Triathlon - I SUCK at swimming

This seems to be a common problem, but I thought I would ask about my personal situation. I just completed my second sprint. I can make the swim but I have to do the breast stroke 75-85% of the time. I feel like I'm drowning otherwise. I have watched the videos on youtube to no avail. I have to admit, I only swim about once every one to two weeks. Are there any suggestions?

I dont want to sound like an ***** and Im still new to Tri myself... but here goes. SWIM MORE. Once every week or two is not enough to really build endurance or sharpen your mechanics.

That being said I will share the most helpful piece of advice given to me.

When I started swimming I could barely swim a for 2 or 3 minutes and spent a month focusing breathing after every third stroke. I struggled with it. LOTS! Then a woman in the master class showed me a different breathing pattern she used effectively. I now breathe to the same side after second stroke, followed by a 3 stroke and then I breath to the opposite side every second stroke.

So: breathe 4 to the left (1,2 breath left 1,2 breath left 1,2 breath left 1,2 breath 1,2,3 (this swithces the side you are breathing on) breathe right 1,2 breath right 1,2 breath right 1,2 breathe right 1,2,3... This works for me. The first time I tried I was able to extend my swim from 400-500 sets to 1000yd sets and I can now (after two months) swim for 2500yds with a great deal of confidence...

I woudl still reccomend getting into the pool, lake etc... 2to3 times a week.

Good luck!

Ok, I'm probably not super-qualified to comment on long-term improvement, being a total swim noob, but I've had a lot of success with the TOTAL IMMERSION book.

In 4 weeks, through mostly technique (and some fitness increases), I knocked off 15 seconds/100m, and now can do 8 x 100m at a slow but respectable 1:50 each, with 15 sec rest in between.

A lot of people note that with Total Immersion, they dramatically increase their swim endurance. Most of this is likely because you learn to always swim in a effective "float" position where you waste minimal energy keeping flat in the water, and thus, when you get totally winded, it's a non-issue to just roll into a side or backfloat, which is a central position in the freestyle stroke of TI anyway. (Unfortunately, seems that a lot of folks on TI comment that they don't experience big speed increases until they do sprints.)

I'd highly recommend for you to start by buying Total immersion and trying it out. You'll go from being an obvious rookie in the water to having onlookers with vastly more (but ineffective) swim technique marveling at your seeming efficiency. Plus, it's a lot of fun!

I don't swim all that much, but my boyfriend used to be on the Swedish Jr. Olympic team, and he swam for Brown University. What I have gathered from him, is that like anything else, to be proficent at something takes some blend of natural ability, persistence, and a boat load of practice. Get someone who knows what they are really doing to watch, and swim with you. The feedback they can give you will help a lot.

I myself just started swimming 2 months ago and recenlty found my rhythm...I started threads here and people gave great advice...However, if one technique works for others may not work for you...The best advice I can give you which was given to me by my uncle and cousin is just to swim slow for about an hour a day...Don't focus on speed just focus on your breathing and your form...I am now able to swim 1000m non stop(freestyle)...I also try to swim at the lake one time a week to get use to the current...Try to go three to four times a day...swim rest swim..to give your body time to relax...Swimming is a little bit mental as well, if you think you can only swim for 200m your mind will stop at 200m...However, if you tell yourself ahead of time that you need to swim 800-1000m then you will make it to the end...I hope my two cents will help.

I appreciate all the help. Nothing too sarcastic. I got to swim last night. It was a little better, but I still struggle so much with breathing. I'll do fine for a while and then it seems like I begin to drink the pool. I've seen various videos on stroke technique (mine SUCKS), but I haven't seen anything that says, "this is how to breathe."

Maybe the local YMCA has lessons....(srsly)

one thing that has helped me more than the typical answer you're going to get (swim more) is to really focus a lot of energy on your kicks. Keeping your back half straight and up will take a lot of effort from your top half to keep yourself moving (afloat).

Here is a simple drill. Get a kick boad (like a mini body board) and hold it with your finger tips and thumbs out in front of you so your arms are as straight as they can be. Tuck your head so your chin is at your chest and just focus on an even kick. When you breath just lift your head straight out of the water. That will ultimately make your back end drop, this will get you better at getting back to a normal kicking motion when you lift your head to sight.

We can talk in private message some about more drills but i'm at work now and will likely not be able to respond to any for a while. Keep in touch with any questions.

SWIM MORE.
Wise words.

You're (OP) simply not swimming enough, and it's probably because you don't enjoy it. It will be hard but if you go 3 or 4 times a week for about a month you'll find you can handle a couple of hundred metres at a time and things won't look so bleak.

Then go here (http://ruthkazez.com/ZeroTo1mile.html), which is the site I always recommend to struggling swimmers. The concepts here helped me a lot.

If you can afford it, a couple of weeks/months of swim coaching would do wonders.

Some advice from a former All-American distance swimmer...

Swimmers swim in a body position sometimes called "press the chest". Because in swimming the amount of air in your lungs affects your buoyancey you want to spend more time with more air in your lungs while at the same time focus on "pressing" your chest into the water. This action will raise your legs higher in the water. I would NOT recommend kicking a lot as this will just make you more tired than you already are. Your legs are great for moving you around on land, but are inefficient in the water (unless you have gigantic feet or fins). I do however recommend that you do a 1 or 2 beat kick (that's one or two kicks per stroke. I personally do a 1 beat crossover kick... don't worry about what that means).

Getting back to holding more air in your lungs as I stated earlier. This means that you want to exhale more quickly and then breathe in quickly knowing that the more time you spend with little air in your lungs the lower you will be in the water. This can take time as you have to strengthen your diaphragm to breathe in quickly with water pressure working against your chest cavity.

The main difference between a swimmer and non swimmer, (other than the far greater muscular endurance in the lats and tris of a swimmer) is body position. This simply takes a lot of time in the water to perfect.

In your specific case I would work on breathing faster and being mindful of where your feet are in the water. Try to keep your heels within 6 inches of the surface of the water. Try "pressing the chest" (again the sensation that you're trying to push your chest (not your head) deeper in the water so that your feet will rise up).

Also, for the record, "real" breastroke (the competitive version of the stroke) is the least effecient stroke one can do. If you put in the time and get the freestyle down pat, I guarentee you that you'll never want to resort to doing breastroke to rest. Breastroke is the only stroke that has an underwater recovery (the part of your stroke where your arms move forward to take the next stroke) for both the arms and the legs.

I'm the OP. I turned 31 today and swam a mile for the first time in my life. Thank you everyone for the advice. The best advice was to swim more. I got a membership to the local Y and now swim 3 times a week. I also followed the Zero to 1650 plan fairly religiously. Until today that is and I decided to go for it.

I'm the OP. I turned 31 today and swam a mile for the first time in my life. Thank you everyone for the advice. The best advice was to swim more. I got a membership to the local Y and now swim 3 times a week. I also followed the Zero to 1650 plan fairly religiously. Until today that is and I decided to go for it.

:thumb:

I'm the OP. I turned 31 today and swam a mile for the first time in my life. Thank you everyone for the advice. The best advice was to swim more. I got a membership to the local Y and now swim 3 times a week. I also followed the Zero to 1650 plan fairly religiously. Until today that is and I decided to go for it.

next stop, IRONMAN:lol:

Glad the zero to 1650 helped. As they say on their website, when you're doing it the rests don't seem enough but if you hang tough you get through. Keep it regular and you might even start to enjoy it. :eek:

Finally, some good advice for swimming. I do okay in the water (my first and only I did 27:45 in an open water Olympic) but I ended up doing a lot of backstroke. I plan on hitting the pool and doing the Zero to 1650 plan. I also appreciate some of the information on breathing. That is where I am having the majority of my issues. Once I lose my place I am toast until I start a new lap.

Can't wait to try out a new plan.

Thanks

Fred

Five step program:

1. Swim more.
2. Swim more.
3. Swim more.
4. Take a lesson.
5. Swim more.

Know what I'm sayin'? I went from 200 yards in a workout to 1800 yards in a workout in 6 months via steps 1-3. And I even took like a month off in there. I could probably be better if I hadn't.

Excuse me while I take my own advice and get the flyer for that stroke clinic...

Jason

+1 for swim more. Learning how to breathe every 3rd stroke also really forces your body to be efficient with air.

0 to 1650 worked for me too!!!! is this a infomercial, but seriously, it did work for me...

Five step program:

1. Swim more.
2. Swim more.
3. Swim more.
4. Take a lesson.
5. Swim more.

Know what I'm sayin'? I went from 200 yards in a workout to 1800 yards in a workout in 6 months via steps 1-3. And I even took like a month off in there. I could probably be better if I hadn't.

Excuse me while I take my own advice and get the flyer for that stroke clinic...

Jason

Give that you'll become more efficient in the water (and get faster) just with better technique, I think it's better for new swimmers to get swim lessons immediately. I just can't imagine learning to swim from books or videos. I was a competitive swimmer in college, then took 20+ years away from the pool. I thought my technique was still good, but my Master's coach immediately pointed out some obvious flaws requiring correction.

My 5 point program would be:

1) Take a lesson
2) Swim more
3) Take a lesson
4) Swim more
5) Repeat 1-4

Brian

Give that you'll become more efficient in the water (and get faster) just with better technique, I think it's better for new swimmers to get swim lessons immediately. I just can't imagine learning to swim from books or videos. I was a competitive swimmer in college, then took 20+ years away from the pool. I thought my technique was still good, but my Master's coach immediately pointed out some obvious flaws requiring correction.

My 5 point program would be:

1) Take a lesson
2) Swim more
3) Take a lesson
4) Swim more
5) Repeat 1-4

Brian

Good point Brian. I am just going off of what I did... which was learn from books and videos. It took me 6 months to go from 200 yds in a workout to 1800 yds in a workout. I could probably have done it better and faster with lessons though, not gonna argue with that!

As my math profs used to say, there is something to be said for the "brute force and ignorance" method of learning. Also known as the "beating your head against the wall" method. :thumb::cry:

Just swam my first session of the "Zero to 1650" plan...all freestyle. It felt good.

There was a coach at the pool that gave me a breathing drill that I will incorporate into my "Zero" plan. After watching me swim the 700 yards required of the first session, he told me that because I am holding my breath so long each time I am actually draining myself. The drill he gave me should help with that as well as get me on a more consistent and efficient breathing pattern.

I know the "Zero" plan does not include breathing drills, just learning to swim a full mile in the freestyle position. But this was my problem last year and I would like to get rid of it as soon as possible and learn to swim a freestyle mile.

I feel good and I can't wait to get in the water again.

Just swam my first session of the "Zero to 1650" plan...all freestyle. It felt good.

There was a coach at the pool that gave me a breathing drill that I will incorporate into my "Zero" plan. After watching me swim the 700 yards required of the first session, he told me that because I am holding my breath so long each time I am actually draining myself. The drill he gave me should help with that as well as get me on a more consistent and efficient breathing pattern.

I know the "Zero" plan does not include breathing drills, just learning to swim a full mile in the freestyle position. But this was my problem last year and I would like to get rid of it as soon as possible and learn to swim a freestyle mile.

I feel good and I can't wait to get in the water again.

Nice work Fred... One thing I will say is that I started out with an every three strokes breathing pattern, so that I would switch from Right to Left every three strokes, but it was too much for me. Coming from a running background, where you can breath as much as you want, it was just too much oxygen debt. I now do every two strokes. If you are worried about breathing on the same side all of the time, just switch every lap or something.

I say that the breathing exercises are good, and will help you. But for your goal of getting distance under your belt, breath more often for now. Later, when you are a swimming god, you can move to breathing less :D

whats the "zero to 1650" plan?

I'm in the same boat (no pun intended) i can't breathe! I get more water in my lungs than air! I've been trying to hold my breath for 4 strokes, exhale in the water then -gasp- to the left. I try to slow down like the other guys in the pool but tend to sink. There are some old guys who are incredible! They only go about 1/2 a mile an hour but do lap after lap after lap.
Think they would disqualify me if i showed up with scuba gear?

whats the "zero to 1650" plan?

I'm in the same boat (no pun intended) i can't breathe! I get more water in my lungs than air! I've been trying to hold my breath for 4 strokes, exhale in the water then -gasp- to the left. I try to slow down like the other guys in the pool but tend to sink.
cool, I get to recommend Zero To 1650 again (http://ruthkazez.com/ZeroTo1mile.html). Hey, I'll take credit for anything:lol:

As far as breathing goes, it just comes with practise. I'm a bilateral breather and the advantage is feeling comfortable either side. Additionally, if I get tired I just breathe one side for a while which gets me more air (breathe every two strokes rather than every three - 50% more breathing). If you really want to work on breathing technique without sinking, consider using a pool buoy to support your legs a bit.

Disclaimer: I'm no swim expert but I've been through a lot of what I'm reading.;)

The best thing you can do is to take a weekend Total Immersion class. Fantastic. If you can't do that, then get the DVD. If not that, then try out the book. Technique is everything in swimming and very few swimmers swim correctly. They are all powering with their arms and legs, swimming uphill and shortening their bodies. Water is 900 times denser than air so swimming is all about reducing resistance and not burning up all your oxygen trying to go fast.

Swimming more may get you there, but it won't ever be fun or effortless unless you focus on technique. I recommend TI because over the Y or other coaching only because I know that it is solid.

+1 on Total Immersion

What it will do is teach you how to swim before teaching you how to breathe. If you don't have proper swimming technique you'll have a hard time breathing. I see a lot of guys training at the pool with a snorkel, and I'd guess that's a pretty good idea, too. Otherwise you're flailing around sucking wind and your technique will suck and you'll drill that in to your muscle memory.

With TI, you should spend a couple months without really breathing, you just roll to your back, aka "sweet spot". Then it's like, "OK, now that you know how to swim, breathe like this..." Then you'll take one breath and roll to your back for 2 cycles, then got to every other cycle, then, eventually, just breathe on your strokes without rolling to your back.

It took me about 3 months of ~4 days per week, 1/2 hour per day to get to the point that I can breathe and have a somewhat efficient stroke. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for the product, but it worked for me. I'm sure there are other methods, with any of them, you'll have to spend more time in the water.

whats the "zero to 1650" plan?

I'm in the same boat (no pun intended) i can't breathe! I get more water in my lungs than air! I've been trying to hold my breath for 4 strokes, exhale in the water then -gasp- to the left. I try to slow down like the other guys in the pool but tend to sink. There are some old guys who are incredible! They only go about 1/2 a mile an hour but do lap after lap after lap.
Think they would disqualify me if i showed up with scuba gear?

When you swim your body makes a wave as it goes through the water. That means a crest and a trough. Competitive swimmers know where these are. Breath where the trough is. This is so natural to experienced swimmers they often forget about it.

The point about not using a lot of energy on kicking is also right on the mark. When I was swimming competitively I had a pretty good kick. As in 1:05 or so for 100 yards (short course) kick only. But it is not efficient. Good for sprinters, poor for distance. Distance swimming the kick is to stablize and the last length in a close race. For a Tri a kick is for stablizing and perhaps for a burst at the beginning to get out of the mass of bodies. But that is for those trying to win. Of perhaps like me a real swimmer trying to get a huge lead. (which I could likely maintain through the cycling only to lose in the run).

Depending on conditions a decent backstroke might be worth developing. Again not for winners in elite or semi elite levels, but in choppy water for those who do not have the breathing down to the level of a competitive swimmer it could be a huge help.

I would expect no improvement that is of any significance in your swimming considering the tiny amount that you devote to doing it. There is some fantastic advice here but none of it matters if you don't get in the water and suffer through the sucky part of learning to be a good swimmer. I am no pro and I am bit on the slow side in all three sports but I do do one thing correct, I show up for every workout and push myself to be better while avoiding injury as best I can. JUST DO IT BABY!

I suck at swimming too, I bought total immersion, it pretty much showed that I'm a rear quadrant swimmer. I'm trying to fix that now but its looking pretty pathetic.

I still think I'm going with lessons; one of our local pools trains physically challenged triathletes so I'm sure its top notch.

+1 on Total Immersion
It took me about 3 months of ~4 days per week, 1/2 hour per day to get to the point that I can breathe and have a somewhat efficient stroke. I don't mean to sound like a commercial for the product, but it worked for me. I'm sure there are other methods, with any of them, you'll have to spend more time in the water.
I'm not so sure on TI. I bought the book and read it but if it was the best method, one suspects it would be popular beyond triathlon. I'm guessing there's not many swim record holders using TI. I'm worried it fits into the realm of 'Triathletes will buy anything' syndrome.

Not to say it's a total waste, i'm sure there's plenty of people who swear by it, just that there must be a reason conventional teaching still reigns supreme in both speed and popularity. I suspect if you devoted 3 months of ~4 days per week, 1/2 hour per day to conventional swimming you'd have seem major improvements also - and might even be faster.

just my 2c, not trying to start a war:)

I'm not so sure on TI. I bought the book and read it but if it was the best method, one suspects it would be popular beyond triathlon. I'm guessing there's not many swim record holders using TI. I'm worried it fits into the realm of 'Triathletes will buy anything' syndrome.

Not to say it's a total waste, i'm sure there's plenty of people who swear by it, just that there must be a reason conventional teaching still reigns supreme in both speed and popularity. I suspect if you devoted 3 months of ~4 days per week, 1/2 hour per day to conventional swimming you'd have seem major improvements also - and might even be faster.

just my 2c, not trying to start a war:)

For someone who has looked at both, the difference between traditional and TI seem marginal at best.

I have slowed down and shortened my rest between laps. I'm now NOT out of breath.

Regarding breathing it seems this area is an open book and as individual as anything else. I have found that alternating my breathing is helpful. Meaning I may start for a few strokes without breathing then get short on iar and breath every stroke, then get into a rhythm breathing every other stroke and alternating and sometimes try breathing just to one side. It is a matter of practice. I can only spare enough time for 500 meters twice a week and that's pushing it with my cycling and weight training. Unfortunately I don't run every day because of scheduling issues.

Regarding your stroke - I have found it helpful to try different things to find my own stroke. In between laps or while I sit in the whirlpool I watch others and see what they do.

This one guy the last time I was there I was chatting briefly with him was just amazing, like a robot. Amazingly consistent form. Then when he was close to his finish he said to me: "now for some speed". He then proceeded to swim like the shark in JAWS with his head almost out of the water. It was a weird body position but he was much faster. His stroke changed too. It was a remarkable sight but it was nothing like I ever saw on TV watching the olympics.

Find your own unique self in the pool. He is in there.

You might try finding someone who does a lot of triathlons.

A friend of mine competes for the University of Georgia triathlon team. So I asked her to help me out with swimming which she did. It was very intense (thanks to the 10mile Mtn bike ride I did before) but I improved big time. She told me my technique was pretty good but could tell when I got fatigued since my form got real sloppy. I swam for roughly an hour. But 2 days before at my local gym I struggled to swim for 25m after just getting into the pool. At the UGA pool it was 50m and even after a very intense mountain bike ride and an hour of swimming at the end I was able to swim a full 50m with fairly good form.

You could probably find a local university and run in some of their 5/10Ks and talk to people there. Odds are you'll find a Tri kid who I'm sure would love to teach you and push you along for a little cash.

+10 on the swim more.

I hit the pool a little over a month ago to begin training.

My first day time was 27:00 for 400 Meters.

Yesterday my time was 17:00 for 400 Meters.

If i'd worked out harder and eaten better all month, I'd be faster and stronger.

I still have about a week to improve my time.

I have a tough decision 2nite. Swim or weight train. I've logged 76 miles cycling but due to kid's school events I missed my regular weight training & swimming. Maybe I'll see what kind of mood I'm in or how well my lunch digests ...

oh boy do i feel your pain. i always feel like i'm drowning and can't get enough air. and this is AFTER a 4-month long swim class (where i went from, er, doggy-paddle to knowing 3 strokes) and breast stroke is still what i feel most comfortable doing. i've accepted that i'm just kinda panicky in the pool and need to swim more. i'm fine with anaerobic work on the bike or on the run, but man, put me in a pool, facedown in the water and make me try to swim anything but leisurely and i'm in full panic mode.

i'm working on this. i have no advice - just wanted to sympathize with the O.P. :) good luck (since your original post was months ago, i should instead say i hope everything is working out for you.) :)

Got a new suit, for tanning, but I'm tempted to use it for swimming. I imagine it would be fun and freeing. I've been swimming in giant modest board shorts and the new suit is a properly fitted brief style. I don't look too bad in it but I wouldn't wear it at the beach or pool with people I knew. If I can slip into the water quickly I would really like to see what different is with a streamlined suit.

Last time in the pool was interesting - it always is. My stroke and breathing are coming along but it definitely takes pool time to improve. I think my technique was better because I wasn't breathing so hard and my total time for 500 meters was a little shorter.

I'll echo the swim more sentiment.... Here is my workout two days a week:

Warm-Up
200yrds.

Kick Drills
2 x 50yrds

Side Drills (swim with one arm out and the opposite arm doing the work)
2 x 50yds (on each side)

8 x 25yrd freestyle laps
10 x 25yrd laps freestyle laps
8 x 25yrd laps any....
6 x 25yrs laps

100 yrd cool down

Got a new suit, for tanning, but I'm tempted to use it for swimming. I imagine it would be fun and freeing. I've been swimming in giant modest board shorts and the new suit is a properly fitted brief style. I don't look too bad in it but I wouldn't wear it at the beach or pool with people I knew. If I can slip into the water quickly I would really like to see what different is with a streamlined suit.
.

I did my 1st Triathlon this weekend which was at a beach on the coast of Georgia. After the tri I drove 100miles up the coast to Savannah, GA which is where I planned to stay the night. I wanted to eat something at the beach at a restaurant I like but they were closed. I was still in my tri shorts and decided to go back to the beach on Tybee Island. That island is a giant tourist island. I still had numbers on my body and swam in my tights. No one noticed except the life gaurds.

For someone who has looked at both, the difference between traditional and TI seem marginal at best.

I don't think it's a matter of a difference between TI & "traditional" swimming. The best athletes, like Michael Phelps, do this naturally. They don't need these particular drills and analysis to be as smokin fast as they are.

TI seems to promote a very full-body swimming approach, which has resonated very well with me. Over time, I think you'll see what's most useful to you from that philosophy and learn from that. Sure there'll always be room for the Janet Evans-style windmill stroke, but that's a rare occurrence.

To the OP: at some point reading a book & watching a DVD & talking with people on a form just isn't going to cut it. Join a master's program or consult a coach, as others have said. Terry Laughlin does clinics as well. It will do wonders for you. Good luck!

did my home commute 13 miles then drove to the pool for my swimming. 1st time doing one after the other. not sure why I felt so strong today. my time on the bike was sprint-like and my time in the water was my quickest ever. I couldn't wear the new suit, did my laps in board shorts again. was gonna wear the new suit under the shorts then whip them off when I got in the water, but then that seemed silly.

was gonna say that's a long time to stay in a wet suit but I've done that. I love getting beachy, but have learned from my kids the comfort of swapped undies and dry shorts. the water up here is still cold but I have been known to do my first lake swim on Memorial Day weekend, (now if only I can get away ...)

I don't think it's a matter of a difference between TI & "traditional" swimming. The best athletes, like Michael Phelps, do this naturally. They don't need these particular drills and analysis to be as smokin fast as they are.

TI seems to promote a very full-body swimming approach, which has resonated very well with me. Over time, I think you'll see what's most useful to you from that philosophy and learn from that. Sure there'll always be room for the Janet Evans-style windmill stroke, but that's a rare occurrence.

To the OP: at some point reading a book & watching a DVD & talking with people on a form just isn't going to cut it. Join a master's program or consult a coach, as others have said. Terry Laughlin does clinics as well. It will do wonders for you. Good luck!

Rubbish. They work with drills that make anything so far on this thread look like childs play. Their coach will analyze their technique and see that their fingers are spread 1/8 of an inch too much or too litttle (yes there is a optimum and it is not no space between the fingers).

But the big thing is the work level. Figure 2 workouts a day at least 6 days a week. and at least one on the 7th. Some of those will tilted a bit more toward technique, at least some of the time. But a Phelps workout that is a pure taper to get ready for competition is still far more than most of the workouts listed here.

Proud to say, I'm in week 12 of 16 for training for an Olympic in June. Did my longest set EVAR on sunday - 1,000 m in about 23 minutes. Not fast by any means, but gives me encouragement that I can do 1500 in a less-than-embarassing time. I wasn't pushing my hardest either, because I'm still feeling out my limits.

The first month I was in the pool 3-4 times a week. Now, its 2-3. but, mostly 2. Keep on keepin on, and you'll see improvements!

did my home commute 13 miles then drove to the pool for my swimming. 1st time doing one after the other. not sure why I felt so strong today. my time on the bike was sprint-like and my time in the water was my quickest ever. I couldn't wear the new suit, did my laps in board shorts again. was gonna wear the new suit under the shorts then whip them off when I got in the water, but then that seemed silly.

was gonna say that's a long time to stay in a wet suit but I've done that. I love getting beachy, but have learned from my kids the comfort of swapped undies and dry shorts. the water up here is still cold but I have been known to do my first lake swim on Memorial Day weekend, (now if only I can get away ...)

maybe I am missing something here...but the only way your gonna learn your limits is to get in your wetsuit/tri shorts...whatever... AND SWIM!!!!!!!! Do you ride your bike in board shorts? Get over your fear and just HTFU and get it over with.

It has been a long long time since I really trained for swimming. But one of the standards was sets of either 5 or 10 x 100 yeads going every 1:30 or 2 minutes. Each 100 you go all out and then get a little rest. Or doing similar stuff based on pulse. Sprint 100 yards, take your pulse and keep doing so. Once it is down to 150 beats poer minute go again. \

The point is going hard and getting just a little rest to recover lets you spend more time working hard and improves conditioning faster than just going 500 or 1000 yards.

Trading off between kicking and pulling sets was common. Different muscles, but overall conditioning continues.

One other thing was heading into meets to do 75 yards as hard as you can (this was back in age group where 100 was the standard distance). The idea was that everyone finishes hard, you see the end in sight and gut it out. But if you break things down by 25 year distances it is the thrid 25 that is both the slowest and the greatest difference between swimmers. I'm not sure this works well as a training technique for tris, but it is food for thought. Also people might want to train for a swimming distance longer than in hteir tri, esp for sprint tris. Difference is in a tri it is not over when you get out of the water and feeling like you are exiting the water with something left could be important.

""So: breathe 4 to the left (1,2 breath left 1,2 breath left 1,2 breath left 1,2 breath 1,2,3 (this swithces the side you are breathing on) breathe right 1,2 breath right 1,2 breath right 1,2 breathe right 1,2,3... This works for me. The first time I tried I was able to extend my swim from 400-500 sets to 1000yd sets and I can now (after two months) swim for 2500yds with a great deal of confidence...""



I can't wait to try this tonight in the pool - GREAT advice
Mary

+1 on Total Immersion

Also, I'd have to disagree -- on the basis of my own experience -- with anyone giving up on bilateral breathing because they find the oxygen debt too onerous. I taught myself how to swim with Terry Laughlin's books and one class over about 18 months, and I breathed bilaterally every workout, at least 90% of the time. My "good" steady-state 100m pace was around 2:00 and I left it there, working on almost nothing but technique and perfecting my bilateral breathing.

Then one day the week before a race I jumped in the water and did a 1000m time trial. I finished in 16:50, in a 25 m pool! That's 1:41/100m!

I continue to breathe bilaterally in 90% of my pool work. I believe being hypoxic all the time vastly increases my oxygen usage efficiency. I save breathing on one-side only for intensity work (which I rarely do), and races.

?? hmmm ... you must be getting enough air cuz:



Hypoxia (environmental) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_%28environmental%29), a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments where, due to lack of water circulation, portions of the water column are reduced in dissolved oxygen (DO) content, which can be detrimental for aquatic organisms that need DO to live
Hypoxia (medical) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_%28medical%29), a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply

Rubbish. They work with drills that make anything so far on this thread look like childs play.

I do my swimming at Meadowbrook in Baltimore where Phelps has always trained. I see him there quite often along with Katie and many other incredible swimmers. Their drills are exhausting just to watch, but a beautiful site. Phelps looks 12 feet long in the water.

I on the other hand am a total beginner but have hope since Meadowbrook has so many great swimmers and triathletes, all willing to offer advice. I was doing the intro to masters which was great but decided to just swim on my own for a while. Did my first tri on Sunday and even though the wetsuit gave me buoyancy I was exhausted 100 meters in-why? not enough non stop training. So I feel your pain and am now trying to do consistent distance workouts. I'm also training for my first half marathon in October, trying to figure out how to fit all these workouts into my schedule.

?? hmmm ... you must be getting enough air cuz:



Hypoxia (environmental) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_%28environmental%29), a phenomenon that occurs in aquatic environments where, due to lack of water circulation, portions of the water column are reduced in dissolved oxygen (DO) content, which can be detrimental for aquatic organisms that need DO to live
Hypoxia (medical) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypoxia_%28medical%29), a pathological condition in which the body as a whole or region of the body is deprived of adequate oxygen supply


The second one. Any time you extend the length of time between breaths, you are going hypoxic. Wikipedia's definition is a poor one, because hypoxia's not "pathological." It's just a way to describe oxygen deficiency in tissue, which it is important swimmers to learn to tolerate.

Really? But how long can one tolerate this deficiency? I mean won't you get dizzy or drown? Or just not have the ability to compete?