T
Thinno
Guest
Hello,
I've been lurking here (and on other swimming sites/groups etc) for about a year and have 2
questions. I'm not quite sure if I'm asking in the right place but figure this is the best place to
start. Apologies if this is rather longwinded and a bit moany in places!
First some background - I'm 31, based in London, and have been swimming for about 4 years. I'm 6 ft
tall (~1.83m) and weigh around 10 stone (~140 pounds or about 63kg); clearly I'm very skinny! I
started swimming after injuring my lower back whilst playing squash. My back injury, apparently,
isn't something that will heal or can be fixed by surgery etc. (and for the purposes of this
message, please assume this to be the case!) Apart from walking, the injury stops me participating
in all other sports except swimming. I should probably be honest and state that I've never been a
fan of swimming but I need to do something to stay reasonably fit and now have little choice!
Anyway, I started swimming regularly - 3 or 4 times a week for an hour each time
- about 4 years ago. For about 3 years I swam with little or no real thought about technique or
sets, I worked my way up to 30 freestyle lengths, then 40, 50 etc. I was never fast - could maybe
manage 1500m with a cruise pace of 3mins per 100m (I know that's embarrassingly slow). OK! Enough
background!
About 1 year ago, I stopped swimming for 3 months (to see if my back would improve without swimming
- it didn't), and during this time away from the pool I discovered that "swimming is a technique
sport" etc etc. I bought a couple of TI-books and videos and became totally convinced that I would
really improve if I learnt some technique. So when I went back to swimming, about 1 year ago, I
completely threw away my old, self-taught, style (as recommended - never swam a single stroke that
way since) and started using TI drills and methods. I suppose I followed (and still do) a cross
between the programmes in the original Total Immersion and Fitness Swimming books.
My concerns are that I'm improving (if I'm improving at all) really slowly. From what I've read on
the Internet, this can be a common whinge from new TI swimmers - but most of these posts state that
they've only been at it a month or so. Hardly giving it a fair chance! My current swimming ability
is to swim a 25m length in about 40 seconds, using 17 strokes. I use what I understand to be called
the 2 beat kick, ie kicking only to initiate body rotation. I breate bilaterally, every 3rd stroke.
I can't do more than maybe 2 lengths without stopping for a rest. Not exactly where I hoped to be,
and I'm still someone who doesn't like swimming!
So what are the questions?! I hear you ask...
1) Has anyone been through something similar and felt the same, and eventually improved? I could
really use some encouragement! I don't really have any ambition to compete but just want to feel
that my efforts have been rewarded. I thought I'd be gliding up and down the pool by now at
something like 2mins per 100m - not all that ambitious is it? Actually I do want to compete - I'd
like to be faster than the old ladies who keep catching me up in the slow lane.
2) Is it my build that makes it very tricky for me to swim the TI way? I frequently roll to breathe
(either drilling or swimming) only to find myself still underwater. If I'm lucky I remember not
to breathe in when this happens. I still swallow loads of water during every session.
If I should stop moaning and keep practising, please just say so! I'm certainly not trying to
criticise the methods that I'm trying to learn or the books/materials that I've used. Clearly it
works for other people so I'm either incapable of following simple instructions or I'm just a really
rubbish swimmer or perhaps I'm being impatient!
Thanks if you managed to read this far....! Any comments/advice welcome.
AJ
I've been lurking here (and on other swimming sites/groups etc) for about a year and have 2
questions. I'm not quite sure if I'm asking in the right place but figure this is the best place to
start. Apologies if this is rather longwinded and a bit moany in places!
First some background - I'm 31, based in London, and have been swimming for about 4 years. I'm 6 ft
tall (~1.83m) and weigh around 10 stone (~140 pounds or about 63kg); clearly I'm very skinny! I
started swimming after injuring my lower back whilst playing squash. My back injury, apparently,
isn't something that will heal or can be fixed by surgery etc. (and for the purposes of this
message, please assume this to be the case!) Apart from walking, the injury stops me participating
in all other sports except swimming. I should probably be honest and state that I've never been a
fan of swimming but I need to do something to stay reasonably fit and now have little choice!
Anyway, I started swimming regularly - 3 or 4 times a week for an hour each time
- about 4 years ago. For about 3 years I swam with little or no real thought about technique or
sets, I worked my way up to 30 freestyle lengths, then 40, 50 etc. I was never fast - could maybe
manage 1500m with a cruise pace of 3mins per 100m (I know that's embarrassingly slow). OK! Enough
background!
About 1 year ago, I stopped swimming for 3 months (to see if my back would improve without swimming
- it didn't), and during this time away from the pool I discovered that "swimming is a technique
sport" etc etc. I bought a couple of TI-books and videos and became totally convinced that I would
really improve if I learnt some technique. So when I went back to swimming, about 1 year ago, I
completely threw away my old, self-taught, style (as recommended - never swam a single stroke that
way since) and started using TI drills and methods. I suppose I followed (and still do) a cross
between the programmes in the original Total Immersion and Fitness Swimming books.
My concerns are that I'm improving (if I'm improving at all) really slowly. From what I've read on
the Internet, this can be a common whinge from new TI swimmers - but most of these posts state that
they've only been at it a month or so. Hardly giving it a fair chance! My current swimming ability
is to swim a 25m length in about 40 seconds, using 17 strokes. I use what I understand to be called
the 2 beat kick, ie kicking only to initiate body rotation. I breate bilaterally, every 3rd stroke.
I can't do more than maybe 2 lengths without stopping for a rest. Not exactly where I hoped to be,
and I'm still someone who doesn't like swimming!
So what are the questions?! I hear you ask...
1) Has anyone been through something similar and felt the same, and eventually improved? I could
really use some encouragement! I don't really have any ambition to compete but just want to feel
that my efforts have been rewarded. I thought I'd be gliding up and down the pool by now at
something like 2mins per 100m - not all that ambitious is it? Actually I do want to compete - I'd
like to be faster than the old ladies who keep catching me up in the slow lane.
2) Is it my build that makes it very tricky for me to swim the TI way? I frequently roll to breathe
(either drilling or swimming) only to find myself still underwater. If I'm lucky I remember not
to breathe in when this happens. I still swallow loads of water during every session.
If I should stop moaning and keep practising, please just say so! I'm certainly not trying to
criticise the methods that I'm trying to learn or the books/materials that I've used. Clearly it
works for other people so I'm either incapable of following simple instructions or I'm just a really
rubbish swimmer or perhaps I'm being impatient!
Thanks if you managed to read this far....! Any comments/advice welcome.
AJ