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Original poster

Swimmers? Whats a good aim to have?

30 replies

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 16:56

I have been swimming regularly for three months, really really enjoying it and am def a lot fitter since starting.

I have just started to manage to do 50 lengths in a 25m pool in just under an hour.

I was sooooooo pleased with myself until some women I was chatting to today who cruised up and down in full hair and makeup told me they did the same .
I am so tired after that amount and feel really puffed (I do half as front crawl) and they looked dead glam and had rests. I literally have to swim solidly for 50 minutes to do that amount!

Whats a good time? What should I aim for? I would love to swim a mile in an hour but I am just so slow. I am trying hard to focus on technique. I really want to be better at it, its the only sport I feel I am reasonably natural at.

OP posts:

Spagblog · 02/02/2009 17:02

Don't worry about what other people do, just enjoy yourself.

If you want to get faster, you are going to have to put some sprints in.
If every 8 lengths you try to sprint one length it might help?

southeastastra · 02/02/2009 17:08

omg 50 lengths! i did 6 the other week and thought that was loads

lostinnappies · 02/02/2009 17:14

hi a really good goal would be the swimathon

try www.swimathon.org

I did it a couple of years ago and really enjoyed it

onegiantleap · 02/02/2009 17:23

smurf,
Well done, I would say enjoy your swimming and dont worry too much about others, do what you feel comfortable with.

Re technique; assuming you are wearing goggles and swimming with your head in the water, I ask as I often see swimmers not getting head under. If not please get googles if you are not a contact lens wearer. I improved by following others and watching/spying when I see one to one lessons going on at my local pool.
I swim 40 x 25m in about as many minutes. I don't sprint now but agree you need to do at least one length as fast as you can, get puffed out, next time try to do two fast.
Swimming crawl, count your strokes for one length, then try and reduce them by really extending yourself forwards with each stroke. The less strokes the more efficient you will be.

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 17:24

By a sprint do you just mean go as quickly as I possibly can? Thats def something to add in.

I know that it shouldn't matter what other people do, but i feel like I work hard in the pool (I swim at a pretty decent pace - for myself) and then other people just glide on past and don't get out of breath and manage more than me. Its gutting. I want to be faster ;)

OP posts:

onegiantleap · 02/02/2009 17:26

How often do you go ?

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 17:28

Cross posts. I do put my head in the water but I don't wear goggles. I can't see very well without my glasses so don't see the need? But will get some if it will help.

I watch the faster swimmers and have chatted to a few. I asked one for advice on how to go faster and she said that she had watched me because she was impressed with my technique, so thats good I guess!

I have been trying to splash less with my legs and really pull with my arms. I am fat which doesn't help.

OP posts:

AliBean · 02/02/2009 17:29

Why no googles if contact lense wearer???

Sorry to threadbutt but I wear contacts and goggles when I swim and didn't realise I shouldn't!

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 17:30

I swim three times a week and do aquafit twice a week on top of that. I have started going to the gym as well.

2009 is the year of being fit

OP posts:

onegiantleap · 02/02/2009 17:30

Yes, just a really fast length, I think its possible to improve performance that way and perhaps not worry about getting your 50 lengths so strictly. You might go back to that goal after getting faster.?

AliBean · 02/02/2009 17:30

I meant goggles!

lostinnappies · 02/02/2009 17:32

hi Smurf

I have to confess that i am one of those swimmers who can 'glide' and not get out of breath.

I did an awful lot of swimming as a teenager for my local club and the best bit of advice that my trainer gave me was that you are at your fastest when you are gliding (I am talking breatstroke now) so I try and glide (head under water always) for as long as poss.

I also use my legs rather than my arms to get most of the power behind teh glide. HTH

onegiantleap · 02/02/2009 17:34

I just thought it was difficult for lens wearers. I dont but that is my sisters excuse when she wont go swimming! obviously I have been conned.

I found it was a revelation to wear googles, and much better

I think your three times a week is tons.

glitterfairy · 02/02/2009 17:35

Hi smurf that is fine and dont worry about speed.

I sometimes use gloves with weights in to tone my arms and get more strength. I also do sprints every so many lengths.

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 17:40

I have made it sound like I am struggeling to get 50, I can do it (I have been working up to it for ages). I have to swim at a decent pace and I am tired afterwards but its not killing me to do it. Just like after you do an hour in the gym. I refuse to swim for longer than an hour so thats where my hour limit comes in.

I am just jealous frustrated that I work hard to get there and other people are faster than me.

I know my legs in breaststroke are not amazing so I can work on that. I don't get out of breath doing that, its more front crawl that tires me out.

Thanks for all the tips. I had lessons for years as a child and was always a good solid swimmer with decent technique but slow even back then. Maybe its my destiny!!

OP posts:

NilDesperandum · 02/02/2009 17:43

i love to swim but look like a muppet - water gets up my nose if i put my face in water so i paddle along, head well up, looking like lassie of to rescue womseone...

did 42 lengths in 30 mins last week though so was well chuffed

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 17:51

Oh my god you rock! You are twice as fast as me!!

OP posts:

scrappydappydoo · 02/02/2009 18:33

I'm not an expert but someone told me that your technique is more important than your speed - you'll get a better workout if your stroke is good and those who swim with their head in the air won't be getting the most benefit out of it...
If you go onto the zoggs website here they do a swim 4 fitness thing where you can download progammes which are easy to follow - sort of swim 2 lengths breastroke, lengths crawl etc.. I find it varies my 'routine' and I feel i get a better workout hth
Not that I've been swimming in awhile as I have limpet (aka dd2) who plays up everytime I try to go..

mimsum · 02/02/2009 19:46

If you feel like you're working really hard and not going as fast as you'd like it could well be that you're 'fighting' the water. Really good swimmers look completely relaxed and as if they're not trying at all - if you're tense, you'll end up working much harder but going slower. It might be worth having a couple of one-to-one lessons to sort out your technique and once you've got your technique really nailed down then start upping the distance again. Just to give you an idea of what's possible, my 11 year old (who's fast but not exceptional) does 60 lengths in just under 20 minutes and is barely out of breath at the end - swimming is ALL about technique

SazzlesA · 02/02/2009 19:59

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

mileniwmffalcon · 02/02/2009 20:17

i've never had lessons but i love swimming and i think i swim fairly fluently (i'm generally one of the faster people in the pool but i've no idea time/lengths, i never count). i love this book: swimming made easy and found it really refined my stroke when i was concentrating on it (haven't had much time to swim since dd2, but getting back into it again now). the method is called total immersion swimming you can google it for websites, videos etc.

mileniwmffalcon · 02/02/2009 20:28

oh and without going completely off topic i found that when i was doing a lot of yoga my swimming improved significantly. a mixture of increased body and breathing awareness and stronger core muscles i reckon.

HeinzSight · 02/02/2009 20:29

I used to train a lot (swimming) when I was younger, swam in London youth games, represented my Borough etc. We used to do about 70 lengths in an hours training session. I would have to say, even at the peak of my fitness I would have struggled to do an entire session of just freestyle. It's a good idea to alternate your strokes. Have you thought about having some adult lessons to improve your technique, learn butterfly? Butterfly is very strenuous and good exercise.

There really are lots of ways of improving your technique, things like

-making sure your hands are cupped -fingers tightly together,

in Freestyle, when you're bringing your arms through the water back down to your sides, try doing a slight S shape with your hands, this gives you more pull through the water

stretch as far forward as you can for each stroke

try to learn to breathe both sides.

breaststroke, allow your head to almost go completely under water, stretch arms out as far as you can ahead of you, then pull with your arms bent at a right angle and pull your elbows hard into your sides

breaststroke, you can do a butterfly type movement also, bit like a dolphin.

there are loads more!

Good on you, I couldn't do 50 lengths in an hour now!!

Original poster

smurfgirl · 02/02/2009 20:35

Thanks for the replies.

I cannot fathom 60 lengths in 20 minutes!

I think I am unfit which doesn't help. My technique has def improved since I started (could do 30 in an hour then) so if I keep focusing on that it should help.

I am puffed after 20+ non stop front crawl lengths, I am ok after breaststroke but I know I am not as efficient as I could be.

I can't really afford one to one lessons at the moment because I already pay £27 a month gym/swim membership. I will look into total immersion swimming though thanks.

OP posts:

Hassled · 02/02/2009 20:41

It sounds like you're doing really well. I find the first 20 knackering, and then drift off during the next 30 or 40 and it's fine. I did the Swimathon last year - did 100 in 61 minutes, but I couldn't do that again. Could barely move for a week.

So much is down to good technique - my comparative speed is down the the fact I was a competitive swimmer as a child and was very well trained. I swim faster than DH, for example, and he's a lot fitter than I am. Could you get a few adult lessons to improve your style?

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