica that reared its ugly head. Once that all settled I started trying to swim better. I havent used the buoy in a year, FYI, but the preciptious drop in times and realiziing im snaking around led me to believe my inferior kicking/strength is first order of business.
The self coaching is probably another major issue. I started swimming five years ago after I hurt my knee jogging and except splashing around and the obligatory lessons as a child (Im 42), havent swam as a swimmer ever. I basically jumped in the pool and couldnt swim 4 laps. Worked at it to where I did 3000k a day, tried to watch better swimmers (lots!) than me and emulate what they did. I acknowledge youtube videos, and my committment to offset my inferior genes, and skill, by doing lots of research and winning my goals on eventual proficency of technique would be helped by a coach.
Now I am at a stage where swimming 3000 with no plan is not a good workout, I have realized. I was in Chicago for a week a few months ago, joined Masters because I knew I now needed to learn and I participated in workouts at UIC and saw what a workout that had a plan meant. That was a big lesson for me.
Regarding toys, i use the kickboard or snorkel to kick as hard as I can for 500-600 after I do my 3000 everyday.
During my 3000 i am focusing on trying to biltaeral breathe, work on rotating from hips and not from shoulders. Working on where my hands enters so even though i think its shoulder length its maybe not...basically trying to figure out the snaking problem that emerged once I started kicking and thus started really dragging my body.
Fins. Sometimes I do 1000 meters, 100 with fins, 100 without, with no rest; to try and get a feel for a more powerful kick propelling me and then trying to emulate without fins power right afterwards. I dont use the fins with the kickboard that much. I prefer to streamline with snorkel and kick. Then my shoulders dont strain on the kickboard and I can work on slipping and sliding as much as I can. I find kicking with the fins very hard, and also you have to do a lot less to achieve power so Im conscious of trying to use them to understand how I generate power, than to trick myself into thinking the 1:30 with fins was me improving.
Ive also used fins to work on that Bow and Arrow drill a previous poster - Steve - suggested which I find devilishly hard, especially when I drop more to one side than the other so I need my fins to keep afloat and moving. I do the drill 100-200 a workout since it was suggested.
I used paddles during the year 500 or so a workout but have out them aside because compartively my legs are a bigger problem, and I dont think they helped as much focus on my elbow high and making the brick of the forearm and hand as I would tradeoff for having a toy.
The biggest themes Im trying to grapple with now is understanding on a physical level how one creates power and maintains it, and secondly, strengthening what I see as a very weak fitness in generating said power and then knowing what to do with it.
