123

swimming cross-training (Read 1519 times)

Darla1


    Forgot to ask, how do you all keep track of your laps.  I try really, really hard but after about 5 laps I find my mind is wondering and I completely loose track!   Any tips?

      You could try one of these.  It automatically keeps track of your laps.  I just count...I also know my 200yd interval time so I check the poolside clocks.

       

      Jennifer mm#1231

      T-Bone


      Puttin' on the foil

         

        What's your 4k swim pace?......if you don't mind me asking.

         

         

        I did a 1:06:01 at IM CDA in 2008.  That's about 1:45 per 100m.  Hope to get that down to about a 1:03-1:04 in 2010.

        Don't be obsessed with your desires Danny. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.'

        T-Bone


        Puttin' on the foil

          Forgot to ask, how do you all keep track of your laps.  I try really, really hard but after about 5 laps I find my mind is wondering and I completely loose track!   Any tips?

           

          I just takes a little time to dial in your times.  For instance, I know that I swim 100 yds in about 1:30.  My 200s are therefore around 3:00 and 300s are around 4:30-4:40, and so on.  I hit my watch start/split button at the beginning of each rep and if I'm supposed to swim a 400 and I loose track, I know that I'll be done with the 400 somewhere between 6:00 and 6:15 (on a normal day).

           

          For someone trying to gain aerobic fitness and getting better at swim technique, there is really no reason to swim a rep of more than 200 or 300 yards.  Do a bunch of 200s (4 laps).  Pull up at the wall and take a 30 second rest after each 200.  That way your not out there getting so tired that your technique suffers.

          Don't be obsessed with your desires Danny. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.'

          T-Bone


          Puttin' on the foil

            I find this thread interesting. I've really grown to love swimming for its own sake, but have recently questioned how much my running has benefited from it. It is encouraging to see others so positive on it.

             

            Good point.  I'm not sure swimming actually helps my run times either.  Running helps my run times.  However, I can only run so much.  I think swimming helps with overall aerobic fitness, and that might help with your running.  But I don't think substituting runs for swims (or bike rides) will directly help you become a faster runner.  Only running will do that (in my humble opinion).

             

            Here's an example - this summer I started doing bike races.  I was in the "B" pack, not the "A" pack.  Most of these guys bike only, no running and no swimming.  Frankly, many of these guys kick my butt in a straight up bike race.  However, I was never in danger of being dropped late in the bike races because I think I was fitter than most of the bike racers.  I was never in danger of winning either, but it was nice to "hang in there" with a group of guys who do nothing but bike.   I sure that my fitness gains from running and swimming were responsible for this, yet my biking skills were not up to the level of these bike racers and the only thing that is likely to improve that is more biking/bike races.

            Don't be obsessed with your desires Danny. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.'

            Slo


               

              Good point.  I'm not sure swimming actually helps my run times either.  Running helps my run times.  However, I can only run so much.  I think swimming helps with overall aerobic fitness, and that might help with your running.  But I don't think substituting runs for swims (or bike rides) will directly help you become a faster runner.  Only running will do that (in my humble opinion).

               

              Here's an example - this summer I started doing bike races.  I was in the "B" pack, not the "A" pack.  Most of these guys bike only, no running and no swimming.  Frankly, many of these guys kick my butt in a straight up bike race.  However, I was never in danger of being dropped late in the bike races because I think I was fitter than most of the bike racers.  I was never in danger of winning either, but it was nice to "hang in there" with a group of guys who do nothing but bike.   I sure that my fitness gains from running and swimming were responsible for this, yet my biking skills were not up to the level of these bike racers and the only thing that is likely to improve that is more biking/bike races.

               Exactly....and spot on in my opinion.

               

              Very good fitness example.......and fitness really is very specific.

               

              There should be no denying that swimming will increase your aerobic fitness.....it will take running to convert that aerobic fitness to specific running fittness.

               

              I also believe that swimming will help speed up recovery from harder run efforts. Like T-Bone, I would not substitute swimming for a run but I would encourage adding it if your interested in cross training.

               

              T-Bone 1:06 IM Swim.......Very Nice !

              HOSS1961


                These are great posts.  I August I decided that my old body would do better deversifying so I started a 2X2 program to start base building with the thought to race some tri's next spring.  I am up to swimming 1800m twice per week (which will start back next week after a bout of flu and an unrelated injury) which is~45 minutes.  It is my hardest workout.  I got the plan from swmimplan.com.  Breaking the laps up into training sets makes it easier to count.  15 or 20 seconds of rest between sets depending on the set type.

                 

                200m warm-up

                200m weak side breathing (2 X100)

                200m bilatteral breathing (2 X100)

                4X100m 75m freestyle/25 m kick glide

                12X50m progressive sprints (3 sets of 4, 1st rep slowest-4 rep fastest)

                200m cool down  (2 X100)

                 

                Since I started this I have even dropped 4-5 pounds.  I was running 4-5 times a week before so I was in pretty good shape for an ODB.

                HOSS 2009 Goals Have a healthy back and run w/o pain! Drop 15 pounds gained while injured
                Darla1


                  Great posts, I really enjoy reading them all.  I am training for Tri and need to swim .9 mile.  So, I just get in the pool and keep swimming laps for 45 minutes.  I can swim the .9 in about 39-42 minutes and would like to get that down to 30 minutes by next summer.  I've been picking the lifeguards brain, he is a college swimmer and very helpful.  But need lots of technique work.  I do not have any kind of organized training plan like Hoss.  Maybe I should?   Also, bought one of these:

                   

                  http://www.finisinc.com/P-130030/SwiMP3.1G

                   

                   Just came and got music loaded.  Can not wait to give it a try.

                  JoeInTX


                    Great posts, I really enjoy reading them all.  I am training for Tri and need to swim .9 mile.  So, I just get in the pool and keep swimming laps for 45 minutes.  I can swim the .9 in about 39-42 minutes and would like to get that down to 30 minutes by next summer.  I've been picking the lifeguards brain, he is a college swimmer and very helpful.  But need lots of technique work.  I do not have any kind of organized training plan like Hoss.  Maybe I should?   Also, bought one of these:

                     

                    http://www.finisinc.com/P-130030/SwiMP3.1G

                     

                     Just came and got music loaded.  Can not wait to give it a try.

                     

                     

                    Darla?   How did it go, did you like it?  Would you recommend it?

                     

                    Darla1


                       

                       

                      Darla?   How did it go, did you like it?  Would you recommend it?

                       

                       

                      If you really like music when you exercise, you would love it.  It is comfortable you hardly know you are wearing it.  The sound is good, not like what you would get from a good set of earphones but plenty good for me.  I would recommed it.  I bought it from Amazon for $118.00. 

                      T-Bone


                      Puttin' on the foil

                        Can you do flip turns with out it pulling your goggles down?

                        Don't be obsessed with your desires Danny. The Zen philosopher Basha once wrote, 'A flute with no holes, is not a flute. A donut with no hole, is a Danish.'

                        Darla1


                          Can you do flip turns with out it pulling your goggles down?

                           Humm, I do not know how to do flip turns YET so sorry I can not advise.  They do seem to feel pretty secure though.  Sorry, not much help. 

                          JoeInTX


                             

                            If you really like music when you exercise, you would love it.  It is comfortable you hardly know you are wearing it.  The sound is good, not like what you would get from a good set of earphones but plenty good for me.  I would recommed it.  I bought it from Amazon for $118.00. 

                             

                             

                             

                            Thanks for the info! 


                            go barefoot

                              I just started swimming again, a week ago...recovering from a stress fracture.  It's helping me build an aerobic base after 12 weeks of no running.  ...

                               

                               

                               

                              Hey there - Since I can't swim in my aerobic range for beans, I'm just wondering if you're really certain that you're working on your aerobic base and not tipping over into the anaerobic range more than it may seem like.

                               

                              I really just wanted to ask that as a general question - do you swimmers monitor the pulse ranges at all? Or do you mostly go by feel?

                               

                              I've tried a number of times to get more seriously into swimming, I really do love it as an exercise form, but the tedious mental aspect of going back and forth, back and forth, another lap, and then another and another.... is very tough for me to keep up for very long. I can run all day and enjoy every stride, but 45 minutes in the pool is hard labor for me. And lakes kind of creep me out, there's something about that d-e-e-e-e-p water that gets me nervous.

                               

                              So, hats off to all you frogmen and -women!

                              When the sun comes up, you'd better be running

                              Slo


                                 

                                 

                                Hey there - Since I can't swim in my aerobic range for beans, I'm just wondering if you're really certain that you're working on your aerobic base and not tipping over into the anaerobic range more than it may seem like.

                                 

                                I really just wanted to ask that as a general question - do you swimmers monitor the pulse ranges at all? Or do you mostly go by feel?

                                 

                                 

                                I'm certain I'm working my aerobic base......but I also think that answer depends on your swimming ability and swimming fitness.

                                 

                                Triathlete swimmers monitor thier heart rates......I don't......I train by my logs and by feel.

                                123