400yrd swim

[Phish-phood]

I started doing my swims in the pool this week in order to build up my stamina and speed for when I do my DM next year. I knew I would have a bit of work to do but man was it tough. I would consider myself quite fit, I play hockey, do circuit training, ice-skate and walk most places, but I found it incredible tough. I did the swim with mask fins and snorkel, the full length but took me about 3mins longer than the required time for completion! As much as I love my quattros under the water they are very hard work on the surface

As for treading water for fifteen minutes - lots of practice needed there, I did it at the end of the session and was tired from all the swimming anyway but still could only do ten minutes comfortably!!

 

[Big-t-2538]

LEt me know what it is you want help with....there are a load of drills that will help correct and improve your stroke efficency.

jbd is right when he says swimming is highly inefficent, but when you finally get it, and you will, it will feel like a night and day difference.

Things I can think of off the top of my head you might try.

1 - learn to breath to both sides, and breath every 3 strokes (good for both rhythm & stamina). Also try to make it part of the stroke, just sort of rolling your head to the side enough to get a breath as your hand passes by your hip.

2 - try to improve your Distance Per Stroke by trying to keep your arms full stretched out for a moment as you finish a stroke so you glide a little

3 - there is a great drill to work on body roll (which is by far one of the most imporant aspects of swimming). Take three easy long strokes, and roll gently on your side one arm out in front, while the other waits at your hip and exaggerate a 6 beat kick (6 kicks per arm cycle). Repeat this drill so you are alternating sides as you go down the pool.

4 - if you find your legs dropping real bad (i.e. your kick is highly inefficent) try turning your feet so your toes point slightly inward. you'll have a little more forward thrush this way, and you feet will begin to "flow" up as you swim forward.

Let me know if there's anything else I can help with.

 

[Big-t-2538]

Kat once bubbled...
There are swim teams for adults. Do a search on the web for USA Swimming. They'll whip ya into shape, in the pool.

YEs, there are lots of teams for adults, they are called Master's swimmers or something. Most of them are very willing to work with "newbies" just for the fun of working with them. Some of them have been around the sport forever and just can;t get away from it.

I wouldn't suggest looking for a USS (Unites States Swimming) Master's team as they are expensive to join, but they are excellent swimmers.


Kat - keep up the work with your kids. Are they into Doubles workouts yet? I remember when my mom had to get up at 4:30 to get me to the pool by 5 so we could get a 2 hour workout in before school, then it was back to the pool after classes for another 2 hours......torture on parents...that's why my kids aren;t going to be competitive swimmers (ah who am I kidding...I'll probably be the volunteer coach)

 

[Victoria]

Hi!

I swim 3 x a week and do around 3000m in an hour... so it can be done. Granted i use to train with a club so i have the style down to a T... but when i am at the pool and a watch other swimmers struggling it is often because of a very small inaccuracy in their stroke technique.. either their legs are about 1m below the rest of their body or they are not kicking correctly/using their arms correctly...

As far as streamline goes here is a little tip which i have carried with me since a little kid learning to swim...

"when you are swimming frontcrawl, imagine that your body is on a pole (like a pig on a spit roast!) and your shouders simply rotate on that pole"

You should find that as your body roles with each stroke when it comes to a breath (every 3rd stroke is best) all you will need to do is ever so slightly turn your head to the side.

Keep your legs inline with the rest of your body. If you have trouble keeping them there (ie they sink) a pullboy (a small float that you put between your thighs) will help your body adjust to the correct position (which always feels awkward for people not use to it). Do a few laps with the float then without... u will notice how low you have actually been carrying your legs prior to using it!

Finally pace yourself! Swimming is a stamina that you have to build up, but once you start swimming regularly you will build up the muscles and eventually you will have done 16 laps without even noticing! (and i promise you that feeling that your arms are a dead weight DOES go!

Good luc, and if you see anyone down at ur pool who seems to be swimming with ease, ask them if they wouldnt mind having a look at your technique, they will probably be able to tell u where u are going wrong.

Vic

 

[chepar]

Big-t-2538 once bubbled...
1 - learn to breath to both sides, and breath every 3 strokes (good for both rhythm & stamina). Also try to make it part of the stroke, just sort of rolling your head to the side enough to get a breath as your hand passes by your hip.

3 - there is a great drill to work on body roll (which is by far one of the most imporant aspects of swimming). Take three easy long strokes, and roll gently on your side one arm out in front, while the other waits at your hip and exaggerate a 6 beat kick (6 kicks per arm cycle). Repeat this drill so you are alternating sides as you go down the pool.

These are both good tips. I swim about a mile every day - and I breathe every 3 strokes, alternating off each side. As Big -t mentioned, it has helped with stamina and rhythm.

Start slowly and build your endurance - when I first started swimming again a few years ago, I could barely swim 24 laps - and all breaststroke, at that. I now alter between freestyle, breaststroke and backstroke.

The first half of my swim is done without any training aids - the second half I alternate between fins one day and paddles the next.

It's all just a matter of building endurance - you can do it.

 

[Phoenix]

ahh swimming, havnt done that for donkies years
must practice too for my test, our instructor makes us do all four stamina tests in a row, so I better get prepared, i ordered a book called Fitness Swimming that was recomended on another forum, looks good! ill get there soon, just finding the time for all those practice sessions


3k in an hour, damn thats quick!

 

[HammerNoMore]

There have been a lot of posts here just talking about stamina/endurance and "keeping at it".

I have to disagree with this completly. While I agree, there is some stamina involved, distance swimming is all about being efficient, not increasing your stamina.

If you cannot swim properly you might be able to just "keep at it" and reach the point where you can struggle through your 400 yards but by learning to swim properly you'll be able to do it without even breathing heavy.

Since you say you are generall in good shape, I have to imagine that you are swimming, as someone else pointed out, with your feet very low in the water. I envision quite a bit of arm flailing and kicking... No, I'm not being rude, this is very typical of the way most people look when they are trying to swim freestyle and have not had any swimming background.

Walter is 100% right in suggesting TI. TI is a wonderfull book, and as a triathlete, I've recomended it often. The downside is that it probably won't get you there quick. If you really want to improve your swimming fast, you should actually consider the TI clinic, $$$$. They are located in Chicago so it should be easy for you to do.

The biggest thing you want to remember is to make yourself horizontal in the water. You do not do this by kicking faster/harder. A good swimmer doesn't kick very often at all unless they are sprinting. You do this by finding your center of balance, or as TI recomends, pushing down from your upper chest area. You can get started playing with that now, don't worry about speed distance, just cross the pool trying to keep as much of your backside out of the water as possible.

Other things, such as how you breath/roll/move your arms/etc are refinements that will help but the number 1 thing you need to do is get horizontal.

James

 

[jepuskar]

You guys are cool. I'm pretty sure my biggest problem is breathing...I need to practice my technique and get something down. It feels akward turning my head to breath like that...I just havent had much practice.

My LDS does have swimming lessons...I should take atleast one lesson. Once I get something downpat...I'm all over it.

Whether I do it looking good or looking like crap, it will get done. Although I wouldn't mind becoming a decent swimmer....that is another thing I never saw myself being.

Here is a newbie swimming question...

Ok, your swimming along...turn your head and take a breath and put your face back in the water. Now what is done with that inhalation? Are you exhaling it out underwater or do you exhale it out 3 strokes later?

Jason

 

[DeepTechScuba]

After you do some jogging to get into shape again, try alternating your swim strokes.

Alternating among the freestyle, the breast stroke, and the side stroke can give your various muscles a rest.

Open water students normally are tested for 200 yds swimming in a pool, and D/Ms and A/Is normally need to be able to do 400 yds. Its usually more of a matter of getting into shape than anything else. Alternating your strokes might help you as well.

 

[Al Mialkovsky]

I just signed up for the Dive Con course and our shop requires a 400yd swim followed by a 20 minute water threading deal.

I thought I'd have to work up to 400 but it was ok. I was very tired (I'm 57) but I got through it. I did this at our local indoor pool by myself. I'm not sure if they allow you to do a push off the walls of the pool or not but I'm a heck of a glider after the pushoff. I used every stroke I know including the breast stroke which seemed the easist. After a lap of breast stroke I could go back to freestyle.

Boy am I slow.