I decided to start swimming freestyle laps and went for the first time today since I stopped lessons as a child. I knew it would be hard but WOW. The goal was 10 laps of 50m, and every single lap I would have to switch to breastroke at around the half-way mark (or even before) and then rest for a bit on the other side.
When I say I had to stop, it’s exactly that. I was physically unable to continue freestyle because I did not have enough air to keep blowing for three strokes. I tried using all my willpower to keep going, but I just had to come up for air again and hence I wasn’t able to keep swimming freestyle.
Do you think the problem here is physical or technique? I consider myself in fairly good shape, and can run a sub 2 half marathon.
Is it possible to get to a “comfortable” freestyle pace (like zone 2 running) where I can just chill and swim for a long time? It felt today that even if I tried going slow I was unable to finish the full lap. I’m not fussed on time, but I do want to work my way up to swimming non-stop longer distances.
Do you think it’s necessary to get lessons to improve from my level?
Feeling a little down after today’s reality-check, so would love to hear from anyone who started at my level and worked their way up, as well as how they got there.
It’s likely to be your technique but more importantly you have not been in the water recently, so there is an issue of lack of familiarity as well. If you have access to a 25 m pool, it might be worth switching to it for a while.
You can, but after you get your technique right, including your breathing.
Getting lessons would be faster and more effective than trying to self-learn.
Don’t worry too much about the surprising level of difficulty. It’s totally normal after getting back in the water after not having swum for a long time, especially after a bit gap post-childhood.
You will get used to swimming again but it takes a bit of time. Be kind and patient to yourself…
@Ellis
Agree with this advice. Someone on a different post said that swimming is one of the sports where you have to hold your breath, which makes it a different challenge from other aerobic exercises!
I would add to the advice by saying slow things down. It is okay to start with a reminder of technique. It is okay to take a breath every stroke. There is a lot of coordination in swimming and a different way you activate your muscles compared to running. You just have to remind your body of that.
As you get your technique better, you can work on speed and endurance. But having the right stroke and kick is important.
If you didn’t swim competitively as a kid, it might be good to get a coach for initial conditioning.
And agree, going 50m in a go it a lot. See if you can find a 25m pool to start with.
I recently started getting back into swimming and had the same issue. Ended up with some neck pain and the physio suggested trying a snorkel.
My goodness, not only did the snorkel help with the neck pain but not needing to co-ordinate breathing really gave me a chance to just swim. It was so nice to be able to swim!
I was in same situation as you just 5 weeks ago when I went for my first swim in 25 years. Excellent cardio, except in the pool. I have now done 5 more swimming sessions and I can do 600m without stopping in a 25m pool, but then I’m in zone 4 then and I want to be below that.
So yesterday I started with 20x150m which I’m gonna steadily increase as I eventually want to cover a 4km swim (iron man)
Nothing to do with swimming but different zones where you heart beat is. Zone 2 is light exercise which you should be able to do for hours while almost having a conversation while zone 5 is intervals which you should not be able to so more than 3-5 minutes.
Just get a few lessons. I had a similar experience when I started doing front crawl again and a few pointers changed everything, almost overnight. Now I just make sure to start slowly, then I can swim for a few kms
I would slow down since you’re just starting and maybe, also try using a snorkel at first, until you build stamina. It will also strengthen your lungs.
Meade said:
I would slow down since you’re just starting and maybe, also try using a snorkel at first, until you build stamina. It will also strengthen your lungs.
I think it’s technique related, sub 2 hours per half marathon is not that bad
I’ve been swimming super casually for 3 years now. Even going 50m breaststroke was a challenge at first. I can swim freestyle comfortably at a medium pace now.
Most of it is just conditioning, putting in the hours. As you put in practice you’ll naturally refine your technique and build the muscles that are important for swimming. Being in good shape helps, but compare it to a lifter trying to learn calisthenics. He’ll have a headstart in strength compared to someone that isn’t working out but will never planche right out of the gate.
Sure lessons will supercharge your swimming journey but i’d suggest to just try to get a feel for the water by yourself first instead of instantly diving into technique. Being in flow with the water body is very important aswell.
Swimming is extremely taxing on the body, make sure to not overdo it and give your body proper rest.
5 years ago I started swimming and while my VO2 max was around 55 and since I was playing professional football my cardio was very good I couldn’t swim more than 50m freestyle without switching to breaststroke. So I must say it’s the technique the culprit. To prove that try to count your strokes with each arm for 25m, if it’s above 20-25, it’s definitely wrong technique. I had had 50 strokes per 25m 5 years ago with speed of 3:30 minutes per 100m ahahaha. Now I can do 18-20 strokes with 1:32 after watching a lot of YouTube videos and improving my technique. Also had some coaching sessions, but not many as they are very expensive at this gym, not worth it
This post could have been written by me about 6 months ago!
That’s when I started swimming freestyle, a technique I always found hard to to do.
My first few sessions were really hard but like with running(I’m also a sub2hr half marathon runner at 53yrs) , it takes a few (3-6) sessions to start seeing improvements.
I won’t bore you with how I have progressed but I do find breathing really hard.
I think the thing I surprised myself with on my most recent swim this week (1000m) was when I stopped thinking about breathing and relaxed, I felt better and swam 350m a couple of times without a break whereas I normally stop every 50m.
So my take away from this is RELAX. Easy to say but may be worth a try. Good luck.
@Clair
Agree, relax and try to glide. Also, to help coordinate breathing, breathe out steadily when your face is in the water so that when you turn your head to breathe, you’re not trying to exhale AND inhale with your face out of the water.
Also, frankly, nothing wrong with doing breaststroke!