I am 35 and in pretty decent shape. I ride 4-5000 miles a year and do endurance events (100 mile mt. bike races). Unfortunately, my Dr. just told me no more riding for 3 + months. I usually ride through the winter, well enough to stay in some sort of shape.
While I am not excited about droping $800 bucks to join the Y to use the pool I am kind of excited to try something new. My Dr. told me I can swim and I plan on using this to keep my cardio and tone up over the winter.
Problem is I have no idea where to start. From goggles, suit, to what to do in the pool other than swim. In cycling I always tell beginners any cycling is better than no cycling, I would guess this is true for swimming (at a beginner level).
I know how to swim and was on the swim team through grade school (yeah I know a long time ago but at least I know what its about). I have tried to read some of the posts here about training, but to be honest I just dont know the lingo.
Like most things I will probably get hooked on this and want to see what I can do with it. I would like to work up to doing 1-2 hours.
Thanks for the help.
Al
Parents
Former Member
Great. Thanks for the input. I think i am pretty close to getting into faster sets. I am amazed at the progress in one week.
MY last 2 days in the pool have really been interesting to me.
Today was day six in a row and 7 out of 8 (I started 8 days ago) but before I talk about today. Yesterday was my first mile. I didn't hit any new goals other than the total. When I was 8 or 9 or whatever, i raced backstroke, i threw in 50yards at the end of my work out. I can't believe how much it wore me out, even though you can breath the whole time.
Today was a tough day in the pool. the first 250 yards is just so hard for me to get going. i have found something that has worked for me over the past couple of days.
250 warm up
Kicking drills
pulls
then as far as I can go freestyle
Today was 250 warm up(still really hard for me)
750 kicking (with flippers and board) this is good for me, i find that it tires my legs out and seems to help with keeping a good pace
750 pulls ( i do this without stopping) In the future, i might do faster sets of 250
750 free style ( i do this without stopping) In the future, i might do faster sets of 250
For fun at the end I did 50 of *** stroke and came to the conclusion that I will not be doing this, not because i cant, but because my left knee pops with every kick. I finished it off with 50 of back stroke. Wow at the end of 50 am I almost ready to drown.
All in all its good. I find after i warm up and I start a set of 500 or 750, the first 250 is mentally difficult, I constantly fight the desire to stop at 250. But then it get to 300 and settle in and feel like I can go all day.
Today I used the isH2 water proof case and headphones for the shuffle. It worked better than expected, but the complaints about the sized of the ear buds are valid. The left one worked flawlessly, but I had trouble with getting the right one to sit properly, once I did the product was transparent. Pretty good option then buying the swimman. I had a hard time justifying a third shuffle in the house along with a nano, 2 iphones and another ipod. I was going to send my shuffle into swimman to have them waterproof it but by the time you do that and buy headphones its faster and way cheaper to use the is2. The case is great the headphones work well.
Great. Thanks for the input. I think i am pretty close to getting into faster sets. I am amazed at the progress in one week.
MY last 2 days in the pool have really been interesting to me.
Today was day six in a row and 7 out of 8 (I started 8 days ago) but before I talk about today. Yesterday was my first mile. I didn't hit any new goals other than the total. When I was 8 or 9 or whatever, i raced backstroke, i threw in 50yards at the end of my work out. I can't believe how much it wore me out, even though you can breath the whole time.
Today was a tough day in the pool. the first 250 yards is just so hard for me to get going. i have found something that has worked for me over the past couple of days.
250 warm up
Kicking drills
pulls
then as far as I can go freestyle
Today was 250 warm up(still really hard for me)
750 kicking (with flippers and board) this is good for me, i find that it tires my legs out and seems to help with keeping a good pace
750 pulls ( i do this without stopping) In the future, i might do faster sets of 250
750 free style ( i do this without stopping) In the future, i might do faster sets of 250
For fun at the end I did 50 of *** stroke and came to the conclusion that I will not be doing this, not because i cant, but because my left knee pops with every kick. I finished it off with 50 of back stroke. Wow at the end of 50 am I almost ready to drown.
All in all its good. I find after i warm up and I start a set of 500 or 750, the first 250 is mentally difficult, I constantly fight the desire to stop at 250. But then it get to 300 and settle in and feel like I can go all day.
Today I used the isH2 water proof case and headphones for the shuffle. It worked better than expected, but the complaints about the sized of the ear buds are valid. The left one worked flawlessly, but I had trouble with getting the right one to sit properly, once I did the product was transparent. Pretty good option then buying the swimman. I had a hard time justifying a third shuffle in the house along with a nano, 2 iphones and another ipod. I was going to send my shuffle into swimman to have them waterproof it but by the time you do that and buy headphones its faster and way cheaper to use the is2. The case is great the headphones work well.
