January Swims

[Selkie]

I started really focusing on my catch and have found that my arms/shoulders are fatiguing (getting better every swim, but still, it surprised me since I lift weights and am strong). Before I began working on this, my technique was a decidedly "dropped elbow" swimmer. By keeping my elbow higher, I find my stroke is more efficient and I have a more effective glide in the water.

There's a lot to remember---hand entry, hand/elbow position, when to start my catch, and then the pull. Is it easier to break it down and add on as you make the improved technique part a "mindless" part of your stroke? Any tips from those w/decent technique---the most important thing I should focus on?

[Susan Otcenas]

Susan, I tried your back dolphin kick, but I don't have fins, so mine was pretty slow, and a bit off-center, but it was fun and I'll do it again.

Roxy

Yay! Glad you had fun with it. I did another 200 yards of it during my swim this morning. My abs were thoroughly whipped by the end. All this hard work will pay off for us!

[kacie tri-ing]

2 more 45 minute endurance swims. I am trying to teach myself to flip turn, but I don't really have enough control yet to do it while someone else in in the lane with me. Any tips?

[Bike Chick]

Good luck with the flip turns. I just do a touch and push off the wall. Since all i'm doing will be a triathlon and not a lap race I've saved myself from trying to learn that one. I tried it a couple of times and decided it wasn't something I needed to learn in my lifetime.

I have a question from you experienced swimmers too. How do you get faster? Is it practice, techinique, drills, strength? I can swim a mile now with no problem but I am so slow. Will this improve over time?

[Bike Chick]

Oh and I did 2 x 200
50m kick
2 x 200
50m kick
1 x 400
1 x 800 this morning

[Selkie]

Successful in meeting my goals this week: 2,000 yds/day Monday - Friday, and exceeded my goal by 250 yards today (3,250). Because a local club had a meet which shut down "my" pool for the day, I ended up having to swim at one of the other HS's, in a vintage 1970s pool/facility. Made me really appreciate the brand new pool, locker room, showers, etc., that I regularly use!

Ironically, the old pool was much cleaner, probably because it doesn't see as much action as the new one. The water was warmer! It also was deep to shallow, which was kind of nice. I usually swim in the 6'6" section of the pool instead of in the lanes located in the diving tank area with the drop off to 12'.

Best of all, it was practically deserted. Didn't even have to split a lane!!! HEAVEN, particularly since it was crowded enough to require circle swimming every day except Friday.

[HillSlugger]

Good luck with the flip turns. I just do a touch and push off the wall. Since all i'm doing will be a triathlon and not a lap race I've saved myself from trying to learn that one. I tried it a couple of times and decided it wasn't something I needed to learn in my lifetime.

I have a question from you experienced swimmers too. How do you get faster? Is it practice, techinique, drills, strength? I can swim a mile now with no problem but I am so slow. Will this improve over time?

I think speed always comes after endurance. I think it helps to push yourself faster every so often, like doing sprints in running. By doing 100m repeats I recently discovered that I can sustain faster speeds longer than I thought.

[Bike Chick]

I think speed always comes after endurance. I think it helps to push yourself faster every so often, like doing sprints in running. By doing 100m repeats I recently discovered that I can sustain faster speeds longer than I thought.

Excuse me for sounding like a real newbie here (which I am), by 100m repeats you mean you swim as hard and fast as you can for 100m, rest, then do it again? Do you time yourself each time or just push yourself and swim? I've tried swimming 50m as hard as i can and really pushing myself, especially if there's a good swimmer in the lane next to me; I will race against them. I feel like I'm really getting it and then when I see myself on video, realize how darned slow I really am. Are you saying that by doing this on a regular basis, my speed and endurance will increase?

[Veronica]

I'm checking out a new gym so I actually swam today. Nothing major - 500 swim, 300 kick, 200 pull.

I'm such a geek that I kept track of my 100 splits on the swim though, just to kind of gauge where I'm at: 1:40, 1:48, 1:50, 1:54 and 1:50. Not too shabby for just hopping in and not working too hard. The last time I swam was in September when I did a sprint tri.

This gym has some coached swim times, which has some appeal. I had been thinking I'd use the city pool when it opened back up in Feb., but their open lap times just don't mesh with my schedule.

So as long as I don't wake up with a runny nose, I'll be joining a new gym.

Veronica

[Susan Otcenas]

I'm such a geek that I kept track of my 100 splits on the swim though, just to kind of gauge where I'm at: 1:40, 1:48, 1:50, 1:54 and 1:50. Not too shabby for just hopping in and not working too hard.

I keep all my times in a spreadsheet. Yup, geeky here too!

BTW, I would LOVE to have those times!! My best 100 so far has been 1:52. Consistently doing 1:55 these days and I WORK to get those. Eight weeks ago was more like 2:05 to 2:10, so I'm making progress. (BTW, these times are yards, not meters....)

[Veronica]

BTW, I would LOVE to have those times!! My best 100 so far has been 1:52. Consistently doing 1:55 these days and I WORK to get those. Eight weeks ago was more like 2:05 to 2:10, so I'm making progress. (BTW, these times are yards, not meters....)

Thanks! You'll get there. Just remember tris aren't won on the swim. I have yet to watch one on tv where the first person out of the water was first at the end. I'd just like to get my three events a little more evenly balanced.

Yards for my times too.

Veronica

[HillSlugger]

I'm checking out a new gym so I actually swam today. Nothing major - 500 swim, 300 kick, 200 pull.

I'm such a geek that I kept track of my 100 splits on the swim though, just to kind of gauge where I'm at: 1:40, 1:48, 1:50, 1:54 and 1:50. Not too shabby for just hopping in and not working too hard. The last time I swam was in September when I did a sprint tri.

This gym has some coached swim times, which has some appeal. I had been thinking I'd use the city pool when it opened back up in Feb., but their open lap times just don't mesh with my schedule.

So as long as I don't wake up with a runny nose, I'll be joining a new gym.

Veronica

I can hit those times but I would be working VERY hard!

I record all of my set times on Beginner Triathlete.

[Susan Otcenas]

Just remember tris aren't won on the swim.

So true!

I took a tri-oriented swim class last year. His stated goal was NOT to make us faster. Rather, he wanted to make us more efficient at a given pace, so that we would feel fresher at the end of the swim, thus enable us to better get through T1 in better shape and to bike & run well. I thought this was a very practical approach.

[GLC1968]

Finally got to the pool again last night. I managed 12 laps in less than 30 minutes (including resting). It was SUPER crowded, so I found that I had to do a lot of waiting at the walls for the person in front of me to get a little futher ahead. I also had my old HRM watch on, so I was able to accurately count laps (yay!). I was willing to do more than those 12 laps, but really, dodging all the kids was getting more than a little tiresome, so I quit. Oh, and a guy in the next lane was swiming occasional laps of butterfly, so I defintely got a little 'choppy water' practice in!

I also did a few laps with a pull buoy. For the first time since I started swimming, I actually felt a little fatigued in my muscles because of it. So far, my lungs are really the only thing getting a workout here...but with that, I was able to slightly tax my upper body. I might have to get myself a kick board to try and do the same to my legs.

[tribogota]

Paddles paddles paddles, haven´t swum without them for 14 days, am on "strengthening" according to coach. Boy do I have some TIRED arms, but while I am teaching sometimes I look at my arm and triceps while I am writing on the board, and smile to myself...muscle geek, well worth those paddles