From splasher to swimstar...I hope!

Laurochka

I love swimming!

I have never had formal lessons but somewhere along the road of my life a neighbour taught me how to do breaststroke.
I can happily swim for ages doing a semi respectable breaststrok - head in the water and everything.

I have always had swim envy however, whenever I watch all those graceful swimmers doing effortless front crawl (freestyle) and ploughing through the lengths up and down the pool. I wanted to be that graceful, swift swimmer..me! Easily gliding through length after length - so I finally decided to do something about it!

I signed up for Adult Improver swimming lessons and had my first session Sunday past.
I loved it!
My main goal is to become decent at the Front Crawl and this was the first stroke we focussed on. The group seem really nice and the instructor was great. We practiced the kick and taking it in turn alternating arms.
He also gave us exercises to practice on our own between lessons. A huge bonus was that my course fee includes unlimited access to local council pools for the duration of my lessons.

Unfortunately I will miss this Sunday's lesson as I am away on holiday but I have gone to the pool on my own 2 mornings this week before work and as well as squeezing in a decent few lengths breaststroke I have worked on the practice drills the instructor gave us.
Yesterday I really felt that my kicking and breathing were coming together. I still hadn't put all elements of the stroke together but was practicing breathing technique whilst just kicking and turning my head to breath correctly.
My main problem seems to be that I don't exhale enough underwater -so at least I've identified something to work on.

Today I had another great early morning session and even managed to put all elements - arms, legs etc together for 2 whole lengths of the 25yrd pool. Very exciting!

I plan on just keeping track of my progress here and maybe fishing for any wisdom and tips.
Lx

Skye_NS

Sounds like you are doing really well! I share your swim envy for those who can swim endless laps with such speed and grace. Heck, right about now I would be satisfied if I could swim lap after lap with out stopping! With the help of an awesome lifeguard and a quiet morning at my pool, I figured out a lot of my problems breathing and form. Right now, I'm struggling with endurance as my favorite lifeguard pointed out that I'm stopping way too much! The other thing that drives me nuts is how slow I am when I'm just doing kicks with the kick board - it's ridiculous how long it takes me to get 25m.

I hope you're enjoying your holiday!

Laurochka

So I had a fab holiday in London and Paris but did miss one of my swimming lessons - unfortunately the 2nd Front Crawl lesson - boo

However I was back at it this Sunday and we were concentrating on Backstroke - don't think it's going to be my favourite but I did make some progression during the lesson and I can feel it in my shoulders today.
Backstroke again this Sunday.
Loving it so far!

Laurochka

So I've not caught up on my swimming stuff much lately.
This week will be my 6th lesson out of 8.
Basically I'm LOVING it. I do love swimming but having not swum in ages I forgot how much!

Since last time we've done two weeks of backstroke. I must admit this is not my favourite! I'm basically rubbish at the kick and then go really squint when I start using the arms! Quite frustrating. Still it was good to get some tips and coaching and I will practice more.
Backstroke was not one of the strokes I was that bothered about.
We also started Breaststroke last week. Breaststroke is my favourite so I loved that - I'm pretty confident with breaststroke but it was really good to get some feedback on the sequence and timing of the stroke elements. At the end of last week's lesson we did swimming underwater - which was ACE!!

I've already signed up for the next session of lessons in the New Year. I'm enjoying them so much and also it gets me out of bed nice and early on a Sunday morning.

Hopefully in our last 2 weeks of this session the instructor is going to show us some Butterfly - woo hoo!

Lx

MissySpring

Very cool! I've recently gotten back into swimming....breast is the most comfortable for me too.

Macstraw

t's awesome that you found such a good forum to learn to be able to do something you've always wanted to do. You're already doing the single most important thing that you can - you're going to the pool on your own & practicing what you are being taught. Too many people only show up for the lessons & don't do any work on their own, then they're disappointed when they have not become the master swimmer that they envisioned being. Keep at it, the thing that will help you most is yardage. The more you swim the more you will naturally refine your strokes (including backstroke ;-) even though it's not your favorite). It won't be long before you become that swimmer you are expecting to be, as long as you keep at it. Don't concern yourself if you miss a little time & feel rusty when you get back in the water, you will shake that off quickly. Just keep at it & you will be very pleasantly surprised. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask & I'll be happy to do my best to help out if I can...........

Laurochka

Yeah I could do Breaststroke for ages - love it!

Laurochka

@Macstraw

Thanks for those sage words
Yeah I am noticing that the practice is helping. I feel like certain things are "clicking" for me now.
I'll miss this week's lesson as have an early family Christmas for my wee bro but then have one more lesson before Christmas and have already signed up for the January session.

I actually think my backstroke kick is getting a little better. I can really feel it in my legs now and our instructor keeps telling us that it's conditioning so basically putting the time and practice in.
Thanks guys!
Lx

Macstraw

Good for you, keep at it - your body will make some natural adjustments to your stroke to make you more efficient as you get stronger too.........

Laurochka

Had my last lesson in this session yesterday. I was super impressed with myself that I made it along after a late night out - got home at 2.30 am and was pool side for 8.30 am - that's dedication!
There were only 2 of us who showed up so the instructor let us decide what we wanted to work on. I wanted to practice front crawl more. He had me doing breathing drills with a float while just kicking and then adding arms in one at a time. Apparently my technique is quite good I just need to practice for conditioning as I'm knackered at the end of one length.
I get the timing of the breathing every three strokes ok but I'm not sure I'm breathing in/out the right amount so need to practice that and build up endurance.
All in all an excellent final lesson - we got to mess about in the diving pool at the end

I start a new 12 week session in Jan on the 19th and really looking froward to it!

LKuderna

You go girl! It's so great to be feeling the progress, swimming is so much of a feel type activity. Great you're taking lessons, it really helps with the technique and efficiency. I'm so glad I got back into them myself, but I'm having to work hard on "unlearning" incorrect swimming habits, hope you don't. Happy swimming! Feel free to Friend me on MFP!!

Macstraw

As for breathing, keep it relaxed & remember you only need to take in enough air to last you the 3 strokes until your next breath. the thing I've noticed troubling most new swimmers when it comes to breathing is that they feel they have to fill their lungs to capacity with every single breath. This will actually tire you out faster & cause you to huff & puff more. Just stay relaxed & breathe naturally, you will quickly find the right amount of air that you need & this will help you quickly build your endurance because you're not making yourself so winded.....

As for the endurance, when you're ready to work out on your own add a little bit each time - you'll be surprised how quickly your distances will build. If you're doing 1 lap now, push yourself to a lap & a quarter or a lap & a half, walk back to the wall, rest as needed & push it again. Pretty quickly you'll be doing 2 laps, then push it to 2 1/2 or 3 & keep doing this until you get to where you want to be. The key is to push yourself, but don't overdo it. The endurance will build exponentially, you won't be adding 1/4 or 1/2 lap each time forever, you will be adding a full lap & then multiple laps until you get to the set lengths you want.....

You are doing great, keep at it & please keep us posted on how the next session of lessons goes......

fishgutzy

Awesome progress.
Swimming is essential to my fitness routine because I can't do any aerobic impact activity due to joint damage in my feet.
Thankfully, I love swimming. And you don't have to feel yourself sweating :bigsmile:
I find adult beginning swimmers to be the most inspirational. :drinker:

Laurochka

Thanks folks! I know what you mean about not sweating, its great! Start again next Sunday so looking forward to it!

Laurochka

Had my first lesson of the new session on Sunday. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it so much!
We were doing front and back crawl kick drills and front crawl breathing practice.
Instructor said my back crawl kick is much better - something just clicked yesterday so feeling good about that! Yay!

Macstraw

That's the way it'll work - all of a sudden something will click for you, that will lead to something else clicking, & so on. This'll happen for awhile & maybe plateau off for a little. If it plateaus just keep pushing forward because all of a sudden something else will click & you'll have another nice run, before you even realize it your stroke will have improved exponentially. Make sure you stay on the drills they give you, repetition is what leads to improvement & it won't be long before you're doing things properly without thinking about it - for example, breathing on freestyle (front crawl) will become natural & you won't have to think about doing it, allowing you to concentrate on the next thing you want to work on, thereby leading to more of that exponential improvement.....

Congratulations to you on such a great job & keep at it.......

Laurochka

Yeah, that's what I'm hoping. I know practice, practice, practice is the way forward.
I'm going to be more committed to getting indecent practice sessions in between lessons this time round.
Also hoping to enter the Great Scottish Swim in August - that should give me time to practice and prepare!

Macstraw

That's what I keep preaching to the kids I coach in the summer - they need yardage, the more the better. I don't mean super crazy amounts every day, I mean getting in the water as often as possible & use the time well to work on the stroke forms & building endurance.....

holly1283

How far is the Scottish swim? I would like to do an open water swim in August as well but I live in Pennsylvania. Keep up the good work.

holly1283

I googled the Great Scottish Swim and the distances are the same as the one I'm looking into doing. It's just not as famous as yours but I don't need to swim in a wet suit either. Keep practicing away and enjoy the view when you do it.

Laurochka

So we missed a week's swimming lessons on the 2nd Feb as the pool was closed for a competition but was back at is yesterday. I've managed to go at least once or twice between lessons now and I think it's helping.
This Sunday we focused still on front crawl breathing and building up the stroke. This is what I've been practicing in my own time and I'm feeling much more relaxed about it.
We also did back crawl - which is definitely not my favourite. My kick seemed to have regressed this week but felt better when we added the arms. I do seem to splash myself in the face a lot though!
Planning on at least two practice sessions this week to build on the classes.
Still loving it!

Macstraw

I guarantee you that the work you're doing on your own is helping. It's more repetition, which allows you to concentrate on what you're doing (also sometimes easier to do when not being actively coached) & helps you build more strength/endurance. The more relaxed you can stay, the better you will swim - you'll allow the muscles to work properly & you'll keep your form better because you're not so tense. You'll also be more limber, allowing you to move more water with each stroke.......

Backstroke will also get easier the more you do it, you'll learn to trust what you're doing more & this will allow you to lie back in the proper position which will lead to a longer, more efficient stroke & a better kick.......

Great job - keep at it, you're doing fantastic!!!!!!!!!!

Laurochka

Thanks Macstraw - all great advice!

I managed another couple of practice sessions these last few weeks.
This Sunday past there were only 3 of us at lessons, which was great.
We repeated front and back crawl kick again. I'm still struggling with back crawl kick - I think my technique's OK but becasue it's quite slow I get frustrated and then lose form by trying to go faster, The instructor said not to worry too much about beign slow as it's only part of the stroke and will all come together when we add the arms in.

We practiced breathing drills with the float and he said I did "awesome" - I was delighted. I really feel like the practice is paying off with Front Crawl. I managed a couple of lengths at a time, without getting exhausted, whilst practicing myself in the pool. So I just need to build on that.
We also practiced adding in backstroke arms and this did make a HUGE difference.

Nest week is breaststroke - which I my absolute favourite so I'm looking forward to that. I'm pretty confident with breastsroke and my form is OK so it's just improving and building on endurance for that but I'm really excited about it.

I think we'll even try butterfly in a few weeks too. I've NEVER tried butterfly so can't wait for that!

I plan on swimming tonight so I'll keep practicing
Lxx

holly1283

You have such enthusiasm. It's uplifting just to hear your excitement about swimming. I, too, love breaststroke. Keep on pulling. Great work.

Macstraw

That is great news, I'm glad that you see it all coming together. You did awesome with your breathing because of the work you're putting in - I would bet that it's starting to feel very natural & you don't have to think about it nearly as much. Your backstroke kick will come along much the same way, your instructor is right - concentrate on the form for now, speed will come later. I'm glad you're excited about trying butterfly, it's my favorite stroke. Now that I've been doping some strengthening exercises for my shoulders (I was getting pain when I was doing a lot of fly, freestyle sprints & pull sets I the fall) I've been adding some back into my workouts. Please keep me posted - I love hearing your progress!!!!!!

brownmara

Hi All! I am new to swimming. I always enjoyed getting in the water as a kid, but never learn how to swim. I could get around in the pool without fear or drowning. I am 43 years old now and have knees, shoulders and back problems/pains from past injuries. I am overweight and unable to do the cardio I was accustomed to doing (treadmill,elliptical, and walking). After watching a weight loss television show where a participant with similar injuries began exercising in a pool a light blub went off for me! I began looking for a pool in my area. In October 2013 I found a local Aquatic Center that taught Adult swim lessons. What a Joy! After my 8 lessons in October I began to swim laps. I started with 2 laps and I am now swimming 20 laps (50m laps). I love every minute of it. I swim mostly backstroke with an occasional front crawl. I am still working on improving my form and distance with the front crawl. After reading all the Great advice I feel I'm heading in the right direction.
Happy Swimming To All!

Macstraw

Fantastic!!!! Welcome to the pool, now we've got you hooked. Swimming exercises every muscle group & it's zero impact on the joints. The more you swim the better your stroke will get, so keep at it!!!! Any questions, please feel free to ask.......

fishgutzy

. I started with 2 laps and I am now swimming 20 laps (50m laps). I love every minute of it. I swim mostly backstroke with an occasional front crawl. I am still working on improving my form and distance with the front crawl. After reading all the Great advice I feel I'm heading in the right direction.
Happy Swimming To All!

Awesome. Before long you will be counting your swim distance in kilometers
I was shaped like a barge when I started swimming again. Like you, I have various joint injuries that take running and other impact aerobic exercise off my list.
Swimming is the best for me overall.
Recently I added spinning classes too. I find I can get my heart rate up much higher in spin class. But I hate the sweating part still I love that when swimming I don't have to wipe any sweat off.

Linda_Jaques

I am hoping to complete the Great London Swim in front crawl this year. I have done it in breaststroke on my previous two swims, but I too have envied the seemingly effortless freestyle stroke of some swimmers. I joined a local triathlon group and we are coached in the pool weekly. It has helped me considerably and last Sunday I completed my first mile totally in front crawl. I was chuffed to bits....now I just have to work on the stroke as it was far from effortless! LOL

Macstraw

Efficiency is what will make it seem "effortless" (but that's a misnomer, because it is NOT effortless, those swimmers have just gotten smoothed out) & swimming freestyle is what will let your body learn it's own most efficient way to swim. Keep at it & you'll surprise yourself.........

holly1283

Hey Mr. Macstraw,

2 quick questions for you. I've been working on alternate side breathing because I been told to do that. Why? Is there a preference of how many meters over the mile I should practice in training for this mile OW swim?