Cr@p Swimmers R Us

A mile boshed out tonight, having already run 16 miles at lunchtime.

I decided to use the pull buoy for 50m every  10 lengths. The aim was to focus on technique then, and to try left hand side breathing. More work to do on that topic. I'm currently breathing to the right every time I right stroke, so that's every 2.

There were occasions when I noticed that I was sipping air from the bow wave trough. Oooooo eeeee, get me. (Cough splutter, over hydration).

Blisters - I'm still a carp enough swimer to have to think about my stroke every swim too, I guess its the dolphins of the world that dont.
The 100 reps isnt an effort session, its about swimming a sustainable even pace for 15 or 20 reps, rather than a 60 length swimble that can tail off into carp technique (thats what used to happen to me anyway).

I'm impressed on the 16M run, I've only done one of those since VLM myself.

Tight time slot today, pushed out the mile in 42:15 for new pb, and guaranteed no miscount this time. Didn't get fancy breathing practice, too busy focussed on getting the job done.

In today's slot I decided to try to change to breathing on my left. I accepted that it was going to be a bad day, and it was. I'd like to end up with breathing every 3 strokes, at the moment I'm every 2 but on the right only. I used the Pull buoy for flotation, and tried left side every 2. it wasn't good. Keep trying.

Perservere - but I've practiced for years and am still uncomfortable breathing on the "other" side. I breathe naturally to the left.

Blisters - That's the spirit mate keep going. I started to learn FC seven weeks ago now and all the component parts are slowly slotting into place after 4 - 5 sessions/week. It does take a lot of practice and determination to become anywhere near proficient. I  have a load of work to do but I am making steady progress and things are moving in the right direction. I am still breathing every stroke to my right, I couldn't even contemplate bilateral breathing at this stage. Don't even mention the ellusive bow wave. 

@blisters

tip from good ol' swimsmooth that might help.

http://www.feelforthewater.com/2012/05/two-quick-tips-if-you-struggle-with.html

single arm lenghts (esp the version where inactive arm is trailing b body rather than stretched out in front) should also help. Try couple of lentghs of single arm, nice and  slow, then try the bilateral. Be amazed at progress. Rinse and repeat.

bos1.

I'll have a look at that.

Coach has us do 6-3-6 and left arm up the pool, right arm down. I am hopeless at those and "over-hydrate" badly. Mr Smooth rocks. I have identified that I am doing a classic beginner's error of snatching a breath rather than rotating the head early and smoothly. I'm also breathing as I start the catch and pull, which in my case is a bit of a catch and lift head up. More of an ice-breaker than a tea clipper. Tomorrow is another day.

After 30+ years of (poor) swimming where I breathe only to my left (usually every 2 strokes but sometimes, if I feel adventurous, every 4) I have been inspired by your dialogues above and have been trying bi-lateral breathing (every 3 strokes) for the last couple of visits to the pool. Results are erratic to say the least with quite a high success factor (don't feel I'm drowning) being achieved on first length or two of, what I laughingly refer to as, sets. So it appears the secret, for me, is body position in the water as I know my legs, hips and trunk begin to sink as I get tired. I intend sticking with it for a while as there are no events on the horizon for me so watch for postings of my miraculous transformation into a human torpedo (thou I’d be happy if I could have the option of not breathing into the waves!!!)

IM 84 keep it up. I admit that I copped out tonight and did 2000m all RHS. I was trying to stetch a little more and to lift the head less. When I remembered. Maybe I'll have another go at LHS next time.

I've started to compromise.
Warm up sessions and stuff like that I am using the pull bouy to help me focus on the front end, so I can practice the 3 stroke breathing. It's moved from outright disaster to merely disasterous. Progress!

Training session tonight was OK. A tired start, but that's presumably because I had only done 2 sessions not 3 in the week. Or something.

Continuing to use the pull buoy for warm ups and technique practice. This has helped but it's going to take me a while because I feel as though I need to get on with boshing out some distances. I will get there though. Left side breathing is a bit snatchy still (very much so), but RHS used to be when I started, so I have to remember this.

Anyway. I have just bought a new wetsuit, and just need to have it delivered. Excited!

After a very dissapointing week when everything felt wrong; today I feel the elements of FC are coming togther and the stroke is starting to feel more natural and comfortable. After two months, I think I have just got my body and head position more or less correct. I have been breathing to one side, but today I have started to try to breath bilaterally before I develop a style and stroke that becomes embedded and difficult to change. After a warm up and drills I just do 50mts repeats concentrating on good technique and style. I figure the distance will follow with ease once I have got the technique to an acceptable standard.  

For any newbies that are newer than me and are finding FC hard work, keep trying, it is 10 times harder than I ever envisaged, but it does get easier. 

Sorry, I did mean to type disappointing and together.     

SK4, seriously, get or borrow a pull buoy and use it for technique practice.

Blisters, Cheers I will pick one up later today. 

I had meant to join this thread in 2004 (obviously not !) but I decided to go for a 100m swim instead.

Am I late ?

MB, definitely not mate, welcome.

(Finally stopped lurking). My situation is that I finally bit the bullet and am focussing on getting my FC into some kind of shape, and have moved on from dying after two lengths - it just seemed such hard work, into a stroke that I can now keep going for a full hour's swim. I have read up on the Total Immersion technique, and this has seemed to have helped a fair bit: I've focussed on rotating my body, and trying to ensure that one arm has fully completed a stroke before starting with the other arm: (still only breathing the the right, though).This has meant my stroke is now much smoother and (presuambly) more efficient, but is pretty "languid" shall we say. When I start to really push myself, I feel that I lose a fair bit of shape / smoothness/ efficiency, and end up going not much faster, but get much more knackered! Any thoughts?

One to one training, or at the very least join a group for coaching.

Both TI and Swimsmooth help. It's also going to take a lot of repetition before it becomes second nature. You want to have been flogged into good style before you get fixed habits.

Regarding you last sentence, imagine going for a run with really bad style: lifting your knees right up to your chin very quickly and hard, whilst flapping your arms about. You are going to get knackered and go nowhere fast. Water is thicker than air, so energy conservation is the name of the game.