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SWIMMING HELP!

epacseepacse Posts: 92
in General Chat
Hello All....

now i know there must be a posting on here somewhere, and i'm sorry formsounding like a stick record, but BOY OH BOY am i struggling and need the proverbial KICK up the arse, or words of wisdom...

Let me explain!

So trainings going well....got out onto the road,running wise, took advise from a posting on here and what a HUGE differance! Cyclings going well, but it's the swimming!! I have a coach and things were going Ok. We got up to about 20/30 lengths stright off as the warm up, after warm up and then into technique etc etc! This week, she's not been able to make it and set me taks which i duly went along and did! Tuesday / Wednesday, and i have to say...POINTLESS!! It's just all falling apart! I can't get my stroke right, my breathings all to sh*t, technique, panic even set in last night after about 8 lengths!! Only managed 12 legths in both sessions!! Now i feel deflated, just hacked off!! Feel i'm going backwards in swimming and it's really got to me!!

Anyone come across the same, or shall i just SHUT UP, head down and get on!!

Someone put a posting on about training alone and how hard it is..AINT THAT THE TRUTH!!

thanks in advance...

[:)][:(]

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    treefrogtreefrog Posts: 1,242
    Wait until you get, into an open water situation it gets even worse, it happened to me. Basically stop thinking and whinging about it, keep up the swim training and concentrate on the other disciplines. The swim is a small per-centage of the race so the effort you have to make to save 5 minutes is so big 5that you may be better off being satisfied with a slow swim and using you cycle and run time to save time.
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    epacseepacse Posts: 92
    So the dreaded open water is as bad as the rumours?!

    and yeah, your right, stop the whine and get on!

    Just disheartening thats all, when everything else is coming togther and yet the swim is the one thats the biggest struggle!

    Seems though thats the norm though, not many people's string point!

    Cheers Though!



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    toadtoad Posts: 104
    hi everyone



    I have to say I didnt find the open water swimming experience to bad, the mass starts are scary when youre not use to them, however our open water swim club practices these every tueday evening so you soon get use to it.... the increased buoyancy of a wetsuit seemed to make things much easier for me and I found that once I was in a nice rhythm with a bit of space around me it felt like the easiest part. Treefrog makes a great point, re the time gains vs effort in swim training compared to what can be acheived on the bike and in the run. I totally agree enjoy the swim take it relatively easy then go for it in the other two disciplines.
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    bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    I'll second that. Sure, those starts are scary at first, hey, even the whole O W swim is at first.

    Practise a few times and it will be a different story; get out in lakes, venues, wherever, and you'll get used to it. Maybe you'll learn to love it!?

    Swimming is a small part, so don't sweat.
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    BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    I've said this before on another thread ( http://forum.220magazine.com/tm.asp?m=10047&#10096 ) : the swim may be a small part of the overall time, maybe just one fifth for an Olympic, but there is no better place in a triathlon to completely knacker yourself out and ruin your race than in the water.



    Slow down to speed up, epacse. Don't stress about your pace at all, just think about being long and smooth. Take long slow strokes, count how many you take in one length then slow down even more and try to reduce your count by 2. I got mine down to 13 in a 25m pool. You say you only managed 2 sets of 12 lengths... If you can 2 sets then you can do 10 sets. Go do it.



    Do some basic diagnostics:

    1. Use a pull-bouy for a few lengths - if you speed up massively then you are allowing your legs to sink too much when swimming. This is because you are lifting your head. Get you head down and roll your entire body 45 degrees to breathe.

    2. Swim with your hands as fists - if you go at the same speed as with open hands then you are not 'catching' the water properly. Slow down, feel your hands in the water, think about crawling or climbing a ladder: you are grabbing the water and pulling your body over it, not pushing the water past.



    I put some common beginner mistakes in this posting: http://forum.220magazine.com/tm.asp?m=11420&#11435



    Don't get annoyed. Unwind a bit, relax, realise it will come, eventually. Enjoy your training. Good luck. [:D]



    To anybody concerned about open water starts: on a club night, get two or three other swimmers who are at the same pace as you. All get in the same lane, treading water at the deep end all next to each other. Get somebody to shout 'Go' after 20-30s, without warning. Sprint like crazy. Repeat until comfortable. I think there's an article about open water drills in this months magazine. Nothing really prepares you for a proper (ie. several hundred athletes) mass water start, but with a bit of preparation you'll be grinning at the sheer stupidity of it all and having a whale of a time, rather than being horrified.
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    epacseepacse Posts: 92
    Bopomofo


    Thanks ever so much for the feedback!

    It's hard isn't it, when things are coming together and then you seem to hit, not quite 'the wall' but something! Appreciate the advise, and well and duly taken on board!

    I think thats a big part of my problem, and my coach tells me to, i try and go FAR to fast and don't enjoy, when i really should, as you say, stay calm, relax, listen to you guys and enjoy!

    I got a pull bouy last week and so will be using it tonight!

    I shall also read the other posting you placed, and thanks again!



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    epacseepacse Posts: 92
    Hi....well last nights swim went HUGELY better!!

    I did as the advise suggested and it went far better, very smooth, managed 31 legnths and then half hr teq work! Used the Pull Buoy very usefull!

    So, feeling pretty good today!

    Thanks again to all!

    [:)] [:)]
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    epacseepacse Posts: 92
    Hi Everyone....

    Took some massive advise from everything that was said and it helped HUGLEY last night!!

    Took it easy, dropped my stroke rate, and did 31 lengths and then half hr teq training with and without pull buoy, enjoyed it, which helps and feel great today!

    So, thanks for all the advice and support!

    [:)] [:)]



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    PC67PC67 Posts: 101
    I can't look at a lake or a river these days without thinking how nice it'd be to swim in it!



    I'm struggling with my swim too at the moment but fear of open water isn't a factor. In fact I'm actually itching to get into open water again and not having to do that poxy turn and switch to the other side of the lane every 25m, and then not smelling of chlorine for the rest of the day too.



    I'm just back from the south of France. It was much warmer there though the sea was still very cold but I just had to go for a 20 minute swim at Ste. Maxime as the water was as calm as a millpond. Fared OK, though no idea how far I went which maybe was just as well as I've been beating myself up over my poor pool times.



    I've signed up for Swim For Tri's open water practice sessions in Hyde Park's Serpentine. The first one is on 21st May at 7.30pm. I think it clashes with the Champions League Final but as an Arsenal fan I'm going swimming instead.
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    bennybenny Posts: 1,314
    I love open water swimming. Beats the pool every time; the busy lanes avoiding others, the eternally turning around every 20-30 seconds, the closing time limitations,.....

    If only it weren't so damn cold, I'd swim in OW year round[8D][&:]





    Hang in there ecapse, give it time, consistency is key.....[image]http://forum.220magazine.com/micons/m6.gif[/image].
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