ironmam swim

Here we go any help will do,

i have signed up to do the bolton ironman uk,now my problem will be the swim

i feel the bike and run wont be a problem,but the swim might be

i have started ( jan ) going swimming 3 times a week doing a mile ( 64 lengths ) each time,and my best time is now 48mins for the mile ( slow i know )

my problem is i have to swim most of the lengths breaststroke and only front crawl every tenth length

would i be able to do the ironman swim breaststroke as long as i can finish within the time limit

 

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Comments

  • You haven't tried swimming in a wetsuit yet have you ?



    Breaststroke in a wetsuit will kill you, get some lessons on FC
  • Yes you can do the swim breastroke however you will conserve much more time and energy by learning front crawl in the time you have between now and the start line

    Forget doing the mile each time for now, get some lessons in and learn the right technique and then go from there, you dont need to be limited by this at this stage IMO

  • thanks for your answers

    dave your right never been in a wetsuit 

    i just cant seem to manage more than 2 lengths front crawl together

    but you might be right try and sort out some lessons

  • joddlyjoddly ✭✭✭

    Absolutely agree.

    If it seems like a tall order, keep doing your mile but try aiming to do 2 out of 10 lenths f/c, and really concentrate on slowing them down, relaxing, and minimising your kick. Once you realise you can do 2, it'll be relatively easy to build the proportion of f/c.

    For most of us, swimming (f/c) in a wetsuit is faster than without. 

  • Like Dave says..... breaststroke in a wettie is murderous on the arms.....

  • Lessons and persistence worked for me, I couldn't do a length crawl when I started last May.  

  • joddlyjoddly ✭✭✭

    Oh dear - shabby x-post! Make that "3 out of 10" then, but it's alla bout keeping it gentle. Most of us think of breaststroke as a slow, steady pace, and f/c as a sprint, but it turns out that's not really the case image.

  • one guy i saw who breaststrokes a swim.....ripped a pile of hairs off the areas of his arms / backs caused by the friction......ouch

     But it has been done.but i wouldn't want to.i did breast stroke an olympic distance swim once as i lost my noseclipimage

  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    I would say forget about the breastroke.  When you go swimming, only allow yourself to do front crawl.  If you have to, do one length, rest 20-30 secs, go again.  In time you will be able to do 2 lengths non stop, then 4 etc.  Swim fitness will come, but I would concentrate on being a better swimmer, not swim fitness.  The best swimmer are so, because they are better swimmers, not because they are the fittest swimmers.  I was in your shoes back in August, but completed a 1500m OW swim in a wetsuit after just 11 sessions.  Also, have a look on youtube for technique video`s.  Total Immersion and Swim Smooth helped me.  Good luck.

  • Crooky,

    Why can't you do more than 2 lenghts f/c. Do your arms fall off? Do you get cramp? Do you run out of breath?

    f/c is 90% arms (or near 100% for some of us) whereas breaststoke is 60%/40%. So your problem may be tiny weeny feeble arms.

    But my guess is you end up breathless.  In which case practice helps a lot. You are probably not unfit if you can see 112mile bike and 26 mile run as doable. Therefore heart and lungs are probably OK. So it is purely technique.

    Do the slowest front crawl you can. Focus on exhaling underwater and getting a nice clean inhale on rotation of the body/head. Stay in control, relax, do not worry about speed. Do not over kick. Relax, relax, relax.

    The panic will go, the breathing routines will come, and you will get used to it.

    M..eface

  • yes my arms seem to be the prob,

    i think i might be trying too hard and swimming too fast and a lot of kicking,

    i will give the slow swimming a go, 1 length rest then go again and see if that works

    once again cheers for all the help

  • Also, you may want to try swimplan.com. It's a free website where they will devise swim training plans for you. These include technique drills as well as fitness sets.



    The sessions may help reinforce what others have said above
  • You may find a pull bouy useful. Worth trying for some of your swimming to help you concentrate on your arm technique as it will stop you sinking,.

  • Crooky are you based in Bolton? I go to a coached swim session once a week and all are welcome, that would help sort out your FC stroke

    Chris

  • Crooky if it's any help I still have problems with crawl although it's getter better and done two IM distance swim's breaststroke isn't ideal but is doable. Do what you can in the next few months and try to crack your crawl but if you can't get it you can still do it breaststroke just make sure you lubicate yourself around the elblow's back of the knee's and armpit's in case of chaffing. There is a bonus to doing it breaststroke in that you are a lot better at spotting where you are going than the slower crawler's who tend the zigzag all over the shop. Your almost definantly going to find crawl easier once your using a wettie.

  • Cake wrote (see)

    Crooky if it's any help I still have problems with crawl although it's getter better and done two IM distance swim's breaststroke isn't ideal but is doable. Do what you can in the next few months and try to crack your crawl but if you can't get it you can still do it breaststroke just make sure you lubicate yourself around the elblow's back of the knee's and armpit's in case of chaffing. There is a bonus to doing it breaststroke in that you are a lot better at spotting where you are going than the slower crawler's who tend the zigzag all over the shop. Your almost definantly going to find crawl easier once your using a wettie.

    Everybody is 100% right about fc, but if it's any consolation, I am +1 with Cake.

    I did 100% bs at Outlaw last year. I got out in 1hr 45 mins, but had dreadful cramp in my legs about 100m from the end.

    My experience has made me determined to crack front crawl, so I am having 1-2-1 lessons at the moment. if that's not an option for you, at least check out Swimsmooth (or other websites), or join a class at local pool.

    One consolation if you end up doing breaststroke - you can always find your bike in transition imageimage

  • If I can do it, you can do it.

    I learnt to swim from zero to 3.8kms in 6 months for IMCH in 2005.

    Breaststroke will kill your legs for the bike. I still can't breaststroke, but then again I have no need of it. It's irrelevant.

    Don't worry about the distance you are swimming just yet. Go on YouTube, get a swim teacher, a book anything, but learn FC.

    Lastly, good luck - The Outlaw is a fun event!

  • As others have said...

    1. forget breast stroke.

    2. Look on youtube for swimsmooth videos

    3. Go to local pool and practise some of the drills from point 2.

    4. repeat step 3.

    Or go to local tri club and get lessons.

    When I started out I was in the same boat as you - couldnt do more than 2 lengths at a time. I learned to swim at the age of 34. Gradually I could swim 4 then 8 then 16 lengths.

    Plenty of time, it can be done. Good luck

  • As with the others....

    13th January  aged 49 couldn't swim a length FC

    1st September completed The Big Woody

    The reason ? 14th Jan joined my local tri club and haven't looked back

  • Nothing to add really, I was a woeful swimmer, swallowed my pride, too k lessons, got beat by the toddlers in the lane next to me but stuck with it.

    5 ironman races later I still consider myself a poor swimmer, but I'm much better than I was.

    Just wanted to wish you all the best, get your crawl sorted and enjoy the Bolton experience.

  • I was trying to learn by just plugging up and down the pool. I had a 1 to 1 swimming session with a good teacher who basically said "forget the distance, concentrate on the technique for now". Her point was that anyone who was able to handle the bike and run bits was generally fit, and wouldn't have a problem from a cardio POV - they needed to slow down and get the technique right so that they weren't wasting energy flailing around. Then slowly build the distance forward from there. My times picked up by slowing my stroke down and concentrating on the details - which also helped the breathing problems, as by slowing down I was able to breathe more easily and swallowed less water.

     

  • seren nos wrote (see)

    one guy i saw who breaststrokes a swim.....ripped a pile of hairs off the areas of his arms / backs caused by the friction......ouch

    That's shameful personal administration. Surely a bloke doesn't enter a long distance tri with hairy armbacks? I'm disgusted. Had he not heard of waxing? Hope every hair ripped out individually and painfully. In fact, I hope he DNF'd. There. I said it image.

    Oh yeah... swimming.... horrible, isn't it? Do ditch the BS for FC and +1 for using a pull buoy to stop yourself over-kicking. You can then just concentrate all your energy into turning the arms over, which is all you'll need to do to complete the Bolton swim (albeit in a slow time).

  • I think all hairy men should be waxed at registration the day before    image

  • Volunteers? Anyone? Wait, guys, the race doesn't start until tomorrow...come back....

  • +1 wirh others

    Spend a bit of cash on either 1:1 or small group swim lessons. if a group ideally tri specific ones...

    I have seen some council learn to swim lessons in the lane next ro me and they looked horific



    My missus used a swim for tri improvers set of 8 sessions in a group of 8 swimmera and found it excellent
  • crooky, judging by your username i'm guessing youre local (bwfc). i'm not a great swimmer myself but if you wanna come to the flash with us when it opens in april i'll help you....2 years ago my mrs wouldnt put her head in the water in a pool in mexico...and last year she became an ironman finishing the swim in 1.40...its not quick...but right now you'd take that right??? Also my mate almost pulled out last year cause he said he couldnt swim....6 weeks to race day i convinced him to have a go and come swimming with us....his race swim time..1.21..happy days.

    there are coaches on hand at the flash too and they have free group coaching regular. theres also 3 sisters...they are group sessions but decent coaches. and you just pay for the swim as normal.

    PM me...we can hook up for rides and swims anytime come the spring...i'm doing wales but i'll be training on the course too cause mrsB is in for imuk again

    last thing i'll say is...everybody worrys about the swim....but dont...cause its the easy bit....bit of practice and a pointer here or there and you'll be flying.

  • AndyB99 wrote (see)

    last thing i'll say is...everybody worrys about the swim....but dont...cause its the easy bit....bit of practice and a pointer here or there and you'll be flying.

    Very wise words I know a few tri types some very good friends I don't know a single person who doesn't regarding of where they are what to get better or think they have it spot on it's all tecnic (sorry for the spelling) and always can be better regardless of what stroke you use. I'd take up with the other bolton folks mate training for a ironman with other's is very useful and can be a bit isolated otherwise.

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    Crooky, I was you!

    I went from 250 mtrs max to an ironman swim last year in 3 months with 1 or 2 sessions a week and finished in 1:09. Forget breast stroke, streamline your legs, get your body position right, watch videos online for technique, slow it down, don't always go for distance when you practice. There's a lot to gain from 'wasting' a session a week on technique, and you can gain plenty of speed by going slow!

    There are some really useful and revealing videos online and I found it quite easy to extract the information I needed from them.

    Have a look at the 'Total Immersion' technique too - there are instructors in the UK.

  • 1st April - 25m crawl and knackered. Stop, get HR down repeat.
    Joined tri club.
    Got coaching there, at a ratio of 2 coaches to 14 swimmers. 1-2-1 isn't necessary, because the coach will be bored for 90% of the time while you try to put into practice what they just told you.
    4 weeks later and major progress. I could do 1000m. Not fast, but dead proud. Daughter reckoned I was still cr@p though. 
    8 months on, and I'm at a stage where coach reckons I have a lot more confidence in the water, and it's time to really focus on particular aspects of the stroke.
    43 minutes for a mile at the moment, but that's not the point.

    1- get some coaching
    2- the kick is just about the thighs, fish have no muscles in their tail fins.
    3- get the breathing timing organised
    4- it's called "crawl" not "windmill". You pull your body through the water.
    5- rotate, otherwise you'll get injured.

    Getting a reasonable version of technique together isn't about being poncy. It's about being easy. If it's easy, you'll be less fatigued.

  • I think most of us have been there having done 2 lengths and collapsed shattered. It was a revelation when taught myself to do freestyle nice and slowly. Recently had a lot of help at masters sessions at the local poolimage. Lots of good advice on this thread, I got a wetsuit and became a swimming god, well at least in my head, it makes SUCH a difference it's like a different sport......

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