Just finished an 18 month sea tour (onboard a ship) with virtually no pool time. I was able to run and bike a bit, but my pool skills are sorry. What are the best things to work on to get some semblance of fitness back in the pool? Should I work TI type drills, concentrate on kick, just put in time and distance? I feel like I’ve been basically flailing in the pool and wasting too much energy. I’m basically looking for some direction to get restarted again. I could just jump in the pool and put lots of distance in, but I’m not sure that’s the way to go. Welcoming any coaching advice from fish, coaches, or other rocks like me…
Im a “fish”, depends on your stroke but basically just getting in the pool 3-5 times per week your fitness will increase quickly… Swimming, because it nongravity can be ramped up quickly, as long as your shoulders cooperate. If bad mechanics do alot of drills…i.e. Total Immersion. Swimming returns much quicker than running!!
Thanks. I’ve been back in the pool for a week or two (about 3 times a week) and I’m sure endurance will return. Just looking for which area, if there is one, to concentrate most of my efforts early on. My kick feels pretty ineffectual, but I’ve never had a big kick.
I use the kick board maybe 100m each session but otherwise don’t really think of my kick much. Im more concerned with head postion, body position, body roll, and catch…I don’t think triathletes should kick aggressive so as to not tire legs too much…
frequency, frequency and more frequency. Don’t worry about swimming long sets for now. Do sets like 30x50 odds d/b (drill /build), evens d/s (drill/swim) :10 rest or 20x75 kds (kick drill swim) :10 or 15-30x100 k/d/b/s :10.
Stupid questions from a swim noob: What does build mean? Build up on speed through the set? Also, could someone list some good drills? I currently know/do fingertip drag (what exactly does this target?), zipper/high elbow, catch-ups, and closed fists.
One arm is good too, I found that helps me feel the difference between my breathing stroke and my non-breathing stroke. You can do it where you roll and breathe when your arm enters, as well as the other side (i.e.: roll and breathe when your one-arm is pulling - that one is hard at first).
6-kick/1-pull is good too. hard. 
Extended dog paddle makes you focus on the entire stroke from catch thru to final pull. If you’re really slow at this one, it’s likely because you are not extending/reaching far enough forward, then pulling through the entire stroke. I always liked this one.
AP
A good college swim coach told me recently that anyone that’s been out of the water for an extended period of time should do 30x100 with 10sec rest as frequently as possible for about 3-4 weeks.