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Has anyone become a good/very good swimmer despite starting late?
I was lucky enough to learn front crawl when I was about nine thanks to my sainted grandmother taking me and little sis for lessons one summer. So this puts me at an advantage over many who came to tri late on and could only do a few lengths of heads up breast stroke or not swim at all. But it seems to put me well behind those Who swam quite competitively as youngsters... Even though some of them having recently returned to it after twenty odd years. I did IM maastricht this year, swim in 1:18. A time I was happy with but would love to get down to 1:05 or less for next year's outlaw. i got lessons over winter and did go through spells of swimming 3 or 4 times a week. Once did an IM swim in 1:15 in a pool. However my mate didnt swim all winter hates pool swimming so waited until May for sea swimming, his first swim since the previous sept, again in the sea. he swam once or twice a week in the sea to get his eye back in and did Maastricht in 1:01. How infuriating, he only started back swimming in the last couple of years after about 20 years out the game, he used to swim at county level. He puts it down to muscular memory. We are both 38 and similar when it comes to biking and running..he did 12:14, I did 12:29. He beat me on the swim and then heldo on to that lead for the next 11 hours. Anyway good luck to him, I have contacted three clubs down here and have a masters taster session with each one Monday, Tue and Wed this week After which I hope to join and train with one over the winter. Have given up with using normal pools, just too busy down here with slow people in the fast lane etc. I did spend £300 on David Lloyds in the spring and the pool was great but cant justify a grand a year just to use a pool. Sorry for rambling, do you think spending 9 odd months training with a masters group say twice a week, plus a bit of sea swimming in May, June and July could get me down to something like 1:05?
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Comments
In a word, yes
Rob,
I've never swum competetively (unless water polo counts), but I did swim from an early age.
I have the same problem you describe - if I deilligently attend 4 focused sessions in the pool a week, I can get my times down to close to an hour. However, take 6 weeks off (e.g. over christmas) and I'll be back to 1:20 type times, and it'll take 2 months of focused sessions 4 times a week to get back there.
Other swimmers in the pool, who have swum competetively seem to be able to take time off for kids / work etc. and come back and be just as fast as they were when they left.
I think I agree with your mate - it's about muscle memory. I suspect my technique is not all that great, and the 2-3 months hard graft just overcomes it with brute force / swim fitness. Once I lose that brute force from training, I'm back to someone with no fitness and not so great technique.
These guys and gals that have swum competetively have had good technique drilled into them day in / day out, and it just comes back naturally.
Like the conclusion you've come to, I think the solution is regular masters classes where we can slowly get feedback on that technique and re-train our muscle memories. However, it's a long road, as already embedded issues take even longer to sort than just learning good technique from scratch (as I'm sure you know).
long ramble, but in short - agree with Melds - your plan sounds sensible!
I learned to swim at the age of 34.
First tri (a sprint) a year later I did 14 minutes for 400 meters. Had coached lessons and joined a tri club (not masters though)
Ive managed a 01:00:23 IM swim time, a 2:20 double IM swim.
It's all about technique. Masters classes will help no-end.
next time, tie your mates laces together in T2
I found a great series of Podcasts the other day from America called Tower 26 all about Triathlon Swimming and the differences between competetive pool swimming and swimming for Triathlon, very very good!
I agree you can get better starting late, 5 years ago I couldn't swim a length of crawl, my full IM swim is now around 1:06 (50m pool non wetsuit) I got most of that from a coached Masters programme
First ever session with a swim club tonight... Brighton Dolphins. Not very organised just swam up and down for 80 lengths for £4.10. Which is better than paying a fiver at my local pool and giving up after 20 lengths because of the traffic and people in wrong lanes.
Clearly you need to get a coach with serious credentials. It's possible to get a coaching badge with a degree of effort, but it's another thing to demonstrate that you have coached people into great things.
What do the Olympians in your area do?
Seriously.
Swam with Brighton Swimming club weds evening, was a bit better, more structured doing proper sets and drills and stuff. Was supposed to be masters but some very young people in my lane, felt a bit out of place. The main coaching guy was helpful and approachable which I find important.