Starting Out

In Michael Cummins said:

I'm wondering if there is a little more to swimming than my holiday paddling with regards to
technique and that. Should I start off with try for 10 laps or as many laps as possible in a set
period of time, or what? Is it important to warm up before, out of the pool?

Welcome!

Of course there's a lot more to fitness swimming than holiday paddling. But I wouldn't worry about
that at first.

As a relative beginner, you have several - perhaps conflicting - goals. One is to improve your
stamina at least to the point where you can keep your heart beating vigorously for 20-30 minutes.
That will take a lot of time. Don't worry if it doesn't come quickly. Even if you're in good shape
already, the muscles involved are different from what you're used to using.

Another is to improve your form and balance to the point where you're comfortable swimming for such
a long time. That also will take a while. Fortunately there are good guides available, such as Cecil
Colwin's or Terry Laughlin's books (you can shop online at places like www.kiefer. com). I'll even
give you the obligatory plugs for www.totalimmersion. net and swiminfo.com.

I wonder about that hotel pool. How big is it? If it's too short, you'll spend all your time turning
around at the ends and you won't do much swimming.

Ross

In Michael Cummins said:

Thanks for the advice. It's 21metres I think.

Wow! Not quite regulation size for competition, but it should be plenty long enough. Most hotel
pools are much smaller.

Ross

Michael Cummins left this mess on Wed, 24 Sep 2003 21:10:59 +0100 for The Way to clean up:

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I'm twenty- years of age and have decided to take up swimming as a means of keeping fit, and
occupying my time. I'm not looking to enter competitive swimming or anything, up to now I've done
little more than splash about in pools on vacation.

I'm joining the pool and gym of a hotel for convenience. I hope to swim two or three mornings a
week, gradually building up the amount of time I swim each session.

I'm wondering if there is a little more to swimming than my holiday paddling with regards to
technique and that. Should I start off with try for 10 laps or as many laps as possible in a set
period of time, or what? Is it important to warm up before, out of the pool?

I am not really fit but Imp not a couch potatoe by any means either, just average. So I do need to
put in some good work.

These very simple questions must be irritating but Im grateful for any advice as I want to make a
real effort at this.

At this level, don't swim for time v. distance. Instead, swim for a number of minutes, let's say
twenty to begin with, and slowly increase the amount of time you swim.

Next, when you reach a level of fitness, begin to get more laps in that amount of time (notice that
you've given yourself plenty of slack to squeeze laps in now).

Tao te Carl

"It takes a village to have an idiot." - Carl (c) 2003

Quoted message said:

I wonder about that hotel pool. How big is it? If it's too short, you'll spend all your time
turning around at the ends and you won't do much swimming.

Thanks for the advice. It's 21metres I think.

Micheal C.

I started out the same way. Just shoot for as many consecutive laps as you can. My first goal was 10
lengths or 10x25 yards without stopping . I worked on that a long time, with particular attention to
breathing air without water in it. Then I worked slowly up, until my goal was 1 mile.

At that point, I was satisfied I could go the distance and was getting board with straight distance.
I started to do 1000's. I'd do a 1000 yard swim, looking at my watch every 100 yards, and try to
either go faster each 100 or find someone who was about my speed and race them. Most of the time I
would try the increasing speed thing, trying to take the first 100 really slow and the last 100 at
least as fast as the first, ideally with each 100 faster and the last 100 at about 90% of top speed.
I worked up to 2 x 1000 every morning 5 days a week.

I got bored with this also, at which point my brother educated me in the ways of competitive swim
workouts with interval training, warm-ups, etc. I think he gave me Doc Counsilman's book on
swimming, which had a general outline of good workouts, with several example workouts. At that
point, it became much easier to swim with groups, like kids teams or masters teams. The camraderie
allows you to concentrate on positive things and do longer workouts while enjoying the friendships
that inevitably result.

I wenty from barely swimming an entire length to swimming 200 yard butterfly for our college team in
3 years, and i never considered it a chore! iT WAS GREAT! I still swim (less than I'd like to) but I
swam the chesapeake bay this year in under 2:10.

Try to get some help in there somewhere before you end up going mile after mile reinforcing bad
habits - maybe find a masters team early on with a coach that will help you with your stroke. I've
seen a lot of folks who work harder than others but swim slower because thay have learned and
practiced poor technique.

good luck!

t

"Ross Bogue" <[email hidden]> wrote in message "]news:[email hidden]..

Quoted message said:

In Michael Cummins said:

Thanks for the advice. It's 21metres I think.

Wow! Not quite regulation size for competition, but it should be plenty long enough. Most hotel
pools are much smaller.

Ross

Quoted message said:

Try to get some help in there somewhere before you end up going mile after mile reinforcing bad
habits - maybe find a masters team early on with a coach that will help you with your stroke. I've
seen a lot of folks who

work

Quoted message said:

harder than others but swim slower because thay have learned and practiced poor technique.

I'm a bit worried about bad technique, and bad habits but I think I will swim for a while before I
seek human help so that at least I know I can manage a few laps.

Now, about speedos vs. shorts and shaving!!!

Thanks for the help guys,

Micheal C.