building up to swimming a mile freestyle

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musculArgirl2
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building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by musculArgirl2 »

Does anyone have any suggestions on programs you can build up to a mile freestyle. I've googled it and found one just wanted to see what anyone else would say. pool is 25 meters. 64 lengths equal a mile.

freestyle is so poor i don't know if i can build up, i feel out of air pretty quick doing the freestyle, but i'm going to try. So far all i've been doing is backstroke one length and freestyle the other. But i don't really think that is getting me very far.
musculArgirl2
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

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I found this link i could do that and see what happens. I'm so out of breath just doing one length freestyle that i always do backstroke the next length to catch breath. :oops: I would like to build up freestyle and breathing better so i can just swim freestyle back and forth. I don't know though because i have such lousy technique if maybe that is even a good idea.

http://swimming.about.com/od/trainingpl ... Yards_.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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fitoverforty
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

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musculArgirl2 wrote:Does anyone have any suggestions on programs you can build up to a mile freestyle.
The only suggestion I can give you is one word: consistency. Keep at it. Yes, you are out of breath now after one length, but if you keep doing it, pushing yourself a little harder each time, you will build up to 2 lengths, etc.
Instead of doing a backstroke every other length, just rest at the end of each freestyle length for a certain amount of time. For example, swim one length - rest 1 minute, swim another length, rest 1 minute. Then the next time you swim try resting only 45 seconds and so on. Then build from there. Swim 2 lengths, rest, etc.
musculArgirl2 wrote:i feel out of air pretty quick doing the freestyle
What sequence do you take breaths? Do you swim 3 strokes and breath, or two, or do you breath every stroke? I always start out doing the 3 stroke breath method, but when I start getting winded, I switch to every stroke, breath. Whatever it takes to get you from one side to the other.
Practice form. Research proper and most efficient swim strokes. It really can make a difference in how difficult it is. If technique is your weak spot - then work on that first.
Don't worry about making it a mile....remember baby steps! One length at a time. :D
musculArgirl2
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by musculArgirl2 »

fitoverforty wrote:The only suggestion I can give you is one word: consistency. Keep at it. Yes, you are out of breath now after one length, but if you keep doing it, pushing yourself a little harder each time, you will build up to 2 lengths, etc.
Instead of doing a backstroke every other length, just rest at the end of each freestyle length for a certain amount of time. For example, swim one length - rest 1 minute, swim another length, rest 1 minute. Then the next time you swim try resting only 45 seconds and so on. Then build from there. Swim 2 lengths, rest, etc.
musculArgirl2 wrote:
i feel out of air pretty quick doing the freestyleWhat sequence do you take breaths? Do you swim 3 strokes and breath, or two, or do you breath every stroke? I always start out doing the 3 stroke breath method, but when I start getting winded, I switch to every stroke, breath. Whatever it takes to get you from one side to the other.
Practice form. Research proper and most efficient swim strokes. It really can make a difference in how difficult it is. If technique is your weak spot - then work on that first.
Don't worry about making it a mile....remember baby steps! One length at a time.
Thanks Lynne i was hoping you would answer. :D I breath every two strokes all the time but i saw online today that 3 stroke is a lot of times better. :?

I'm going to try what you said about resting a minute between lengths and see how i feel. Thanks.

I'm not worried so much about making it a mile but i thought it would be something i could train with that goal in mind. I can swim 32 lengths when i'm including the backstroke but have never really tried too much just doing the freestyle because i'm so tired after doing one length. technique like you said is weak spot. I think part of it has to do with weight too. But i could be wrong on that. community actually has an adult class starting this week twice a week for a month. I'm seriously thinking about signing up it's a better deal than gym offers. max of 3 people in a group lesson. It would be good exercise, i would enjoy it and it may help too. Thanks for responding. :D
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Boss Man
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

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Yes, you need to make sure you get a consistent supply of Oxygen to the muscles when swimming. Oxygen gets used during the breakdown of Glucose and Glycogen into Pyruvate.

When it's not present, then the body creates Ethanol Alcohol and Lactic Acid.

You can also improve this by staying away from Caffeinated drinks. Caffeine and Tannic acid in tea can block Iron, which is used to make Red Blood Cells that have Haemoglobin, the Oxygen carrier, but Iron, particularly the heme Iron in animal matter, also helps to make Myoglobin that permits oxygen storage in the Muscles.

Heme makes the cells red in colour. Myo comes from the greek for Muscle.

So more Myoglobin creation in the body, should theoretically permit more Oxygen storage, therefore greater ability to use Oxygen and hopefully a reduction in Lactic Acid production.

So if you feel like you are struggling on the swimming when you use a set breathing frequency, increase the frequency by another stroke, so if you breathe after every 4 strokes, do it every 3, or if you do it every 3 times, do it every 2 and if you are using more than a 2 stroke breathing pattern, then you may find you need eventually to go down to 1 stroke per breath.

If you use a 2 stroke breathing pattern, then obviously you can only cut down to one stroke per breath.
musculArgirl2
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by musculArgirl2 »

Much appreciated Boss. I do use a two stroke breathing pattern. I've never tried using one stroke. I'm hopeful the swimming lessons will help. See what the instructor says. :)
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Boss Man
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

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musculArgirl2 wrote:See what the instructor says.
He might say fart bubbles in the pool are not funny and don't pee, because the purple dye will appear and you'll be laughed at and feel embarrassed :shock:
musculArgirl2
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by musculArgirl2 »

Boss Man wrote:He might say fart bubbles in the pool are not funny and don't pee, because the purple dye will appear and you'll be laughed at and feel embarrassed
That's probably what a young Boss Man many years ago was told, when he had to learn the hard way about those things. He still remembers it to this day. :wink: :lol: :lol:
jmvane15
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by jmvane15 »

Do hypoxic sets where you make yourself breathe after every few strokes, that'll help you keep the endurance to do a mile.
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Boss Man
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by Boss Man »

musculArgirl2 wrote:
Boss Man wrote:He might say fart bubbles in the pool are not funny and don't pee, because the purple dye will appear and you'll be laughed at and feel embarrassed
That's probably what a young Boss Man many years ago was told, when he had to learn the hard way about those things. He still remembers it to this day. :wink: :lol: :lol:
Purple dye was not in use in day, or if it was, in limited locations which didn't include any I went to :wink:.
fat-to-fit
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by fat-to-fit »

musculArgirl2 wrote:
Boss Man wrote:He might say fart bubbles in the pool are not funny and don't pee, because the purple dye will appear and you'll be laughed at and feel embarrassed
That's probably what a young Boss Man many years ago was told, when he had to learn the hard way about those things. He still remembers it to this day. :wink: :lol: :lol:
i was looking up what lynne and carrie said about swimming and came across this comment. i really do have a good sense of humor. :funny: :Hahabonk: at boss's expense. :funny:
fat-to-fit
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Re: building up to swimming a mile freestyle

Post by fat-to-fit »

sorry it just made me laugh. :lol:
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