big swimming problems!

[Burpalicious]

I agree the TI stuff on youtube is helping, so much so that I have ordered the DVD. I have have been using the advice of swimming tall and slowing down and this has got me going a little better. I can now do 2 lengths before feeling that I need to rest but without swallowing water lol. Gonna do a dedicated swim session instead of the usual run then swim and see if I can progress further.

[birdyman]

I have a question to add to this thread - I am a pathetic swimmer; always have been, and have done 5 sprints and an Olympic basically using breastroke, (with a little bit of cawl but don't have the confidence / stamina to stick with crawl during an event). I am a fairly brisk runner and love to whole Tri vibe, but ant to get a bit more stuck in and have a punt at a 70.3 soon.

Anyway, I go to the pool for about an hour every Sunday morning with permission from the boss, and then potter home for child minding duties. I am using that hour to swim up to 1900m, continuous. I have set myself the objective of swimming 3 or 4 lengths of crawl in every 10, with the aim of building this up to (hopefully) crawl for the whole distance by the end of the winter.

So I suppose my questionis this: would I be better swimming, say, 15 x ten length blocks, trying to crawl for the whole 250 metres with a rest? (This would be fine for the first set, but I would be broken biscuits by set three I reckon). Or sticking with my current cowardly approach that allows me to 'hide' in breast-stroke while still getting the distance in? The problem is that often the pool can be quite crowded on a Sunday mornning, believe it or not, so there is a sense that I just should use the time that I have to swim contiunuously for as long as possible, as that is going to build up my stamina. It all just seems a bit unfocussed, although I am definitely improving.

I had a session with a Tri coach earlier in the summer who was great and helped with technique, but also said that I should be swimming 3 times a week. Work / commute and family commitmenst make that pretty challenging.

Any suggestions anyone?

[blaze1235]

Swimming is my strongest Event
I have been swimming since 3 years old and competed in club and county level gala's for 100 fly from 5- 13 years old (family tragedy stopped me).

However it amazes me the precision and effort people put into their run and bike training but just do their best to survive in the pool/lake.

Appraoch Swim it the same way

Warm Up, main set, cool down
Endurance session
Anaerobic session
Drills session.

you can build up to the distance's you should already have aerobic endurance from your bike and your run you just need to convert to swimming as well. I know for a lot it is the fear of the water.

As well as doing Bike - Run brick sessions do swim - cycle ones every now and then.
I find it's more getting my breathing under control as i come out the water to the bike as i am going from long slow breaths to normal breathing again.

my run is weak i will cut one bike session over winter for a run, but i never cut swimming sessions as i think the the advantages you get in lung capacity from swimming is awesome.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Workouts-Binder ... 1931382204

This book is awesome and it's waterproof your perfect poolside companion.

[birdyman]

Thanks blaze. I will look into it. I think that your experience as a swimmer at a young age must have given you an excellent base from which to start.

To be honest I have never put a great deal of rigour into my running or cycling either - simply increasing frequency or distance. Working in the West End, and having a three hour commute make swimming more difficult to do than, say a run round Hyde Park or a cycling session in the gym. But I will get that book from amazon and am going to use the winter to really focus on my swimming and break down my fears and start to develop my skills there so that it is not just something to get through in an event.

[blaze1235]

Yeah it did come back very quickly
you don't lose the memory of 14 hours + a week in the pool.
i hope i didn't sound harsh as i didn't mean too. swimming is about the only thing i know really well. cycling is good just through the tie i spend comuting. my run is atrocious and like your swim i survive.

I work in the city too birdyman i know what you mean.
I just don't have the difficulties of a family. Are there any pools near your work. as i do 2 or 3 of my swims in the city each week i picked a gym i can use at work and at home Virgin.

go for it mate seriously work in sets start with your warmup 200-300m start on crawl. one thing that works is 1 length Breast 1 lenght crawl for warm up then do some skills. one arms catchups kicks pull buoy.
u find it easier with the pull buoy because it encourages good form in the water as well.

use it to get your stroke right long steady slow. then do 5 x 25 meter sprints with an RI of 25secs then go to 8 next week. then back to 5 x 50 then 8 then repeat but drop the RI to 20. you'll find it works.

But always know what you are doing before you get in the pool. time iseems to always be the killer.

good luck

[Avoneer]

Hi,

Pyramids also worked for me when learning to do multiple crawl lengths.

4 lengths breast stroke to warm up.

2 crawl

4 crawl

6 crawl

4 crawl

2 crawl

4 lengths breast stroke to cool down.

I kept going up and then down in multiples of 2's until I got a lot better.

Pat...

[birdyman]

Thanks guys - I really appreciate the suggestions. I just need to get a bit more organised and structured.

I'll let you know how I get on.

Cheers

birdyman

[Avoneer]

Just remember it takes time and build up slowly.

I used to swim for the school 20 years ago and haven't swam since.

Got back into swimming about 10 months ago and couldn't do a length crawl.

Now got my mile down to 32 minutes and my 400 metres down to 6 1/2 minutes.

Pat...