I Want To Start Swimming

Kelll12123

I got really into distance running this year and I've been running 20-30 miles a week. I ran a 10 mile race a few weeks ago and finished in under 1:30:00! Im worried about getting lazy when winter starts because I hate using treadmills in the gym, so recently I've been seriously considering getting into swimming. Im decently in shape, and I wouldn't drown if I was thrown into a pool, but I have no idea how to go about swimming laps. How do I get started? I need to know everything: proper attire, how often I should/can swim, how long I should swim, strokes, etc. Any advice, tips, resources, and success stories are appreciated!

juliet3455

@Kelll12123
Go over to this Swimming Group and Post Your Questions in their group.

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/122-swimmers

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1342951/did-you-swim-today#latest

You will want to detail what your existing swimming Knowledge/Skill level is and what your goals are.

Speckle38

When my husband was training for a triathlon, he went to coaching clinics at our local gym/pool. He says they were really beneficial, even though he was already a good strong swimmer. Is there something like that near you?

Kelll12123

Speckle38 wrote: »

When my husband was training for a triathlon, he went to coaching clinics at our local gym/pool. He says they were really beneficial, even though he was already a good strong swimmer. Is there something like that near you?

Hmm not that I'm aware of. I'm a college student and I'll be using the pool on campus, not one at a gym.

cheshirecatastrophe

Kelll12123 wrote: »

Speckle38 wrote: »

When my husband was training for a triathlon, he went to coaching clinics at our local gym/pool. He says they were really beneficial, even though he was already a good strong swimmer. Is there something like that near you?

Hmm not that I'm aware of. I'm a college student and I'll be using the pool on campus, not one at a gym.

If you have the guts, contact the swim team (check their website) and ask if they have anyone willing to give a couple lessons. A pretty fair chunk of high school swimmers (hence college swimmers) make money in the summers as lifeguards and swim instructors/coaches.

I agree that good technique makes things MUCH better and more fun. If you can't afford a couple of one-off lessons, you can watch tutorials on YouTube and practice. If you see strong swimmers in the pool, you could even ask them to critique your form for a lap or two. Most swimmers are friendly and DEEPLY evangelical about our sport.

Equipment: you'll want a good one-piece suit--Speedo, Tyr, Nike, Waterpro is cheap but doesn't last as long. Swimoutlet.com is my favorite place to buy cheap swim stuff. You'll want good goggles. "Good" is a matter of personal preference entirely. I like the old-school Speedo/Tyr Sprint goggles, but they don't last as long as a lot of other pairs (the foam peels away and the goggles leak). Probably a silicon swim cap for your hair. The pool should have anything else you might want.

Here is a good two-stage starter program designed to get you to swim a mile:
0 to 700
700 to 1650

Oh! Also, as a runner, you might be interested in incorporating some pool running/deep water running into your swim time. It can be kind of (read: deadly) boring on your own, but if you can drag a friend along it's a FANTASTIC workout. I generally wear a flotation belt so I don't have to use my arms (otherwise it feels too much like swimming) and alternate laps hard and easy. (It's great when you're rehabbing running injuries, too). Again, I'd look to YouTube video tutorials on this one.

kristenlegro

My university offers anywhere from lessons to technique clinics to masters swim team. Look at your university recreation website. I was a competitive swimmer for 16 years as well as an instructor and swim team coach. It is very difficult to give advice in writing, someone needs to be physically watching your strokes to tell you what you are doing effectively and what you need to change to become a stronger swimmer.

As for swim suits, Nike and speedo have pretty good one peice suits. If you prefer two peice suits then I highly recommend jolyn swimwear, they are made in Sweden, they last long and stay where they are supposed to even in the most rigorous practice and are worth the price.

Melwillbehealthy

I LOVE swimming and swim 'liesurely' in a pool whenever I can for one hour. I just make sure I don't touch bottom or the sides of the pool. I do breast stroke and side stroke mainly. I don't like the crawl. I have taken scuba and am very comfortable in the water. I never seem to get tired, but I stop after one hour as I get bored. I think it's terrific exercise to burn calories, but my doctor told me to add resistance or weights to be in better health. She said if you just swim, it's not enough for your body to stay healthy.

Mezzie1024

I second the advice to see if there's a Masters Swim team at your college. If there is, you'll have great contacts for getting started. I just learned how to swim in April, and now I've joined the Masters linked to the group that taught me to swim.

kristenlegro

kristenlegro wrote: »

As for swim suits, Nike and speedo have pretty good one peice suits. If you prefer two peice suits then I highly recommend jolyn swimwear, they are made in Sweden, they last long and stay where they are supposed to even in the most rigorous practice and are worth the price.

I'm sorry, jolyn is made in California. I have no idea why I was thinking it was made in Sweden.. Maybe because my Swedish teammates in college introduced me to the brand.. Very durable though!

lemurcat12

Look into Masters Swimming: https://www.usms.org/

I found a group near me, as well as a tri training group, and it makes it more fun, as they will have workouts and classes to work on technique (and open water swims for the triathlon stuff).

I used to just swim laps (mostly forward crawl), but that can be dull. (Although people will have different reactions.) I find it much more helpful to work on technique and drills too. I've also found some more convenient places to swim.