Swimming

Hi all,
been to the pool this morning and for a change I did 100 metres warm-up followed by 2x400 metres fast(ish) and then 2x 200 metres sprint pace for me and a gentle 50 metres cool-down. Normally I just swim straight lengths all at one pace, but found this much easier today.

Have you got some good sessions to build endurance and speed to share please.

I only swim once a week at the moment as that's all I can fit in. I was going to a swim club where they did lots of short fast stuff, but felt they were quite unfriendly and just didn't enjoy going so stopped! I am hoping to fit another swim in as my local pool does a dawn dippers session, but until then I need to do endurance and speed in one session.
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Comments

  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    Thanks WW.

    Lots to read there!
  • last night's session:

    warm up:
    300 crawl rest
    100 breast
    rest
    100 crawl
    rest

    main set:
    50 kick
    30sec rest
    100 pull
    30sec rest
    150 crawl
    30 sec rest

    repeat main set *3 in my case

    (really didn;t enjoy the kick! i have alot of running miles in my legs at the moment and had done an hour prior to the swim)
  • Ed - your warm up is my whole routine!
  • don't despair RobB.... this time last year i only dreamt of such distances.

    i turned up to the same coached sessions as i started again last night, a year ago, barely able to drag myself 25m.

    and now i'm looking forward (albeit grudgingly) to my 4th and final tri of the year (including one open water event).

    had lots of compliments last night on my progress.. really encouraging :)

    if i can do it... anyone can.. i wasa total water-phobe.

    now there's inspiration for ya!

    ed
  • JjJj ✭✭✭
    [sits this one out until can manage at least a length]
  • I really want to learn to swim properly!

    I get in the pool once a week and do breast stroke for about 500 metres and thats it!!

    The pool is only 15m long so no good for serious swimming!

    Need to get in a decent size pool and practice my front crawl technique!
  • Hilly, hows about a pyramid session, something like (adjust to your level)

    Warm up (400m?)
    Main set:
    8x25 sprint (hard as poss)
    4x50 slightly less hard
    2x100 steady
    1x200 steady, slower
    2x100
    4x50
    8x25
    Swim down (200, concentrating on form, or even just doing slow drills)

    That kinda thing anyway. Incorporates really fast tough stuff and endurance. Easy to remember, and simple for starters.
  • tonight hoping to do:

    400m crawl warm up

    5*200m crawl - concentrating on something different each set - so - set one concentrating on horizontal balance and the swimming downhill feeling. set two concentrating on dipping hand into water just in front of head. set three on reaching as far as possible. set four on rotation. and set five on putting it all together.

    4*50m sprints (cos I'll be bored of this technique stuff by then)

    200m swim down

    not sure how much i'll get done as godzilla is coming swimming with me. i promised to time his 400m and help him work on front crawl technique - especially learning not to sink.
  • hi dr nic *curtsey*

    i used to do a pyramid thing..

    100m
    200m
    400m
    200m
    100m

    1km in total.. quite satisfying
  • Another one for the swimming gurus .... I'm injured at the moment, can't run, so have been swimming every day... did my first 'non stop mile' of front crawl yesterday .. dead chuffed.

    BUT!

    My shoulders and upper back are now SOOOOO tense! What stretches should I be doing before and after swimming, or to get rid of the stiffness?

    BTW I do warm up and cool down before and after each swimming session (although I'm so slow my whole session is one big warm up!)

  • Me too - mine got so bad in my last tri that I to drop out of the swim so I could at least do the bike & run legs.

    I think it's more work-related than anything to do with not stretching enough
    :-(
  • stretch stretch stretch. shoulders, biceps, triceps. and I always finish off by stretching my back in the pool before getting out (curling into ball) and cool down i do a couple of kick lengths whilst strthcing arms/ shoulders at same time. can you persuade someone to rub your back for you?
  • I know how Zil feels... but it can be done!!
  • although, lizzy b, your soreness is possibly due to it being an extra long session for you. ie treat it as though you'd just done your first v. long run, and expect your muscles to react accordingly. take a day off, then maybe the following day go for an easy 20min.
  • we got taught to do various wacky pre-mobility exercises before swimming....

    rolling shoulders slowly, individually, together & in both directions.

    same for the ankles, drawing circles in the air with your feet (more difficult to do both together here).

    very dodgy looking rotating pelvis thing

    and a funny bandy knee twisting thing!
  • Lizzy, I normally just do shoulders (pull straight arm across chest with other hand)...sometimes tricep (point elbow in air and put hand down behind back), chest (hands together behind back - always the boys' favourite) and upper back (like chest only hands in front, together, trying to reach forward as far as poss whilst curving upper back round)

    Ed - nice curtsey! Thanks!
  • Or yes, as Moosey says, a back massage :-))
  • Moosey - thanks - glad to see I'm on the right tracks - doing mutual back rubbing with Mr B (we're both doing the 'learning to swim properly' thing). Did an easy 10 minutes today ... and an easier 20 mins in the hot tub! I think as I'm so used to running and cycling long distnces, I expect to be able to swim a longer distance with no effects whatsoever - have to remind myself that in April I could only do two lengths of front crawl before sinking!

    But how do you do the 'stretching and kicking' thing? I mean, without drowning?

  • Oooh, and thanks Dr Nic and Ed as well (bit of simultaneous posting there!).

    Mmm, lots to try!
  • Ooops - jut tried the rolling shoulder thing ... something is going 'click, click' in the middle of my chest. Hmmm, but only when I roll them backwards, not fowards.

    Red wine cure tonight, I think!
  • Try rolling just one then the other? But clicks are OK I think.

    By the way I just did an experimental double-shoulder roll to see if I click too, quite forgetting I was at work...got some funny looks!
  • A lot more intereting than work, this ... click in chest on first backward shoulder roll but not subsequent ones ... and only on left side ...

    I'm old and ready for the knackers yard.
  • OK, now try this! (I'll do it too...ready)

    Hold your hands together behind your back and really pull your shoulders back.

    Betcha get a whole cacophony of cracks and clicks.

    N-i-c-e!
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    Snap Dr Nic I just did the same, but at home!

    Thanks all for tips and help.

    Thanks for those sessions Dr Nic and M. How long would you take to rest between each set?

    I've been trying to work on form/technique a bit, with stretching out as if reaching for something and leaving hand longer on the stretch before the push phase of stroke.

    Some people just look effortless in the water. I know I need to work on this a lot!
  • Something that really helped me from the last coached session I went to last week was him getting us to relax the hand above/going into the water, but really push on the under-the-water hand...quite hard to co-ordinate one slow and relaxed and the other hard and fast, but it did help a lot when you can do it. Does that make sense?

    I tend to rest for 10-20 seconds between "reps" of 25s..50s..whatever, but a bit longer (30-45 secs) between the actual set of 8x25 and moving on to the 50s or whatever it is. Not too much rest tho!
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    Thanks I'll be trying all this on my next session. Won't be swimming this week though as I've got a marathon on Sunday, but should have more time while recovering from the marathon!
  • rest.... last sundays session was all 30seconds.. which seems a long time at the start... but not long enough toward the end.

    the pyramid... until i don;t feel like i'm about to die... up to 2 mins as far as i remember

    crackly stretches.. the best one to do is:
    (listen carefully now!)
    sit on the floor with your left leg flat... put your right foot over yout left leg so it's on the outside (left) next to your left knee.
    stretch your upper body round to the left till you can put your right forearm down the left of your right shin (the one that's over your left leg!) with your elbow against the knee... and stretch round as far as you can trying to look behind yourself...

    easy huh ? oh and repeat on the other side... more clicks than a clicky thing!

    (dr nic.. please tell me you tried this one at work too)
  • HillyHilly ✭✭✭
    I only have to expand my chest to crack and click!
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