Perhaps a dumb ?, but re: swim
 

Okay, now, I can swim.

Which translates to: I can avoid drowning in the water.

But, I have never really swam with good form, technique or the proper breathing.

How does one get started? I've watched some of the great videos posted in the stickies, and I think I'm ready to get in the water, but I guess I'm afraid I won't know what to do.

Do I just jump in, start swimming some laps and go from there? Yikes! This water gal is suddenly afraid! I hate that I'll look so stupid and won't know what to do, but I guess we all start somewhere, right?

Thanks for any help!
Lisa :)

I am with you... I jumped and started. I was thoroughly humbled by the experience.

I have watched the sticky video as well and it looks so easy ;) and I'm sure after some practice it will become easy"errr"

So I am right there with you (in non swimming spirit of course)!

Here's my plan. One of the folks at they gym has has volunteered to help me with form (im taking them up on it) and I found a class the meets every tues and thur so Im going to go.

Other than that... I think the message is... practice practice practice.. good luck :)

Mark

take a look at these resources...don't know about the "correctness" of them but they have been helping me out...

ZERO to 1650 in Six Weeks
http://ruthkazez.com/SwimWorkouts/ZeroTo1mile.html

remember keep your head down, chin close to chest will help with your legs floating. Keep kicking with somewhat straight legs, point your toes and kick from the hip, and swim with your arms underneath you, almost as if your right hand brushes your left thigh (not that much, but that sort of idea), those are the basics. Besides that I would recommend watching videos on youtube, watching others at the pool and look into a local masters program, they have every level swimmer there with great instruction.

I guess I just need to get in the pool, eh? Wish me luck...I know I'll need it!

good luck, I'm in the same "boat" as you. I saw an ad online for a triathlon two weeks ago and signed up, it's tomorrow. So, hopefully I learned enough in these two weeks to do alright. My goal is finish better than half the field and learn as much as I can.

Is the triathlon you are doing an open water swim? If so, try to get plenty of open water swimming, especailly if it is ocean, it can be a big diference from a pool.

I just have to find a race and sign up...

What helped me was swimming laps in a pool during the non-summer time (indoor). I watched the technique of the experienced swimmers and got lots of helpful advice. I also did research on techinques and tried it all out.

Don't keep your chin next to your chest. You want to be looking down a line at about a 45 degree angle with the surface of the water ahead of you. Keep a kick cadence of about 3 kicks per stroke (one arm) / 6 kicks per stroke cycle (one stroke each arm). Remember that freestyle (or "crawl") stroke is swum mostly on your side - you'll be on your left side as you stroke with your left arm and on your right side as you stroke with your right arm. Don't rotate your head unless you're taking a breath. I think those are the most important tips I can give. It's hard without actually being there to really help out. The best thing would be to find a friend or acquaintance who can give you some tips in real-time. Hope this helps!

Mark

Hey Lisa, good to see you here too.

With swimming you need to get good help right off the bat. Just jumping in and going will only make you produce bad habits that are hard to break later.
Find a local tri club or a masters swim group and get it right from the start. As for your first tri, your perfect swim stroke most likely wont be there anyways. There is so much going on that it's hard to relax and get it right the first few times.

I've never seen a top class swimmer that had significant trouble in the ocean. But at the other end of the spectrum the difference can be HUGE. And perhaps even more important the payoff from just one or two ocean sessions can be huge. If someone is just getting to the point where they are starting to look good in the pool they can be anything from good to disaster in the ocean.

Oh and I'm in an entirely different boat. I can't remember a time when I could not swim well. I've been told I could swim before I could walk. At least crawling into the pool seems to imply that to me.

Follow his advice. I've seen enough bad advice in this thread and elsewhere on this site. And even if the advice were the best possible it can not give you the feedback you need for what you are doing less than perfectly. Also not all people are the same. What is a good balance between legs and arms for one person (and distance) is disaster for another.

Thanks to all for the tips...I feel like I *know* what I need to do, it's just a matter of doing it!

determination trumps motivation every time GR8 :)

Though I am not yet a triathlete, I am an active swimmer, I have two points of advice.

Try to relax in the water and spend much time in the pool. You will float better and find your natural stroke. The form is long and graceful. Instead of concentrating on speed at first, concentrate on pulling yourself through the water with a long fluid form. Gradually, the biomechanics of an excellent stroke will become apparent. Muscle tension and anxiety will hinder your progress. I would forgo "training" at this point for the goal of relaxation and discovery of form. Training will come later.

I was able to pull off roughly 500 meters in the pool today on my first go! I took plenty of breaks, but I felt good about how much I was able to do.

Thanks for these resources...they have been a great read!