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
Well it looks like kicking bothers my knee too so it looks like I will be using the pull buoy exclusively for the time being.
Don't worry about the buoy ... do what works. I know a number of swimmers who've been sidelined with shoulder injuires and have had to kick for months on end with no pulling. You're just restricted on the other side of the body, but can still get a great workout.
One thing you can add into your pulling, though, once your arms and shoulders feel even stronger in the water would be paddles. Most swimmers I know like them; they like the extra work they make, but also the extra power. They certainly can strengthen your shoulders/back and add variety if your knee is forcing you to pull only.
The good and the bad.
The bad:
Well it looks like kicking bothers my knee too so it looks like I will be using the pull buoy exclusively for the time being.
The good.
I did 2500 yards (56 minutes) today non stop. I felt great in the pool. Yeah I know that i wasnt kicking and kicking is really a big deal (at least to me). but I am pretty happy with that.
I ended with 50 as fast as I could go (with kicking) 42 seconds. That is pushing off the wall to start and no flip turn on the other end. Wow was the last 10 yards tough.
the is2 shuffle case was perfect today. I am really glad I got this thing.
Funny you mention that. I actually had them at the side of the pool ready to go after my warm up. Problem is I never stopped. I just kept on going. I will make sure I use them tomorrow. I am sure it will speed things up a bit too.
Here is to having shoulders for the first time since high school.
On a side note, I worked on breathing out of both sides today. While a bit uncoordinated, it worked out pretty well. I like the idea of breathing to the same side of the pool. I will work it in slowly and while others are not in the lane with me. I veer a bit breathing to my right.
Thought I might just do a quick update in case other beginners are lurking.
I have been doing 2500 yards a day for since the 23rd. I am in the pool 6 days a week. I could go longer but I get pretty board by the time I am done with my 2500.
Its a pretty big progression since November 13rd. Or at least I feel it is. I might pick it up to 3000 a day, but I am not sure why other than I am sadistic.
I could be going harder but my shoulders just dont have the strength yet for that.
I try to change it up day to day depending how I am feeling. Sometimes I swim it straight without stopping and other times I do 10x250.
I am doing all pulling as my knee is still a no go.
Heythorp,
That's great progress! I think, if you compare yourself to many masters' swimmers, getting in 18K a week is certainly above the median point.
What's the barrier on flipturns? They're great abs work.
Enjoy the holidays.
Quick christmas update:
So I am now up to 3000+ yards a day 6 days a week. I am getting faster without trying too hard to do so which is cool.
The only intervals i do are 250's on the 5...When i first started these i would only get 5-10 seconds of rest between the sets. My fastest to date is 4:05.. I can now hold an average of 4:15 doing 10 sets... I should add that I usually do these with hand fins on.
Today after doing 3000+ with the fins on I thought it might be neat to see what I could do on a 250 without fins. I pulled a 4:06. That is only 1 second slower than my fastest time and that is after an hour of swimming with the fins on.
The 10 sets is a really hard day, my routine now (if i just dont swim for an hour straight) is 20 minutes warm up, 4-6 250's on the 5 and then swim for the rest of the hour.
Oh yeah, no flip turns and certainly not a very efficient turn either. I definitely give up 5 seconds if not more over the 250.
Anyways.Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.
yeah i am really happy with the progress. It is really good. If i was doing more specific speed work outs I would be faster by now but that is not my over all goal. My goal is pure base fitness to distance/time is more important to me.
Flip turns:
Well I can do them, in my own way. I have been practicing the "correct" way to do them, but they are coming along slowly as I will only try them if I have the lane to my self because I can certainly veer off line a bit on them. If i did them my way (totally wrong) I can keep them straighter. The correct way really gets water in my nose so I think that for the most part keeps me from trying them more often. I know a crappy reason but hey its all i got
Flip turns:
... The correct way really gets water in my nose so I think that for the most part keeps me from trying them more often.
That's kind of what I thought ... the key is to work on blowing air/water out of your nose as you flip. Alternately, you could consider a nose clip.
happy New Year to all.
Well I thought my base fitness was getting there, until today and yesterday I tried to swim without the float buoy. I nearly drowned. I have lost all coordination to do kick and pull. Not only that but I am slower on my splits. It just was not fun. Its ok because my knee is not ready to go yet anyways, but it was certainly disappointing.
The good.
I have not been doing too may intervals for a couple of reasons. I have been very sore. I figured out a big part of that was from over stretching. My joints had started to ache. I noticed after skipping a day of stretching the pain went away. So have not been pushing the myself on the stretching and most of the soreness has faded.
I said most because there is still some left due to the fact I am pushing too many days in a row. The holidays messed up with my scheduled day off (Sundays). So tomorrow will be day 9 in a row so i can get back to my sunday off.
The good is this. While purposely not doing too intervals because of the soreness and knowing i would do many days in a row i backed off them for the past week.
However 3 days ago I did try to do some intervals. The first 250 I set a new record 3:52... My first under the 4 minute mark, this beat my time by almost 15 seconds. The next interval i did in 3:56. I was shot after this, i tried to do a third but I was in pain (shoulders) and the buoy came out after 100 yards. I stopped, recovered and then just swam out the rest of my hour.
Today, day 8 in a row, after 40 minutes of active recovery, i decided to see what I had in me. 3.47!!! My first 3 50 splits were identical at 45 I lost 1 second per 50 after that. I was really happy about that.
To go back to a previous post: I have been working on the flip turn and I am feeling more comfortable with them. Only problem is they will knock my ear buds out after while. It might make me faster in the long run but its not really important to me.
What i find amazing is how much faster people can get. I mean in a mere 6 weeks i have taken a minute off my 250 time. OK i had a long way to go and still have a long way, but there are people in the pool that seem to be just cruising along and I am going as hard as I can and cant keep them in sight. ITs just crazy. Anyways. its all good and I am happy with the progress to date.
