I’m interested in seeing how long folks here have gone without swimming and how it affected them. I’m at one month now. I have been swimming for triathlon for about 15 years and last year put in 300,000 meters total. Thru March 25 I had 35,000 this year. I can tolerate a set back but don’t want it to be a permanent one. Even though I have been swimming for a pretty long time I have never really gone more than a couple weeks without at least some swimming to keep feel so this is different. Any remarks?
My last tri last season was in late september, and I swam once, about a week later, in early december. Then I didn’t get back in the pool until March 3rd. So I was out for about 5 months even. The first swim wasn’t fun. My 1000 yard swim time was barely under 20 mins (just a swim, not a TT, usually 16-17 mins.). But by my third or fourth day in the water, I was feeling good again, and I did 16:37 for 1000 yards, pretty good for me under any training conditions. So it will suck when you first get back in, but probably won’t take too long to recover your form/feel for the water.
-Colin
Very similar experience after taking 6 months off until this March. Felt like a dog the first 1500 yards, but then got stronger the last 1000. Once you have the base, it is pretty easy to get back
thanks for the reassurance guys. this really helps.
I took 8 years off of swimming. Swam an avg of 4k per week for 14 weeks, did have one 16k week and swam 58:30 at IM AZ.