Swimming

[Nia]

I'm fairly new to swimming still and manage alright in the pool, though my endurance is lacking a lot still. (After a couple of lenghts I actually have to stop for a breather timeout...). I'd like to swim out in the lake (will be sticking to the shallow end for a while ...) to get used to being in moving water etc....do you guys have any suggesting for specific endurance training or generally just starting out?

[alpinerabbit]

How many lengths can you go? If it really is only "a couple"; that would indidate that your technique might be the bigger hindrance than endurance.

Other than that, once you can swim 1K, you can also swim 2 soonish. And so on.

When you do start in the lake, take it easy and never swim alone - that would be a start.

[sfa]

I had the same problem back in October when I started swimming. I still DO have this problem to a certain extent, but it's much better. Back in October I couldn't understand why I could run for 45 minutes and bike for hours at a time, but one length in the pool had me gasping for breath.

Form was a huge part of it. I started watching online videos and I read Total Immersion (still looking for the videos--my library doesn't have them and I can't quite bring myself to purchase them) and started doing drills and really paying attention to what my body was doing and not just to making it across the pool without drowning. Just the advice to keep my head down made a drastic improvement in my endurance.

The next part was just practice. I started by letting myself rest after each length, then after each lap, then after every two laps. Just working myself up very slowly. Once I got to five laps without resting, I started working on shortening the rest times--I was giving myself nearly two minutes to recover after each five laps and now I'm down to about 20 seconds and working my way up to ten laps before resting. Swimming with a heart rate monitor has helped a lot--it lets me monitor what's really going on and not just what I'm feeling. I think swimming kind of ooks me out because I can't breathe naturally and that makes me think I'm working harder than I actually am.

I don't think I'll ever be a really good or really strong swimmer, and I'm not sure I'm ever even going to much enjoy it, but I don't dread and loathe it like I did six months ago, so that's progress!

Good luck!

Sarah

[HillSlugger]

How long have you been swimming and how much swimming (time and distance) do you do in each session? Endurance take a while to develop. What kind of swimming plan are you using? I've had good success with the 0-1650 plan. Keep at it at least twice a week and it will get easier.

[txred9876]

How long have you been swimming and how much swimming (time and distance) do you do in each session? Endurance take a while to develop. What kind of swimming plan are you using? I've had good success with the 0-1650 plan. Keep at it at least twice a week and it will get easier.

thanks for the link....

This is my 10th week of working out in the pool. I could not swim 25 m without thinking I was drowning. I had played around in the water as a kid so I was not afraid of it but I had never been taught how to swim freestyle. My swim coach had us doing a lot of backstroke to get our endurance up and drills to work on our freestyle. We are training for an 800m race so ours is a little different then the workout in the 0-1650 plan but we consistantly swim 1000-1400m during a workout and I do just fine now. I also have been swimming 3 times a week for about an hour.

Tina

PS I have now lost 27 pounds during this same time frame!

[HillSlugger]

It sounds like you are starting things right with swimming with coaching and your swimming times/week and volume are good. I think you just need to give your body more time to get used to the effort.

For doing 800m in a race I recommend being able to do at least 1000m non-stop in the pool; don't be afraid to mix up the strokes if that's what it takes. I did a lot of side stroke in my first tris.

thanks for the link....

This is my 10th week of working out in the pool. I could not swim 25 m without thinking I was drowning. I had played around in the water as a kid so I was not afraid of it but I had never been taught how to swim freestyle. My swim coach had us doing a lot of backstroke to get our endurance up and drills to work on our freestyle. We are training for an 800m race so ours is a little different then the workout in the 0-1650 plan but we consistantly swim 1000-1400m during a workout and I do just fine now. I also have been swimming 3 times a week for about an hour.

Tina

PS I have now lost 27 pounds during this same time frame!

[txred9876]

It sounds like you are starting things right with swimming with coaching and your swimming times/week and volume are good. I think you just need to give your body more time to get used to the effort.

For doing 800m in a race I recommend being able to do at least 1000m non-stop in the pool; don't be afraid to mix up the strokes if that's what it takes. I did a lot of side stroke in my first tris.

I can do it non-stop at this point (800m) but its not always the fastest. I figure I concentrate on being consistant and steady the speed will come eventually.

I am doing a fund raiser for our group "team survivor" and it is called the Backyard tri. Its 300m swim, 20 min on spin bike and 2 mile run/walk. This is happening on may 2nd and the real tri is on may 17th (800m swim, 12 mile bike and 5k run- walk in my case).

I have been training 5-6 days a week.
Tina

[kacie tri-ing]

I agree that form is important. I also think time in the water is important. With running, and I think with swimming, putting those miles/laps in the bank makes the next miles/laps easier! Keep at it!

[fidlfreek]

0-1650 plan[/URL]. Keep at it at least twice a week and it will get easier.

Wow, MDHillSlug - I stared this plan today. I've been swimming Total Immersion drills I got off of a DVD for about a week now (did swim w/ a coach for months last year to get ready for a few sprint tris) but didn't really know where to go from there. I have been totally impressed by the Ruth Kazez site that the 0-1650 plan came from! Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks for posting it!

Especially helpful was her point that any muscle you're using is taking up oxygen. What a difference! I realized I was wasting oxygen on neck muscles, jaw muscles, shoulder muscles. I'm thinking that maybe if I can get into a zen-like mind space I can use less oxygen in my little hamster brain.

Anyways, the 0-1650 site TOTALLY cleared things up and has helped me find a clear, easy to follow plan for building up base mileage in the pool.

[MauiRockHopper]

thanks for the link....


PS I have now lost 27 pounds during this same time frame!

I just started swimming too, and been looking around on the internet for tips. I did see a few websites that said you won't lose weight from swimming. Obviously they are wrong! The theory is that 1) your body is trying to conserve heat and wants to keep a layer of fat, 2) you get hungrier after swimming which causes you to pig out, and 3) once your swimming session is over you stop burning calories. With cycling or running you are still burning calories for 18 hours after your ride is done. Fortunately cycling is my main sport, but I want to get more toned and thought swimming would help stretch the hips etc, & work the upper body too. I hope I lose 27 pounds too!

P.S. Now I need a dorky swim cap to keep my hair out of my face, even if I make a bun it gets out of control.

[txred9876]

I just started swimming too, and been looking around on the internet for tips. I did see a few websites that said you won't lose weight from swimming. Obviously they are wrong! The theory is that 1) your body is trying to conserve heat and wants to keep a layer of fat, 2) you get hungrier after swimming which causes you to pig out, and 3) once your swimming session is over you stop burning calories. With cycling or running you are still burning calories for 18 hours after your ride is done. Fortunately cycling is my main sport, but I want to get more toned and thought swimming would help stretch the hips etc, & work the upper body too. I hope I lose 27 pounds too!

P.S. Now I need a dorky swim cap to keep my hair out of my face, even if I make a bun it gets out of control.

I think my weight loss is due to several things. I try to not eat late and if I do its something very light or a protien shake (home made with banana and natural yogurt). I am mixing up my exercise with swimming and biking. I have been biking about 70-90 miles a week. I make sure I either do a protien type shake or fruit & nuts before swimming so I am not so hungry I want to eat everything in site.

One coach told me to try to get 15-25mg of protien into my body within 30 min of exercise and it would make you burn fat and not break down muscle. I know the weeks I stick to this I lose more weight. I am not going to kill myself dieting I have just changed my lifestyle 100%.

We have our first open water swim in the morning. Its a spring fed place that used to be a rock quarry. I bet its going to be COLD! I had to get a dorky swim cap too...LOL

Tina

[fidlfreek]

Tina -
Did you guys swim at Zilker pool? I grew up new Austin and just wondered....

Also, did it go ok?

Maui -
I am also mainly a cyclist and completely agree that swimming is a great way to change your body. It tones up your upper body SO much. And quickly too as long as you're diligent.

[HillSlugger]

I think my weight loss is due to several things. I try to not eat late and if I do its something very light or a protien shake (home made with banana and natural yogurt). I am mixing up my exercise with swimming and biking. I have been biking about 70-90 miles a week. I make sure I either do a protien type shake or fruit & nuts before swimming so I am not so hungry I want to eat everything in site.

One coach told me to try to get 15-25mg of protien into my body within 30 min of exercise and it would make you burn fat and not break down muscle. I know the weeks I stick to this I lose more weight. I am not going to kill myself dieting I have just changed my lifestyle 100%.

We have our first open water swim in the morning. Its a spring fed place that used to be a rock quarry. I bet its going to be COLD! I had to get a dorky swim cap too...LOL

Tina

I haven't read the article, but one of the reasons I've always heard that swimming isn't good for weight loss is that it's mostly an upper body workout and arms muscles are so much smaller than leg muscles so they burn far fewer calories

[txred9876]

Tina -
Did you guys swim at Zilker pool? I grew up new Austin and just wondered....

Also, did it go ok?

Maui -
I am also mainly a cyclist and completely agree that swimming is a great way to change your body. It tones up your upper body SO much. And quickly too as long as you're diligent.

We swam at the quarry. It is a quarry off Braker between 183 and Mopac. A company called pure austin purchased it and they have it marked off for an 800m swim around the bouys. The swim went well but the water was kind of cool (71degrees). I realized I was not stretching out as much so kind of tired myself out a bit early. I did however make it all the way around without touching any of the bouys to rest.

[HillSlugger]

We swam at the quarry. It is a quarry off Braker between 183 and Mopac. A company called pure austin purchased it and they have it marked off for an 800m swim around the bouys. The swim went well but the water was kind of cool (71degrees). I realized I was not stretching out as much so kind of tired myself out a bit early. I did however make it all the way around without touching any of the bouys to rest.

Oh how I wish for 70 degree water! I'll be doing my first OWS of the year and the water is in the low 60's, same as it will be for my race next Sunday.