hi all...welll

Welcome to the site and good luck with your training.

Welcome!  Also try www.active.com for race info.  And keep working on the swim.  I could barely swim one length of the pool 6 months ago, and now I can swim almost a mile!  Hang in there.

Welcome to the T-Spot!

frrom central PA...tomorrow I start my real training, so I am pretty nervous. I cant swim an entire lap in a pool...which reminds me, how far is an entire lap in a standard pool, and does anyone have any advice at all in the swimming end of things (I vaguely remember how to freestyle but not really well, the whole breathing thing is off and the reason I don't do well)...any advice at all would be great.

noni

welcome noni!

Oh boy where to start when it comes to swimming tips!!

Plenty of people here have had success with Total Immersion seminars/books/videos. Do a search online to get an idea of what Total Immersion is about.

You're starting training now? Is there a triathlon like in October or something that you are trying to sign up for? Or just starting to work out now and building a base for next season? Most training plans are based on periodization, with a specific race date in mind toward that goal.

If you aren't training with a race date in mind, I think fun stuff like spin classes, running outside be it roads or trails, and maybe a coached pool workout at your local pool with a masters swim club is a good place to get started to prepare yourself for next season's training!

A typical pool is 25 yards.

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well -- today I actually swam up AND back in the pool!!! fought the urge to panic with my face in the water and breathed out through my nose, breathing in about every 3 strokes. was that good? I was told years ago that I a)have the body of a swimmer, and b) have a naturally world class form when I freestyle (I've jsut always freaked after about 3 strokes -- omg I'm not able to get enough air etc...) I was surprised today that I "could" breathe...the only trouble seemed to be if I let *too* much air out and didn't come up soon enough for the nbext breath (tried to get an extra stroke in)... ummm how do I do the flippy thing so that I jsut keep swimming (the temptation to stop and rest when I hit the wall was too strong -- I gave in for about 1 minute..ummm duh can't do that in the lake lol). I am training for next season. couch-to-sprint using the begginner triathlete schedule on that site. Thank you guys for your support -- this is the first "real" challenge physically I have ever given myself (ie the swiming) in facing down a fear.

welcome - and good job! just keep at it! there is no rule that you should only take a breath every now and then. i have the awful habit of hardly ever breathing because i was on swim team and had it drilled into my head that the fewer breaths the better. while this is true when you're racing 100 yards, its not good for doing tris. take as many as you need! plus, practicing bi-lateral breathing is a good thing to do in training for a tri. if you have a splasher next to you on one side, you'll feel comfortable just breathing on the other. you want to get as much air as you feel you need so that you have enough to get you through transition and into the bike without having to do to much catch up.

Good luck.. and welcome