I’m a total beginner at this. I never tried swimming lengths before and the first time I could only do 50m before resting. Now it’s slightly better but if I tried a 750m swim I would probably drown or at least be in the water until the first positions were done with all 3 sports.
I tried counting strokes yesterday and my first try was 40, then 37 and concentrating on keeping my head underwater and long stokes I did 35.
What do I have to work on to get this down? I feel like this compounds my troubles with breathing since I end up “spinning” more than I should. It’s like I don’t have enough time to breather between strokes because I need so much air like I’m sprinting.
A also can’t move forward at all when doing only kicks. It does help during swim as I feel my legs are higher in the water and don’t drag so much but that also makes me need more air.
The simple answer is get a coach who can watch what you’re doing and recommend improvements.
Its impossible for me to make specific suggestions for you but based on your comments, some things to keep in mind are:
Counting strokes: Don’t worry about this for now. Obviously good distance per stroke is the goal, but you don’t sound like you’re ready for that kind of focus yet. Btw, I can only hope you are taking 35-40 strokes in a 50m pool and not a 25yd one. Also not sure what you mean by “keeping my head underwater”. The ideal is to have the water hit your forehead above your eyebrows.
Breathing: Two words - Stay Relaxed! I would also suggest that you are likely holding you’re breath (probably since your head is underwater). No need for this, think about running/biking, how long do you hold your breath when running or biking? You don’t, you breath (relatively) comfortably. A coach can help with regards to proper breathing technique, my advice is to try not taking deep breaths - think “sips” of air.
Kicking: like breathing, there are a million things that you could be doing wrong. Likely culprits are poor ankle flexibility, too much knee bend, kicking from from the knees down instead of from your hips, etc. In terms of ankle flexibility, your toes should point towards the oposite end of the pool, not towards the bottom. For too much knee bend, legs should be straight"ish" and relaxed. Kicking from the hips, think of how a whip works. The action starts at the handle and flows to the tip, kicking is similar.
Again, get a coach. Failing that, try and get someone to film you swimming.
1st…Get a coach/instructor or at least lessons at the Y.
2ndly and most importantly…Stick with it ! It will come around. I’m sure there are many of us here that remember what it was like barely completing 50 yds. Although not all will admit it. I do and I comfortably swam a 1 mile set this morning.
3rd…There are some great resources on the web…Like this one www.endurancenation.us has an ebook with video and drills.
There’s Total Immersion books and videos. $30 - $40 investment. And lets not forget about ST (this site) Thanks to ST I now do flip turns.
You and I should be beginner swim buddies, we have so much in common…well except for the part where you rest every 50m, since I have to rest every 25m!!
Anyway the advice to get a swim coach is the absolute best advice. I was very tense in the water, still am actually, and my form was horrible. I am convinced that if you continue to practice on your own, you will reinforce and subsequently have to ‘unlearn’ bad form. Swimming is so much about technique and the technique is so difficult for us non waterbabies!
One area of the benefit of getting a coach for me was the kicking. I would kick and kick and go nowhere, sometimes I would go backward!! My swim coach explained to me that it is a common problem with runners because of foot angle, kicking from the hips, etc. Once she explained what I was doing wrong, I could feel the difference.
I have to breathe every stroke too but it’s mostly because I am still so uncomfortable in the water and we all know how panic affects heart rate. Perhaps you are like me and relaxing is also an issue.
Usually Master’s coaches will give private lessons and I think for at least a month a once-a-week private lesson is the way to go. I’d be willing to bet that after a month of lessons you would see a huge improvement and have a much better idea of what you need to work on and how to work on it. At that point maybe you could get into a Master’s class and give up the individual instruction.
It’s hard to stay positive on your own, but if you get a coach and get some clear guidance on what you need to improve and how you can improve it; you will feel so much better.
I heartily agree that stroke count is the least of your concerns right now. That would be akin to worrying about cadence your first few times on the bike, only more so. Swimming is challenging even for those among us who’ve been doing it for a few years. The only ones who have an advantage in that area are those who started triathlon as swimmers. Get a Coach, plan to swim at least 4 days a week after you get some coaching and you will be swimming 750m before you know it!
Being a total swim noob last August and still a noob now, I second the whole coach thing. I read books and watched video but was still doing my stroke completely wrong until I had a swim coach look at it. Stick with it as well. I’ve been swimming as much as I can and it helps.
I know exactly how you feel! Last june I swam a half mile in 22 minutes (my first tri) and was the last one out of the water. I got frustrated with swimming and gave up until I picked up the total immersion book in december. I spent 2 months doing drills and easing my level of comfort in the water. Today I swam 400m in 6:45. I know I have a long way to go but the $24 I spent on the book is the best money Ive ever spent.
With no swimming background, I tough myself to swim about 4 years ago using the Total Immersion book. Just starting out, swimming should be all about drills and the endurance will come later. I now swim in the fast lane and average 13-14 strokes per 25 yrds. Check out the book…