Stuck at 30 minutes - need help
544
Member
303 days
jhudalla posted 15 weeks ago.
I hear ya on the boring part. I was in the same boat, but breaking it up makes it sooooo much easier to swim for 1hr or more.
Heres what I do;
Warmup
250m swim
250m pull with paddles
250m kick with flippers and board
250m drill
Main set
1000m pull (break it up and only count by 10 laps at a time, then you can count the tens)
500m swim
1000m or 20x fast 50s (sprint down and back and rest for 10 seconds)
300m cool down
200m breast stroke
That's a total of 4k which doesn't seem too bad since you're breaking up the focus. Do that 3 times a week and you'll be in good shape for a swim at any distance.
I took a TI class. It made all the difference. Don't be embarassed, even Phelps needed to learn.
Weary is the path that does not challenge.
3
Member
284 days
eye3md posted 15 weeks ago.
If you have not done any OWS then that is what I would recommend. I started swimming back in Feb 2008 and could barely do 25 yds. In the pool, I can do 1700 yds (with breaks). I also get bored and tired after about 25 to 30 minutes.
Recently, I have started doing OWS and the difference is amazing. I am not as bored because of the more challenging situation of being in open water. Actually, I can swim further without stopping as well (1.2 miles the other day).
Give it a try if you can.
558
Member
474 days
TryScott posted 15 weeks ago.
I HATE COUNTING LAPS. In fact, I may never count laps again. I got the idea from a thread on TriFuel to use letters instead of numbers to keep track. A - Z is 1300m. Want to do 2,000m in a workout? That's A to Z, then another 14 letters (A to M).
What's so special about letters you ask? For the entire lap, you can think of motivational or goofy things that begin with that letter. When I'm thinking about the number 9, I'm thinking I'm on lap 9, lap 9, did 8, now on 9, next is 10 because i'm on 9.... The 9th letter of the alphabet is "I". On my I lap I'm thinking; I can do it, Individial, Ironman, Inspiration, Idiots don't think I can do this, Important, Intelligent... is nice, but doesn't really belong with my I-words. Before I know it, it's time to start thinking of words that begin with J, instead of thinking about the number 10.
1
Member
107 days
crazygerman posted 15 weeks ago.
Wow, letters instead of lap numbers... thats brilliant! My problem is that I get so bored, I actually FORGET what lap I'm on. And I'm too lazy to stop and hit my lap button in my watch for every lap... Thanks TryScott, I'm taking a page out of your playbook here.
61
Member
591 days
jperubog posted 15 weeks ago.
You can swim by time, Just get a little more structured with your timing, try to keep track a little more diligently. Another thing you can do is plan your workout the night before, write it down on a piece of paper, put it in a Ziploc bag, and bring it to the pool, put it by your lane and stick to it. Does the pool you go to have a big clock,(large 60 min timing clock?) focus on that and not your stopwatch. I find my swims go by much faster if I just focus on the clock time between sets and not my overall time. Break up your workouts too, don’t focus solely on drills and form, Mix in some intervals (short fast intervals with little rest, 10-15 sec. max then repeat 5-10 times). Sometimes you need a little speedwork to push you to the next level.
1190
Member
337 days
TriSooner posted 15 weeks ago.
gjpure wrote:
I have identical experiences. I lose track of laps. Swim by time. Get really bored. Therefore, I swim with less frequency but put as much distance in as possible in eash session. And in the off-season, I don't go anywhere near a pool. I figure I have a finite amount of swim attention so I save it up for in-season when I need it.
Unlike most people I have a hard time counting laps especially when I get over 1,000m. It also makes it feel too much like work and not just enjoyment of swimming. So what I have been doing is just swimming for a period of time. Swim for a while (5-7min), rest 20-30 second, swim some more, etc.
301
Member
158 days
jonovision_man posted 14 weeks ago.
I got one of those digital lap counter things that goes on your finger. Works great, except when I forget to hit the button.
They made it idiot-proof... then they invented a better idiot... :)
jono
123
Member
312 days
olivestri posted 14 weeks ago.
hey gjpure - you need to break those swim sessions up into sets - as others have recommended. recently, i've been doing something along the lines of 4 sets of 4*100. In between each 100 take a 10 second rest, and in between each set take a 1 minute rest.
there have been other posts about this, but breaking it into sets helps focus on your form, and i've been finding that they kick my butt - so i assume i am building swimming muscle.
i think you should still mix in an occassional long swim, but apparently swimmers train via these short distance sets.
27
Member
101 days
xman posted 14 weeks ago.
eye3md wrote:
If you have not done any OWS then that is what I would recommend. I started swimming back in Feb 2008 and could barely do 25 yds. In the pool, I can do 1700 yds (with breaks). I also get bored and tired after about 25 to 30 minutes.Recently, I have started doing OWS and the difference is amazing. I am not as bored because of the more challenging situation of being in open water. Actually, I can swim further without stopping as well (1.2 miles the other day).
Give it a try if you can.
I like this idea too. Do you swim alone eye3? I would consider this, but my wife really doesn't feel comfortable with me being out in a lake with noone else around. Thoughts.
464
Member
143 days
trigirltina2 posted 14 weeks ago.
xman wrote:
eye3md wrote:If you have not done any OWS then that is what I would recommend. I started swimming back in Feb 2008 and could barely do 25 yds. In the pool, I can do 1700 yds (with breaks). I also get bored and tired after about 25 to 30 minutes.Recently, I have started doing OWS and the difference is amazing. I am not as bored because of the more challenging situation of being in open water. Actually, I can swim further without stopping as well (1.2 miles the other day).
Give it a try if you can.
I like this idea too. Do you swim alone eye3? I would consider this, but my wife really doesn't feel comfortable with me being out in a lake with noone else around. Thoughts.
Can your wife seat on the beach? You could swim paraell in shallow water just deep enough for the arm span. However, this would be in a lake. Ocean would be difficult and you cannot swim without a buddy. You could but, not reccomended. Also, is there anyone in your area you could swim with? This site you can look and see if someone lives by you and then you have a buddy to swim with. Just an idea.
Unlike most people I have a hard time counting laps especially when I get over 1,000m. It also makes it feel too much like work and not just enjoyment of swimming. So what I have been doing is just swimming for a period of time. Swim for a while (5-7min), rest 20-30 second, swim some more, etc.
The problem is that when I get between 25-30 minutes I end up just getting bored and tired. I am training for an Olympic coming up soon and I know I need to push it a bit more than this. I think I need to get up around 35-40 minutes or closer to 2,000m a couple times a week.
I'm also not a very fast swimmer, but that is probablly a different topic. What I really need help with is getting past this stuck point in my endurance. Do I really have to count laps to do so? Is there another way? Do doing drills help endurance because they make your swimming more effeciant? Or is it better to do long sets or a combination of both?
I need all the help I can get as this is still my weakest discipline after 4 years in the sport. Next year I am considering joining a masters swim group but I'm afraid I would just be embarassed. Also have considered doing a TI weekend next summer.
I really want to take my swimming to the next level. Thanks.