Hey everybody, I am lookin for some advice on getting back into the sport. Quick rundown of the past. I swam USS for all 3 years of middle school and my freshman year of high school. Dropped it because I got severely burnt out. Picked up cycling and raced for a couple years. I graduated high school at 155 pounds (im 5 10). Before I started working out this year, I was at 224 pounds. Since that high, I got down to 187 doing P90X. I love the workout, but out of everything I have done, I miss swimming immensely. So I joined a gym because they had a pool. Even with the P90X workouts, I jumped in the pool and did a 100 free and thought I wasnt doin too bad. After about 300 yards my stroke was awful and with each stroke I felt like I was goin nowhere. Ive tried to get back into swimming shape by just doin laps, but I cant. I get way too frustrated and being a former swimmer, I like a set workout/routine. Any tips for me. Please remember I cant do much more than 100 yards at a time, especially towards the middle to latter parts of the workout. I want to swim Masters one day soon. But ill be damned if I go and make a fool out of myself with my current form. Thanks so much for any help/tips you can give me.
I want to swim Masters one day soon. But ill be damned if I go and make a fool out of myself with my current form. Thanks so much for any help/tips you can give me.
Josh, I think if you did a poll of how former swimmers felt when they got back into their first Masters' workout after an extended break from training, you'd find that practically all of them felt like shadows of their former swimming selves and many of them had the same anxiety as you. Don't sweat it. One of the great things about Masters' teams is that there is a HUGE variety in capabilities on teams and that most of the people are there to get/stay in shape and have fun. Yeah, some of us get kind of psycho about the competitive component, but I still find Masters' swimmers to be a laid-back group. I don't think you have to fear being "judged" by your poolmates.
So, I'd really recommend finding a team nearby, talking with the coach outside of the pool before you jump in the first time and then just take it one day at a time. As you go, ask your coach for pointers on technique.
As for technique, there are a number of good books, websites, videos out there. I recommend Total Immersion (www.totalimmersion.net), both for the quality & focus on technique, but also because, if you want to take your technique to the next level, they have a network of trained coaches and run clinics throughout the year throughout the US.
I want to swim Masters one day soon. But ill be damned if I go and make a fool out of myself with my current form. Thanks so much for any help/tips you can give me.
Josh, I think if you did a poll of how former swimmers felt when they got back into their first Masters' workout after an extended break from training, you'd find that practically all of them felt like shadows of their former swimming selves and many of them had the same anxiety as you. Don't sweat it. One of the great things about Masters' teams is that there is a HUGE variety in capabilities on teams and that most of the people are there to get/stay in shape and have fun. Yeah, some of us get kind of psycho about the competitive component, but I still find Masters' swimmers to be a laid-back group. I don't think you have to fear being "judged" by your poolmates.
So, I'd really recommend finding a team nearby, talking with the coach outside of the pool before you jump in the first time and then just take it one day at a time. As you go, ask your coach for pointers on technique.
As for technique, there are a number of good books, websites, videos out there. I recommend Total Immersion (www.totalimmersion.net), both for the quality & focus on technique, but also because, if you want to take your technique to the next level, they have a network of trained coaches and run clinics throughout the year throughout the US.
