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Sep 2009
9:38am, 2 Sep 2009
First-time poster!!
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Just discovered this thread and it makes me feel better about this mornign's swim. I have been swimming reasonably regularly for about four months, had weekly coaching and can get a good pace. My coach says my technique is fine, but I still need to stop and get my breath back between lengths. Sounds like I just need to keep at it. I would love to do a triathlon one day...
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Sep 2009
8:35pm, 3 Sep 2009
651 posts
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island991
wish me luck, off for this weeks swimming lesson! Lets hope its more sucessful than last week!
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Sep 2009
9:27am, 4 Sep 2009
154 posts
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Paul Snell
Dear Islander, I worked with the book "total immersion", it solved a lot of my problems - it might help you deal with that sinking feeling, improve your kick and balance with some very easy exercises. Can also recommend swimsmooth website - uses a lot of the same principles but is a bit more advanced. Good luck, it does get easier, especially if you don't rush it.
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Sep 2009
9:39am, 4 Sep 2009
14,498 posts
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RooA
Welcome to Fetch bigrunner29. 
Try slowing right down, it'll help you string lengths together rather than having to rest between them. And weirdly you'll probably go faster as well because you'll swim smoother and glide more.
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Sep 2009
9:47am, 4 Sep 2009
5,532 posts
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Old Croc
plenty of opportunity to practice swimming up here as flood waters rise............
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Sep 2009
9:47am, 4 Sep 2009
5,533 posts
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Old Croc
plenty of opportunity to practice swimming up here as flood waters rise............
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Sep 2009
10:00am, 4 Sep 2009
3,424 posts
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TRO Saracen
I was in this position 6 months ago. Could not swim a length. I am now doing half ironman (1.2 mile) open water distance swims.
Key problem for me was that horrible sinking legs feeling and thrashing away to compensate, fighting and gasping for breath - doing that took everything I had and I thus had no time/concentration left to work on any technique - could not slow stroke down as I stopped and sank wihtout windmilling away. No progress, near to giving up.
I tried a pull buoy - bingo. It raises your legs up. Suddenly you have bouyancy and can forget about sinking legs, staying afloat etc. You suddenly have time to think about how to get a decent breath, how to stroke, how to be more streamlined in water. I did nothing but pull buoy swims for 2-3 weeks.
Then, when I tried no pull buoy it was hard but what I had done with the pull buoy had given me (just) enough technique re breathing/stroke/streamlining that I could swim-ish and start trying to improve from there. THEN, and only then, were the total immersion type sites useful on technique etc.
I still struggle with swim and no there is a long way to go, but I can do a comfortable 30 mins in the pool/50 mins open water with wetsuit at a slow (but not embarrassing) pace in triathlons. I can overtake the odd person in a swim lane. I can do length after length with no shortness of breath - only when I look back at threads like this do I recognise how far I;ve come. Good luck all!
I am starting lessions later in Sept as I know the next step up will require so coaching and proper attention to drills/technique.
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Sep 2009
10:15am, 4 Sep 2009
493 posts
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Top Duffer
I really struggled with it until I got a bit of coaching. It made a huge difference. Well worth doing and doesn't have to be too expensive. Check out whats going on at your local pool
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Sep 2009
10:19am, 4 Sep 2009
155 posts
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Paul Snell
Getting your legs to float is the big key here. The TI book has good drills for this. Basically with your legs hanging down or thrashing wildly, it takes a huge amount of energy to go anywhere. Big up RooA - if you are sprinting you aren't swimming. If you get to the end of a length out of breath you are swimming to fast. Look at the pace clock - start when the hand is at the top and swim to the other end- add five seconds a length until you can get to the other end without dying, then swim at that pace. Imagine that you are going from a vigorous run/walk to a creepy slow steady run. Don't worry, you will be doing 30s/L before long, but swimming is only technique and you have to start slow. Then it just gets easier and easier. Those guys who swim really fast without seeming to make any effort - there aren't making any effort!
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Sep 2009
4:41pm, 4 Sep 2009
202 posts
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mags
The smoothswim website as helped me today. One great tip about exhaling and that is alll I concentrated on today by the end of an hour and half felt as if I had made great progress.Now just to sort out the inhaling and roll and arms and legs! LOL
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