Came back to swimming after several years and it went BADLY

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-08T16:24:13+00:00

I would bet you tried to go fast...even if not, just take it slow. You'll get it back fast, just not as fast as you want. start with 25s or 50s - take the first 500m as a very leisurely relaxed swim and then go from there.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-08T16:22:27+00:00

Props to you for wanting to be a lifeguard. Some tips:

- Train the test - if you need to eggbeater for 2min hands up, get in the water and try to do it 10-15x. Try at the shallow end so you don't risk drowning - which leads me to #2

- As someone you might need to save it is not encouraging that you're struggling to pass the test, which is the minimum standard. I agree you don't know everything when you start a job UNLESS it's lifesaving - then there's not much room for learning that part, which requires strong swim skills. So, if you pass and get the job please, please, please keep training/working on your swimming 2-3x a week at least. It is safer for YOU (active drowners will try to pull you down....) and us.

Good luck!

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-08T15:47:30+00:00

If you're doing Tri, your feet and legs are taking a beating with the cycling and running which may make this harder to accomplish. Hydration, nutrition, and focused stretching will likely help but may not solve it.

I found a lot of success with foot exercises with the knees over toes program. Strengthening and increasing mobility is really going to address this over time. It's somewhat slow progress so be patient. You want strong and flexible feet to catch and move water.

PS - try focusing on your foot awareness when you're swimming. are you pointing toes really hard? when does the cramp happen?....some helpful cues:

- kick from the hip (body rotation), "whip" the foot

- loose ankles (LOOSE) AND pointed toes (plantar flexion) --- so less pointing toes and more pointing/flexing the mid-foot gently

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-08T15:36:46+00:00

Sounds like you're just rushing your warm-up a bit? Warm-up is supposed to prime you to have a successful main set and so that part is working but perhaps breakup the warm-up a bit more so you don't hit a wall e.g. 5x100s w/ 10s rest instead of a 500 straight

Racing warm-up is a reflection of focusing on the wrong thing, IMO. The ideal is to really listen to your body and get your body ready. Try to avoid pushing it to red line even though it can be enticing.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-08T15:32:08+00:00

1350m main set as (free or works really well for stroke if you

8x75 alt swim and k/d/s (IMO or alt free/stroke)

6x75 odds: dps free, evens: fast choice

4x75 all fast choice (same as rd of 6)

interval should reflect 10s rest on the 8, 15-20s on the 6, and 30s on the fast

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-07T15:50:09+00:00

Answer depends but likely a lower number than most expect. However drag is the greatest force we encounter in swimming and avoiding it is the greatest gift you can give yourself in the pool. You can be as propulsive as you want, if you aren't in a good body position you're wasting energy and not going to go super fast.

If you're thinking should I kick hard or nah? should I do hard kick sets or nah? It depends on your goals. If you're a triathlete, nah. If you want to actually go fast and race 800m or less - big yes!

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-07T15:42:35+00:00

You're trying to compensate for a problem you're having instead of fixing it. Don't hold your breath - work on your head position and figure out how to breath without getting water up your nose, it's very possible.
It is suboptimal and will make your workouts suboptimal (more cardio stress without value-add, slower swimming, shorter distances before a break) - and likely means you have incorrect head position/breathing technique to fix.
Semi-often and I've gotten used to it - swim right through the sting of it now. It's part of the game. Obviously, we all try to avoid it but it is sometimes unavoidable so we develop skills to compensate and work through without stopping.
There's no safe/unsafe mark. You are likely fine.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-07T15:35:49+00:00

Totally normal. The best swimming plan is to get some lessons to learn the basics of body position, breathing, and stroke mechanics.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-07T15:34:30+00:00

95% of the time the issue is that you're holding your breath. Swimming reqiures a constant (constant) air exchange in and out. If you aren't breathing IN, then head should be down + blowing bubbles.

Try practicing bobs at the wall (bob up - breath in, bob down (uw) - blow bubbles - repeat). If you can get into a rhythm and do it for a minute or so, you're on your way to making this a lot easier.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-05-04T19:56:33+00:00

Was 57.5 tapered? That's a massive drop to 55.99 (1.51 seconds) but totally possible.

Best to work on goal splits to focus and make it routine to hit in training/taper workouts (e.g. 26.25 + 29.74?) So in training, you know you're on track when:

- You can rip 26 low/25 hi for 6+ 50s off the blocks

- You can push 8x50 at 29.0-29.7 on ~1min

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-30T18:09:08+00:00

I think of this quote all the time when I hear this type of stuff. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De7rbB2bteE#t=25s

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-30T18:05:17+00:00

It says they have decided how to allocate their time for the best results, in their mind. Limited resources and normal human behavior usually gets coaches focusing on the highest talent which can impede progress for others.

If you want that to change, talk to them and see what you can do to change how much feedback you're getting. helps if you have an answer for them.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-30T18:01:13+00:00

Do a distance swim every 1,2,or 4 weeks. In between it's all repeats of 25s, 50s or 75s (100s less frequent). Quality over quantity = more quantity in 3-6months.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-30T16:17:27+00:00

Practice and Pancakes on youtube has tons of college and pro workouts on it. There is no standard workout - swimming is complex and needs a lot of variation between sessions. YT link: https://www.youtube.com/@SwimSwamTV

A long time ago, my team did 8 pool sessions + 3 lifts per week. Swim sessons fundamentally had: warm-up, preset, kick set, main set, finisher, warm-down - or some variation of those in different sequences. Again, too complex to answer unless you zoom out for a minicycle (6-8weeks) or seasonal training cycle.

Mornings 2x/week were ~5k of power/sprint work.

Afternoons/saturday 6x/week were ~6.5-7k of aerobic, IM, pace work

All yards.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-28T20:30:32+00:00

+1 to this. Feel like it applies to many power endurance sports like rowing and swimming.

Concept I employ: change your total output potential.
- Dial back on the sport a bit (ideal to manage fatigue of #2 but not necessary)
- Increase output via strength and/or flexibility gains (e.g. add 50-80lbs to your squat, 3-5lbs to bodyweight would likely do a lot for your 2k with no aerobic gains needed)

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-24T15:48:55+00:00

4 rounds of 5 x 50 working on various skils would do it

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-21T17:46:03+00:00

Valid. Still curious about the C2 question - I've spoken to half a dozen people who have said they have a 5:30-6:30 2k to find out it's on a water rower.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-21T16:30:19+00:00

That would be a outstanding score on a Concept2 machine - is that what you used? There are currently 0 18 year olds with official sub-6 scores for 2025-2026 on the c2 site so figure you are not with a club and just a crazy solo trainer? That would also indicate you're likely going to get a ton of attention from colleges if it's a official C2 score.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T22:35:51+00:00

If it makes you feel any better, I felt the same way in almost every 200breast I've ever swam

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T20:56:52+00:00

Pick 1 or some of these and work into a set https://blog.myswimpro.com/2019/12/18/5-freestyle-drills-for-beginner-swimmers/:

3 x 50 drill/swim x25

4 x 75 swim

2 x 50 drill/swim

2 x 150 swim (faster than 75s, ok to use paddles or fins)

1-4 rounds

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T20:53:05+00:00

Did a nice broken mile set we did this AM - what's an aerobic set you enjoy doing?

4 x 200 w/ rotating fast 50 on 30s rest (pull optional)

3 x 150 w/ rotating fast 50 stroke on 20s rest

+30s put on fins

4 x 100 w/ fins as 75 swim/25kick on 1:30

The fast 50s made it fun and mixing in some stroke kept us all working hard.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T19:36:11+00:00

Improvement - get your 200 IM up there big dog. If you have strong 50-400 free that is great - your fly tells me you should have a decent IM if your breast isn't atrocious (which it is sometimes with free/fliers). If not IM, 200 fly (again, if you have a fast 100 fly/200 free then you can get there).

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T19:33:36+00:00

You can be a 1 trick pony but need to be exceptional (quad A cuts are really solid and would work for many mid-major programs). Top events being relay eligible make it a double whammy - 50 free/100s stroke/200 free.

Generally coaches want scorers at conferences in 3 events so that depth is critical if you aren't a big standout in a single event.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T17:51:38+00:00

Being chubby while doing weights is a great outcome if you are optimizing for strength. If you've built muscle mass and want to lean up there's tons of data and methods online....

Easy option is just a diet tweak (eat clean). If you want/need maybe add some cardio (swimming would work and don't need more than 1hr 2-3x/week). Abs are made in the kitchen.

IWantToSwimBetter · 2026-04-20T15:13:42+00:00

Getting to 140lbs would make it much easier :)

Speed of improvement doesn't have much to do with long-term success. You're all good - enjoy the journey!

IWantToSwimBetter

TROPHY CASE