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Swimming issues
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 2015-07-29 9:28 PM |
 10 |  Subject: Swimming issues I have wanted to do a triathlon for a couple of years but I have always come up with reasons not to do it. I love running, I've ran a couple of marathons and 6 half marathons. I started biking this spring and did a century ride with a buddy a couple of weeks ago. But I am SO not a swimmer! Some friends have talked me into trying a sprint triathlon in 6 weeks (haven't signed up yet) that has a 500 yard pool swim, 15 mile bike, and a 5K. It sounds like it should be something I can do but I really struggle with the swimming. I am pretty much self taught up to this point. I have watched a ton of YouTube videos and I feel like I know what I should doing. My struggle is with breathing. I do fine on the first 25 yards, but after that my form starts to fall apart and I end up sucking more water than air when I breath. I can get to 50 yards but that is about it. My question is, would I be better off just forgetting about this race and find a swimming coach and work it out over the winter. At this point, I don't see the point in swimming a lap, sucking wind for 30 seconds and repeating during a race. Just seems like I would be in slowing people down and getting in the way. The best I can do 500 yards right now is in about 23 minutes.Today I tried just swimming 25s and keeping my form together and it went better, but I'm just not sure 6 weeks is long enough to make that kind of progress. |
| 2015-07-29 9:37 PM in reply to: #5131963 |
| 8 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues First of all, congatulations on considering a triathlon! I think once you've done your first sprint, you'll be hooked  I think if you got a private (1-on-1 coach) tomorrow and did a few sessions with him/her over the next 3-4 weeks you'd get the rhythm down well enough to do 500 yds. Breathing is one of those things where, once you figure out how it works with the rest of your motion, it all clicks. My guess from your description is that you're not rolling your hips enough with each stroke. A decent coach will be able to help you with that, and once you figure that out the breathing won't take nearly as much energy. This is all assuming that your current aerobic fitness level is relatively high. If not, I'd say take the winter to work on all three disciplines. |
| 2015-07-29 9:44 PM in reply to: cmccoy |
1055  | Subject: RE: Swimming issues If you just started swimming. . . keep at it. It does take some time till it finally clicks and you can start swimming continuously. 6 weeks isn't out of the question, but you'll need to commit to getting in the pool at least a few times a week. Generally, the answer is to slow down if you're dying after 50m. Yeah, you'll say that you're already going too slow. . . but. . . you can always go slower . . .at least until it clicks and you find your rhythm . . .then work on speeding up. |
| 2015-07-29 9:51 PM in reply to: cmccoy |
Pro 6582   Melbourne FL Gold member | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Yeah keep at it, don't give up. Check out this site to keep it simple. I remember the day I went from 1 or 2 laps to several laps, it was like a switch turned on and I could swim forever (well it felt like that!). Slow down and swim, don't focus on racing it at this point. Heck even today I'm lucky to be 50% in AG after the swim but I make up for it on the bike and run. Maybe consider using a swimming snorkel. I was snorkeling in the Keys this past weekend and was able to swim forever not worrying about breathing. You can use a snorkel in Tri's. |
| 2015-07-29 10:41 PM in reply to: jenniferpelota |
| 10 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Thanks for the advice. I keep thinking that it has to be like running. For me, it was the first time that I ran a mile. After that I felt like I could finally do this. I know it takes time and patients. I can get a 45min coaching session with video for $40, I think that would help me a lot. As long as I know I am doing things correctly I can live with the growing pains. |
| 2015-07-30 12:13 AM in reply to: jenniferpelota |
| 98 Portland, Oregon | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Get the coaching session ASAP, and I bet you'll be fine for a sprint in 6 weeks. . You're obviously fit enough to swim 500 yd, based on your other exercise, so you just need someone to help you fix your swimming technique. Good luck! |
| 2015-07-30 1:44 AM in reply to: cmccoy |
| 30 Kings Mountain, North Carolina | Subject: RE: Swimming issues I'll mirror what everyone else says. You are way fit enough to swim 500 yards..you just have to get the technique down. Three months ago I could only swim about 4 or 5 minutes non-stop. I'm not a very efficient swimmer (and I'm going to need a coach to help me get more efficient), but after a couple months of training about twice a week I'm able to swim 25 minutes non-stop. Unfortunately, I don't go very far in that 25 minutes..but that's a whole different matter.. You can definitely do this! Good luck... BeachAV8R |
| 2015-07-30 6:40 AM in reply to: cmccoy |
Official BT Coach 18500 Indianapolis, Indiana Gold member | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Originally posted by cmccoy I have wanted to do a triathlon for a couple of years but I have always come up with reasons not to do it. I love running, I've ran a couple of marathons and 6 half marathons. I started biking this spring and did a century ride with a buddy a couple of weeks ago. But I am SO not a swimmer! Some friends have talked me into trying a sprint triathlon in 6 weeks (haven't signed up yet) that has a 500 yard pool swim, 15 mile bike, and a 5K. It sounds like it should be something I can find do but I really struggle with the swimming. I am pretty much self taught up to this point. I have watched a ton of YouTube videos and I feel like I know what I should doing. My struggle is with breathing. I do fine on the first 25 yards, but after that my form starts to fall apart and I end up sucking more water than air when I breath. I can get to 50 yards but that is about it. My question is, would I be better off just forgetting about this race and find a swimming coach and work it out over the winter. At this point, I don't see the point in swimming a lap, sucking wind for 30 seconds and repeating during a race. Just seems like I would be in slowing people down and getting in the way. The best I can do 500 yards right now is in about 23 minutes.Today I tried just swimming 25s and keeping my form together and it went better, but I'm just not sure 6 weeks is long enough to make that kind of progress. Adult onset swimmers often experience the very same difficulties that you have outlined. Another thing that adult onset swimmers typically share is they never learned the fundamentals of swimming. They did the same thing you have done. They go to YouTube, find a bunch of videos, and then struggle to put it all together. If you go to http://triathlonswimcoach.com/index.php/en/resources/stroke-technique/31-novice/77-freestyle-from-the-beginning you will find an article that talks about learning freestyle (Australian front crawl) from the beginning. Undoubtedly you will feel foolish doing some of the drills - that's OK, you're embarking on a journey that will ultimately have you cycling and running in public wearing spandex - might as well get use to "feeling foolish." You will be tempted to forgo some of the drills as they will seem childish. I encourage you resist that impulse and go through the process as written. One of the first things taught to beginning swimmers is how a land creature can function in an aquatic environment. Going through the steps in the article will teach you that vital skill and provide the foundation upon which you can build a strong and efficient freestyle stroke. The next thing is get a coach. I don't mean a friend that swims (unless they were a successful swimmer in their own right). I mean find a professional swimming coach that will provide you with one-on-one stroke instruction. There is no replacement for eyes on deck. You will likely get a number of responses that encourage you to explore TI swimming books/videos. I don't want to get in to the TI debate except to say, you won't find many truly fast successful swimmers using the TI methods. TI will get you swimming, however you will have bad habits you will have to unlearn before you can truly become fast. Swimming is easily the most technically demanding of any of the triathlon sporting disciplines. Putting in massive yardage right now is doing a disservice to yourself. You could literally put in hundreds of thousands of yards, however if your beating the water into submission with poor technique, you are wasting your time. Your goal should be develop perfect technique and then build volume using proper technique. Hope that helps. |
| 2015-07-30 7:49 AM in reply to: cmccoy |
216 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Originally posted by cmccoy Thanks for the advice. I keep thinking that it has to be like running. For me, it was the first time that I ran a mile. After that I felt like I could finally do this. I know it takes time and patients. I can get a 45min coaching session with video for $40, I think that would help me a lot. As long as I know I am doing things correctly I can live with the growing pains. $40 for a coaching session with video feedback is a steal. You will get more out of 45 minutes of watching yourself swim than you would watching 450 hours of other people swimming on youtube. I would schedule at least one follow up session before the triathlon, to see if the form improvements you think you are making are actually there. Regular coaching now, early in your swimming "career," can save you all kinds of aggravation down the road. Swimming is much more technical than biking or running. The more repetitions you do with bad form, the more imprinted that bad form is in your CNS and the harder it is to correct them. |
| 2015-07-30 8:43 AM in reply to: 0 |
| 319 Sarasota, Florida | Subject: RE: Swimming issues I too see swimming as my weak point and have been reading a lot of these threads. 3 things that kind of made it click for me: 1. rotate apx. 40 degrees with a bent elbow 2. look down, exhale through the nose and look back when taking a breath attempting to leave one goggle in. 3. try to kick from the hips in a controlled manner I have been unsuccessful in scheduling a coach, but am making video of my pool work to study. I find it more difficult to swim in the pool because I can't float, but can in the ocean. At present, I'm kind of tangled around a constraint. If I go too slow, I tend to get water in my mouth and I start breathing heavier as I swim causing me to speed up in order to breathe more frequently, but this in turn continues spiraling out of control until I feel like I'm going to pass out or forcibly slow back down looking for a sweet spot. The other problem I have is when I get fatigued I hold onto my breath until I start my next stroke and forcefully exhale through both my mouth and nose as I exert my arm during the rotation. To me this makes sense, as I exhale while pushing as I would weight lifting, but the articles I read say you should continually breathe while your face is submerged. This is hard for me to follow when I approach 5 minutes in. In regards to my list above though, it definitely made something click for me because I suddenly made it to the other side of the pool in half the time. Maybe focusing on those will help it click for you? Caveat, I'm no expert, just what I picked up while trying to teach myself. Edited by runtim23 2015-07-30 8:59 AM |
| 2015-07-30 10:49 AM in reply to: runtim23 |
Champion 7036 Sarasota, FL | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Originally posted by runtim23 I too see swimming as my weak point and have been reading a lot of these threads. 3 things that kind of made it click for me: 1. rotate apx. 40 degrees with a bent elbow 2. look down, exhale through the nose and look back when taking a breath attempting to leave one goggle in. 3. try to kick from the hips in a controlled manner I have been unsuccessful in scheduling a coach, but am making video of my pool work to study. I find it more difficult to swim in the pool because I can't float, but can in the ocean. At present, I'm kind of tangled around a constraint. If I go too slow, I tend to get water in my mouth and I start breathing heavier as I swim causing me to speed up in order to breathe more frequently, but this in turn continues spiraling out of control until I feel like I'm going to pass out or forcibly slow back down looking for a sweet spot. The other problem I have is when I get fatigued I hold onto my breath until I start my next stroke and forcefully exhale through both my mouth and nose as I exert my arm during the rotation. To me this makes sense, as I exhale while pushing as I would weight lifting, but the articles I read say you should continually breathe while your face is submerged. This is hard for me to follow when I approach 5 minutes in. In regards to my list above though, it definitely made something click for me because I suddenly made it to the other side of the pool in half the time. Maybe focusing on those will help it click for you? Caveat, I'm no expert, just what I picked up while trying to teach myself. Just a quick comment about breathing: It is the build-up of CO2 not the lack of oxygen intake that makes you feel out of breath. If you can concentrate on forcefully exhaling underwater it gives you more time to inhale when your face is out of the water. You won't feel so rushed to breathe and it helps to keep a smooth rhythm with your stroke. That's one of my focus keys at the start of a race, concentrating on getting into a good breathing pattern Making a video of your stroke is good idea. More often than not what we see in our mind's eye is not what we're really doing. Also keep in mind that everyone is different in terms of physique, flexibility, etc. and that is going to create subtle stroke variations from person to person. You need to find the "sweet spot" that works for you. That's where having a coach or an accomplished swimmer work with you is of great benefit. Good luck, Mark |
| 2015-07-30 11:12 AM in reply to: cmccoy |
| 31 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues congrats on thinking about triathlons! I did my first sprint tri with possibly the worst swim technique in the world(I'm exaggerating but it wasn't pretty). The first time I swam the distance was during the tri, prior to that I did a max of 50m straight. I signed up for my first tri with the mindset of "I just need to get this out of the way so I can relax".............. this was because I was putting the swim portion on a pedestal. Struggling my way through it calmed me down because it forced me to realize that even if things fall apart, I'll still make it through. My swim time was terrible but I ended up making up most of the time in bike and run. The nice thing about pool tri's is the ability to place yourself in your correct pace group and take a few seconds at the wall if you really need. You should sign up and keep plugging away at it.... maybe hire a coach (best decision I ever made) GOODLUCK |
| 2015-07-30 3:58 PM in reply to: cmccoy |
| 1055 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Originally posted by cmccoy Thanks for the advice. I keep thinking that it has to be like running. For me, it was the first time that I ran a mile. After that I felt like I could finally do this. I know it takes time and patients. I can get a 45min coaching session with video for $40, I think that would help me a lot. As long as I know I am doing things correctly I can live with the growing pains. Hah, yes, for me it was just like that actually. One day, you just keep running when you realize that you can. Same for swimming, took about a month. |
| 2015-07-30 9:12 PM in reply to: amalgamate |
| 10 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Thanks for the encouragement! I am going to find a coach and just do the best I can. I screwed up and looked at last years results and when I saw that my current swim time would be nearly double the slowest time in my age group I almost talked myself out of it. I know better than to look at stuff like that! I figure that if I don't love the training I wont love the sport regardless of where I place. So far, I have really enjoyed learning to ride road bike and I do enjoy swimming as frustrating as it may be. |
| 2015-07-30 9:13 PM in reply to: amalgamate |
| 10 | Subject: RE: Swimming issues Thanks for the encouragement! I am going to find a coach and just do the best I can. I screwed up and looked at last years results and when I saw that my current swim time would be nearly double the slowest time in my age group I almost talked myself out of it. I know better than to look at stuff like that! I figure that if I don't love the training I wont love the sport regardless of where I place. So far, I have really enjoyed learning to ride road bike and I do enjoy swimming as frustrating as it may be. |
| 2015-08-02 3:13 PM in reply to: 0 |
Regular 134 Oregon | Subject: RE: Swimming issues My story is eerily similar to yours, and I 100% encourage you to sign up for this race ASAP. first sign up....then book your coaching sessions. Signing up will put a sense of urgency on your swimming and you'll be out of excuses. You know you have to do it. When I first started I could not even put my face in the water. I tried to swim 1 length and only got about 15-20 yards before grabbing the wall and gasping for air. I was in great physical shape....just didn't know how to swim ESPECIALLY the breathing. My first tri was a 400m pool swim a few weeks later. My goal was not to be last out of the water. Well...darned near 16 minutes later I was actually the very last person out of the water but oh well, somebody has to be last. Breast strokers with no goggles actually beat me but I was just happy I made it. Here's a bonus to having a terrible swim time: you spend the whole remainder of the race passing people which feels really good. In reality, you're just catching up to your own age group but whatever. You'll feel like a badass on the bike and run. And, you'll be so relieved that the dreaded swim is over that the bike and run will feel extremely easy to you. (especially since you already love running, which is the worst part for a lot of triathletes). I made the mistake of waiting too long to get a real coach. I had a friend who used to be a competitive swimmer in high school teach me. Her form was great....but she just didn't know how to be a coach. She learned as a child and she couldn't remember anything about what types of drills and tips were helpful to her back then. Her heart was in the right place, but I didn't learn much. Finally I got a real coach (through US masters swimming) and I learned more from him in the first 2 months than in the entire 2 years prior. He knew how to break it down and just give me bite sized pieces I could chew. Here's a few of the best technical things I've learned about breathing 1. fully fully exhale all your air in the water before you come up to take your breath. I thought I was doing this for years. but I wasn't. 2. air should always be moving in or out. don't hold your breath 3.if you feel short of breath, just take more frequent breaths. This might even mean breathing every stroke for a while. don't wait until you're frantic for air eventually, you'll move past that advice and there will be times that you might want to intentionally deprive yourself of air, hold your breath etc. but that comes much much later after you're really relaxed and confident in the water. Edited by themissj1981 2015-08-02 3:15 PM |
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