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Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer?
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 2010-02-09 12:41 PM |
Expert  1159    Charlotte, NC |  Subject: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer?I come from a running background and have cycled a decent amount but no swimming in my past (other than Red Cross lessons as a kid). I decided to do tri's this year, so I started swimming the middle of December and began getting lessons early January. When I started out I could barely swim 25 yards without getting out of breath. I was shocked I was that bad, since I had recently completed an ultra-marathon so my cardio shape was obviously decent. Since then, the lessons have helped and I'm now able to do ladders up to 150 yards or do 100 yard intervals/drills. While that's pretty good progress for me, it still seems really bad compared to just about everyone else I see in the pool and really poor compared to what I read on this board. My question is this - have others started out at this low level of performance or am I just a hopeless swimmer? |
| 2010-02-09 1:00 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Champion 7136  Knoxville area | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? most of us that started swimming as an adult come from a similar start. If you can't go at least a mile non-stop and are in any semblence of shape, it is a problem with your breathing almost guaranteed. Swim SLOWER. Take your 100m time, and add 5-10 seconds to each 25m. Most people don't "really" understand slowing down (or speeding up) in the pool, they have one pace and that's it. And learn when you need to breathe... not when you "should" breathe. Otherwise... like everything else, put the time in, see the benefits. 3 months is not a long time |
| 2010-02-09 1:01 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Not a Coach 11473 Media, PA | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? That's pretty standard for a beginnner swimmer. Running fitness will not help you in the water that much, unfortunately. You'll need to develop swim fitness and, more importantly for now, swim form to reduce your drag in the water. Swimming efficiency is way below running, so form is far more important. The fact that you are getting in the water a good amount and taking lessons is a great start. It'll come. |
| 2010-02-09 1:09 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Veteran 353 41° 4' 36" N 71° 56' 10" W | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Not sure what kinds of lessons you had, but it sounds like you just need more time in the "stroke clinic." If you have bad form, the water is so unforgiving. It sounds like you are in great shape, and I suspect in addition to the form corrections, you also just need to get your breathing pattern down. Bad form = more effort, so I could imagine you might feel out of breath after a few lengths. You'll get there. |
| 2010-02-09 1:14 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Veteran 155 So Cal | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? You're not hopeless Patrick! I started out the exact same in September, barely able to swim 25 yds. I would take a breathing break after each 25 yd lap. Yesterday I swam a mile with very minimal resting. I always feel like the least athletic one at the pool, but I try not to worry about anyone else. Just pay attention to what's in your lane lines- YOU! You've already made a lot of progress even though it doesn't seem like it. Remember, even though the site is called "beginner" triathlete, a lot of people are far from beginners. They have been doing this for years. Try comparing yourself now to your old self instead of to experienced athletes. Every time you swim, kill yourself a little bit. Not to the point of extreme exhaustion, but even when you feel like resting, try to do at least one or two more laps. The next time you go to swim, you'll be able to do even more. I always have to remind myself that I don't really need the breathing rest I feel like I do, because I get to breathe as I swim. Just keep it up and don't get frustrated. |
| 2010-02-09 1:21 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Expert 1053 Culpeper, VA | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? You are not hopeless and you need to put in the work to become a better swimmer. I've really become a student of swimming over the last few months. I did a timed 500m set at the end of my workout yesterday for the first time swimming at a real comfortable pace. I swam it in 8:08 which works out to 1:37/100m which isn't blindingly fast, but a long way from last years 2:00/100m stuff. Even bigger difference is that I was swimming the 500m not wide open throttle, where as my old 2:00/100m I was really working. I worked on many different things, breathing, balance, stroke, kick, etc. one area at a time. Joined a Masters swim program that introduced me to drills I probably never would have tried. Pretty good swim coach running the show and working with a group is fun as well. Lots of great info on this forum.. Not hopeless, lots of us come into this knowing how to swim only to realize we don't really KNOW how to swim. |
| 2010-02-09 1:30 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Member 82 Stanton | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? When I signed up for my first Tri, I was all fired up. Same situation, I had run and biked quite a bit. How hard could swimming 800 yrds be? I was dieing in the pool. After the 4th or 5th afternoon of swimming and sweating and almost drowning, I walked over to a lane in the pool that this old, grey haired woman was swimming in. I had seen her swim for an hour straight each time I had been there and ask her to teach me how to swim. It was hands down the best thing I have ever done. It took very few lessons and off I went. That was 3 yrs ago. I am not fast in the water, but I dont worry about drowning and each yr I get faster. Get lessons, keep it up and enjoy being a Triathlete. |
| 2010-02-09 2:59 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Member 30 Long Island | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Patrick....i'm in the same boat as you...just started swimming in January and I have to agree with Leegoocrap...my coach slowed me down (no more than 15 strokes per 25m, both hands out front before you start the catch) and just focused on breathing...i've gotten much better in the past two weeks...he also has me catch my breath after every drill by bobbing in the water...really helps... |
| 2010-02-09 3:08 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Champion 19812 MA | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? It gets better and then it clicks. How long it takes to click varies from person to person. I'd second what someone else suggested to take some more lessons if you can ideally from someone who teaches to triathletes and gets what type of swimming we need to do. Learning and practicing on good technique makes improving easier. Once you start to swim on a bad technique it takes a lot more effort to fix later. |
| 2010-02-09 3:27 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Master 1286 Mt Pleasant, SC | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Hello NO YOU ARE NOT! Like others have said most of us start like that not being able to swim 25 meters. I was in that same boat in July. Now I swim 2 or maybe 3 times a week to improve but I am capable of 1500 plus meters without stopping. Two weeks ago I did 3000 yards. Just keep getting in the pool and practicing. By April you will be fine. Kevin |
| 2010-02-09 3:28 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
Elite 5316 Alturas, California | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? I started from nothing as well. I don't know if swimming has clicked for me yet, but I have gone 2 1/2 to 3 miles continuous. So I am functional now. I think swimming has muscles that you just don't use much for anything else and it takes a while, a couple years at 2x per week, much quicker if 4x per week. Then there is the feel. You get past the drowning feeling after the first month and then just struggle for a month or two then you will be functional soon enough. Don't ask me about fast... I'm not there yet. First 25 yards of freestyle as an adlut was May 2008 for me. Keep at it. |
| 2010-02-09 3:37 PM in reply to: #2664137 |
Master 1286 Mt Pleasant, SC | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Baowolf - 2010-02-09 4:28 PM I started from nothing as well. I don't know if swimming has clicked for me yet, but I have gone 2 1/2 to 3 miles continuous. So I am functional now. I think swimming has muscles that you just don't use much for anything else and it takes a while, a couple years at 2x per week, much quicker if 4x per week. Then there is the feel. You get past the drowning feeling after the first month and then just struggle for a month or two then you will be functional soon enough. Don't ask me about fast... I'm not there yet. First 25 yards of freestyle as an adlut was May 2008 for me. Keep at it. Well said! I am functional and still have a long way to go but I know I can complete the 1/2 Iron swim distance for my first race. Kevin |
| 2010-02-09 3:51 PM in reply to: #2664158 |
Champion 10018 , Minnesota Bronze member | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Not at all! I started at the edge of the pool, just practising breathing and putting my face in the water! I was pretty scared after bad experiences as a kid and couldn't even make a 25 without stopping. I did my first indoor tri in Feb 2007 with a mix of bad backstroke, bad kicking, really bad crawl, and bad side crawl. I am signed up for a half-ironman this year and have no doubt in my ability to cover the distance (and then some). The best thing about starting from no where is the load of breakthroughs and PRs to be made. Good luck! |
| 2010-02-09 4:46 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Veteran 585 Kenosha, WI | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? Your fitness is fine. You don't need special swimming fitness you just have to learn how to breath. Next time you run hold your breath for 20-30 sec take a breath and repeat... my guess is you'll be winded and your heart will be pounding 200-400 meters into your run, which makes no sense for a ultra marathoner... Breathing normally while you run probably came easy as a runner becuase you never had you head in water and didn't have to take air and hold it. You just need to learn how to take nice full breaths while you stroke and the way you learn to do that is to swim slowly and take long strides. I generally breath with every right arm, some people do every left or every third doesn't really matter as long as you can get a nice full breath. The lessons should help with your form and once you get your breathing under control you'll be able to swim all day. Speed is a function of time. |
| 2010-02-09 4:49 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Master 1695 STL | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? I feel with you. I don't run out of breath, I have all the swimming fitness I'll need-it's the speed that I lack. I've even had private lessons and not much changes. I'm starting to think my problem is that I don't apply enough force in the pull phase. I just had another lesson last week and there really isn't think stroke-wise, position wise that was majoraly wrong. |
 2010-02-09 5:03 PM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Subject: ... This user's post has been ignored. |
| 2010-02-10 5:45 AM in reply to: #2663646 |
| Expert 1183 Fort Wayne, IN | Subject: RE: Am I just a hopelessly bad swimmer? When I started swimming about 11 years ago at age 40 (before getting into tri's), I was winded after a couple of laps. My first goal was to swim 250 yards (5 laps) in 5 minutes without stopping. I got there in a few months. I then worked up to 40 laps in 40 minutes without stopping, but I recall that took a few years. I can now do 40 laps in less than 33 minutes in the pool with slow open turns. TI swimming drills have helped a lot. |
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