12 Week Swim Plan

Online I found a swim build plan that allows someone like me, who can only swim about 50 yards before having to rest, to be able to eventually swim 1500 yards straight. It's a 12 week plan, but I'm more concerned with just being able to do it, making progress along the way no matter how long it takes.

Tuesday I gave it a shot. I did 50 yards x 12 with only 20 seconds rest in between. I did the first 6 with the 20 seconds, but then the last 6 I was really winded so I rested 30 seconds in between. Might need to do this one a few times. I don't know if I'm swimming too fast or what. I was going faster than other people in other lanes, but it was really difficult to slow down. I felt like I was trying to swim in slow motion if I went any slower. I'm pretty certain the last few were unsightly. Wish I had someone that could watch me and tell me how much I'm floundering.

All in all, it was pretty rough. But it went by really fast. I also added kicks, maybe 200 yards of them? I am planning to go again Thursday and do the same workout. 

I went to the pool during lunch, which proved to be a crowded time. And the swimsuit spin-dryer is out of order. So the rest of the day, I had my suit and towel kind of airing out in the back seat of my car, making my car smell like it too had done some laps.

The Exercises and First Swim in a While

So this is what I did last night:

10 opposite arm/leg while on all fours (held 5 seconds each). 2 times.
5 bridges with leg extensions (held 5 seconds - this really gets my hamstrings). 2 times.
10 x opposite arm/leg while on stomach (held 5 seconds each). 2 times.
Planks (AWFUL). 5 planks each side (held 5 seconds each).

That was only one page of the exercises. These really need pictures to fully understand. Coming in a future post.

This morning I got up somewhat early (ok not really) and went to the pool to swim. It was a great time to go - 8:00. No one was there. It was just me and some old ladies walking the lazy river. Then around 8:30 all of the lanes filled up. I offered to share mine to a woman, but she preferred to stay just outside the lane area.

I warmed up a little. It felt great to be in the water again. I started with 300 yards freestyle, working on the breathing and reaching. I took 45 second breaks every 50. I was winded! Then I did about 150 yards of kicks. Then back to freestyle for another 300 yards. And finished with 150 yards of kicks. So I guess it was about 900 yards total. But I might be overestimating the kick yardage. It is so easy to lose track!

I am looking forward to swimming getting easier.

December Challenge: Day 17...18...19...20....21!!! Ahhh!

Wow, so the days have really passed by quickly. Tis the season of busyness I guess.

I am not even sure what I've done! I do know I went swimming on Saturday. Did 1000 yards freestyle and 150 kickboard. The kicking was done between bouts of anger after being frustrated with how the breathing was going. I swallowed a lot of water and choked a few times. I just know I'm lifting my head too much and can't seem to get it right. Oh well, practice makes perfect I suppose. I did manage to go 100 yards 3 times again, at the end of the workout too.

Totals:
Swimming 1000 yards freestyle, 150 kickboard
Foam roller a few times but still not enough
Not sure if I did anything else... the days are flying by

December Challenge: Day 16

Swimming progress! I went 100 yards without stopping 3 times! And I think I breathed properly a few times!

I started with 50 x 10 freestyle. I rested about 45 seconds in between each one. Then I did 100 of  reaching drills (not very successfully I'm afraid... was sharing a lane and I tend to go a bit crooked with that drill). Then 50 elbow drills, again, not too successfully. And then... I did 100 nonstop - x 3! Woot! I don't know how long I rested between them. It was somewhere around 45 - 60 seconds. The last 100 was a bit rough. However, during the 100s, I think I finally got my head in the right position to breath by just turning. There were a few breaths that felt really good. It's such an awkward feeling.

After the pool, I got on the treadmill for 20 minutes. Borrrr-rrriing. Man I hate treadmills. Also, my knee started hurting at 1.5 miles so I stopped and walked the rest. So it hasn't gotten better yet. But I also haven't been on the foam roller. I've been stretching, but not doing my hip stretches. Why? Why haven't I??? Grrr. This was not a happy moment, especially since I spent some time today looking at what races I want to do in 2010.

Totals:
1000 yards freestyle
150 yards weak-ass drills
1.5 mile running

December Challenge: Day 12 and 13

Saturday I slept in and went to the pool right at opening time at 12:15. I was a little early so I sat in my swimsuit and towel in the locker room and played games on my phone. That passed the time quite nicely.

Ah swimming... flailing through the water, gasping for air, trying to understand what my body is doing in that lane. I started out by warming up a few laps. Then I did 6 x 50 freestyle (or stephstyle). Then I got a kick board and kicked for 100 yards while pondering different swimming tips and videos I had looked up online. While I was kicking, a woman with a pumpkin-face swim cap started swimming laps in the lane next to me. I tried to discreetly watch how she was breathing. She looked like she could have been in one of the instructional videos I've looked up online. I gave her form a 10.

I did a couple of the drills I had learned about and do think it helped. One was for reaching. You reach with one arm and then keep that arm there out in front while the other arm comes up and then you can follow through with the paused arm. Hard to explain, but basically it is to help you reach and rotate properly. I felt like I was more efficient after I did that drill.

I went back to freestyle after the drills and finished up with a total of 1000 yards. I have to rest after 50 yards but was really determined to see if I could go farther that day. I did manage a very slow 100 yards (twice) before I felt my chest was going to explode. I can't believe how bad I am at this!

Sunday: notta.

Totals:
1000 yards swimming
Stretching

December Challenge: Day 3

Very very sore from the spinning class still. Wow.

I went for a swim, hoping that would help flush out some of the soreness. I'm not sure it did, but it sure did feel good while I was in the water. I stretched a little bit while I was in the pool. Heaven.

I started out with my own lane. But then I got booted by the staff because of swim lessons. The guy in the lane next to me (which was remaining open) offered to share, so I had my first lane sharing experience! I started out following him and he then explained to me we'd do sides, not circles. Duh. He was way faster. I don't know why I thought we'd do circles. One time he scared me as I turned to do a stroke and saw him right next to me. Just surprised me. Usually I got a mouth full of water when we'd pass each other...perhaps some good introduction to open water swimming? It made me think about the swimming leg in triathlons, and I'm still amazed that everyone swims that crazily and close to each other without drowning.

Towards the end, I realized I was super tired. So I stopped. I totaled 700 yards. I still took short breaks every 50. I guess it's like when people start running and all they can do is make it to the end of their driveways.

Totals for the day:
14 x 50 yards (700 total)
Stretching

Swimming!

Since my IT band keeps frustrating me, I've decided to switch gears for a while and try some other things to help it heal. I'm worried about losing cardiovascular fitness, gaining weight and losing my endurance since all I can seem to run is 2 miles before I have to stop. Not to mention this band needs to heal so I can start training again in January. Solution? I joined the local community center so I can swim. It's under construction right now, so there is a 25% discount. Plus you can do a pay-as-you-go monthly membership with no fee. So it is a really good deal for a place with a pool!

There are two pools in the facitily. The Leisure Pool has a lazy river, kid water things, a big tube slide, and oddly enough 3 lap lanes. The other pool is the Competition Pool, which is shared among the community center, high school and middle school. It's very nice, but I think it's going to be harder to get a lane there most days. Plus I learned after my first swim on Sunday that it's kept at 76º while the leisure pool is kept at a bath-water temperature of 88º. I'll take warm over cool, I'm not a competitive swimmer by any means.

I haven't attempted lap swimming since I had a membership at Lifetime Fitness. I have never had lessons or anything, so I'm not really sure I'm doing it right. I have looked up some pointers online for freestyle on triathlon sites and just try to keep those principles in mind while I'm swimming. Who knows. It feels OK. The hardest part is the breathing. It's hard for me to get the rhythm down. If any swimming readers have pointers, I'd love to hear them!!!

Sunday I went for the first time. The center opened at noon, so I went a little early to be sure I'd get a lane. A bunch of high school girls went to the competition pool side, so I went into the leisure pool side so I wouldn't have to compete for a lane. I don't mind sharing a lane, this was usually how I had to swim at Lifetime since it was always crowded. However, no one else was on the leisure side yet so it was just me and the lifeguards. I got a lane (the only one open because swim classes were about to start) and warmed up a little. Since I was the only one there, all 4 lifeguards had nothing to do but watch me, which was not what I wanted since I am self-conscious about looking like a flailing gorilla in the water. Soon the swim class started, so I began my freestyle crawl down and back, breathing every 3 strokes and trying not to look dumb.

Overall I think it went well. I ended up being able to go 50 yards before I had to take a breather. For 25 yards I could breath every 3 strokes. Coming back about midway down the lane I'd have to switch to breathing every other stroke. When I tried swimming before at Lifetime, I could barely make it down the 25 yards. But I also think I was going too fast. It's hard to swim slow, in my opinion.

I was in the water for about 50 minutes. I warmed up with the breast stroke and side stroke, or my interpretations of them anyway. I did a clunky freestyle for a while and then grabbed a kickboard and kicked for a few laps. Then I did more freestyle. I'm not sure how many total laps I did. Either 8 or 13 down and backs, which is 50 yards or meters each (not sure which the pool is yet). So I totaled somewhere around 400 - 650 yards or meters. I have no clue if that's good or bad. I figured to have my heart rate up for 50 minutes was a good start.

Back in the locker room after I was done, I snuck a picture of how goofy I look in a swim cap. My swimsuit is bright, construction barrel orange. No one will ever miss me coming.

After the pool I went to the dreadtreadmills and ran for 1.75 miles. I just had to see how my band would feel after the swimming. It felt fine. I began to feel the very early twinges, so I stopped when that happened.

So overall, I'm very excited to swim for a while! I wish I had someone who could give me some pointers in the water. Maybe I'll meet a friendly swimmer one day. I know there are classes offered too, so maybe I can check that out. Who knows, if I'm ever able to swim more than 50 yards at a time, maybe I can do a triathlon this coming year!