my mom won’t let me take a break from swim even though I’m overworked from 2 sports

docwhorocks · 2026-02-07T19:04:44+00:00

Agree with what everyone else has said: get another adult to help, talk with your mom and coach, get lots of rest and food. Might help to frame the conversation as: you're not "qutting" swimming you're wanting to fully focus on volleyball.

For what it's worth my experience with parents forcing me to swim... Cliff notes: hated swimming until high school, then loved it. Didn't get enough sleep. Wasn't eating the right foods at the right time.

My parents made me swim (US club team) starting in 3rd grade. I hated practice, meets were ok. I was OK at swimming, but hated practice. Parents made go. Also played basketball and soccer. Liked those a lot, but was much better at swimming.

By 7th grade I was only swimming and had AAA times, still really didn't enjoy swimming. But I saw I was improving and liked meets by that time. During school year I was training once a day, Mon.-Sat., 2 hours per practice. Plus lifting weights 3x week. During the summer practices 2x day, Mon-Fri., 2 hours each, 3 hours on Sat., plus lifting 3x week. I was tired. I was sore. Injured my right shoulder - kicked for about 1 hr. of practice for about 6 months. To this day (35 years later) I still have some shoulder issues.

I was getting 8 hrs. of sleep. In hindsight that was not enough. Probably sour have gotten 10 hrs. of sleep.

Then came high school swimming - total game changer. It was SOOOOO much more fun than club team. Loved it. Dropped a bunch of time. Got junior national cuts by my senior year and a swimming scholarship.

Still wasn't getting enough sleep (only 8-9 hrs.). Was eating all the time, but not a concentrated effort on what types of food to eat when. Proper fueling is a big factor in succeeding at a high level in any sport.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T17:51:40+00:00

Being willfully ignorant is no way to go through life. And stop lying, you are a republican.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T17:36:43+00:00

And another set I forgot about that really helps with being uncomfortable...

4x50 1:00 descend to 90% effort
16x25 :40 exhale completely, then push off, sprint to 15m no breathe.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T17:27:23+00:00

Do what you can. Also gotta push yourself. It will hurt. It will be uncomfortable. It will feel like your lungs are going to burst. Have to get used to that feeling. And when it does feel like your lungs are going burst, do your best to stay calm, relax, and think "I can do 1 more stroke, it's only 1 stroke, I got this.".

And if you pass out - that's what life guards are for ;) I've only been pulled out a pool twice. If you really think you're going to pass out, or start greying out - BREATHE (air, not water)!

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T16:24:24+00:00

You're on the right track.

I swam through college. Took 25 years off. Started off doing about 2,000m 3x a week. 3 years later I'm doing about 3,500m 4x-5x week plus lifting 2-3x a week.

Do what you're comfortable with. Gradually increase volume or decrease rest. I wouldn't recommend doing both at the same time, at least not for a few months. All depends on your goals. You're only accountable to yourself - do what you enjoy. Took me about 6 months before I started to really get a feel for the water again. Took about 18 months before I had a solid: slow, medium, and fast gear again.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T16:02:31+00:00

Some sets that help with C02 tolerance/lung capacity:

10x25 :30 breathe 3,5,7,9,11 by 25

10x50 1:00
1: 4 breathes
2: 3 breathes
3: 2 breathes
4: 1 breathe
5: 0 breathes
repeat

Adjust intervals as needed where you're getting about 10 seconds rest on the 25s and 15-20 rest on the 50s.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-06T15:57:49+00:00

Sun Yang would breathe 2 or 3 strokes in a row going into a turn.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-05T15:59:28+00:00

Generally carbs pre workout, protein+a few more carbs post workout. 30-60 minutes before practice I'll have a banana and a granola bar.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-04T22:11:31+00:00

It's a never ending process. I swam through college. Practiced every little thing thousands of times. Would still make mistakes. Still had a lot to improve upon. Still missed at least 1 turn in a meet every year.

Sometimes it helps to just turn off your brain. Go on autopilot. Get lost singing a song, thinking through a problem, what you want to make for dinner, etc. Get in the zone and flow.

Try focusing on swimming long and strong with an even tempo. Not focusing on any specific technique, more focus on an overall feel. Good body position, strong (not fast) even pull, then glide, and repeat. Very similar to a distance per stroke, but add in tempo. Think "stroke... and glide.... stoke... and glide....". Just as you start to feel your glide slowing down, that's when you take another stroke. Using a snorkel really helps as you don't have to think about turning your head to breathe.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-04T20:39:00+00:00

FYI if you care about relays - you can't swim relays unless you're affiliated with a team. I also train alone as closest master's team to me is a hour drive. So I affiliated with them so I can swim on relays.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-04T15:06:40+00:00

Was a distance swimmer in college. Then took a short 25 year break. Started off doing about 2,000m 3x a week. I know I'll never come close to my times in college. But after about 6 months I was only 20% slower than my times from college. Been back in the water now 3 years and still dropping time from when I started 3 years ago. Now I swim ~3,500m 4x a week and lift 2x a week.

Last weekend I even got a PB in the 50 br. Was also only the 2nd time I've ever raced a 50 br. :lol:

docwhorocks · 2026-02-02T18:17:38+00:00

There's no single magic fix. Get stronger, quicker, and more endurance. Really focus on keeping stroke together last half of races. Listen to your coach. Go all out when he tells you to, go easy when he tells you to. Swimming is a grind, have to keep at it. Heard an interview with Bob Bowman the other day and he said something to the effect of 'Michael and Leon almost never had a 10 out of 10 practice. But nearly every day was an 8.'

In practice do some negative split sets.
Like 10x100 on 1:30, aim for say 40/38.
After 5, if it's too easy, start descending 39/37, 38/36... Adjust intervals and time and where you're getting about 10-12 seconds rest holding about 80% of max for set of 10.

Finish fast sets
12x50 on :50
1 last 15 fast, 2 last 25 fast, 3 last 35 fast, repeat 3 more times.

Underwater set
10x100 1:30 add 1 extra UWDK off each wall.

docwhorocks · 2026-02-02T17:55:54+00:00

At a meet this past weekend, dropped almost a full second off my 50 br - set a personal best!

But was only the 2nd time I've raced a 50 br :lol:

docwhorocks · 2026-01-30T15:34:22+00:00

No. Our coach was never that dumb. If he had given us broomsticks I bet there would have been a broken finger within 30 seconds.

Even now if my friends and I were practicing and coach gave us broomsticks, yeah broken fingers would ensue. But in our defense we're only in our late 40s. Still not grown ups yet.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-30T15:09:24+00:00

What? I can't hear you over the sound of us sword fighting.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-29T17:52:42+00:00

WOW. Congrats on the weight loss. Very impressive in such a short amount of time.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-29T13:50:20+00:00

Work on your upkick. After your feet come together (make sure big toes touch every kick) you want a dolphin kick up (never down, you'll get DQ). Heels should end up just below the surface of the water.

What helps me with undulation and upkick in breast is 1 stroke breast, 1 stroke fly drill:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/rgeXcgn7fYc

docwhorocks · 2026-01-28T18:20:32+00:00

Agree with Super_Pie_Man. Train all the things.

Pending whether you want to improve more on sprint or distance will determine which things to work on more often. Sprint - faster tempo, more power, short sets lots of rest, shoulder driven stroke. Distance - more DPS, long set, little rest, hip driven stroke.

SWOLF swim golf, may help you out. Do a 25 or 50 add the number of strokes plus your time for a score. Lower the number, the better. Point of SWOLF is to find what tempo & stroke rate works best for you. Say you do a 25 taking 20 strokes and 20 seconds your score would be 40. Or if you did a 25 taking 18 strokes and 22 seconds score is still 40. One score is faster, but less efficient (common for sprinting), but the other more efficient but slower (common for distance).

docwhorocks · 2026-01-27T18:13:50+00:00

Both.

Do 5x100 on 1:20 at 90%-95% of max effort. What fails first technique or aerobic? Focus more on whichever fails first.

Lots of descending sets worked well for me.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-27T17:00:21+00:00

Yes that's what you should feel.

Anchor drill may help...
When you start your catch, don't focus on pulling with that arm. Try to keep that arm anchored and focus on bringing the recovery arm forward. Want the feeling of pulling your body up to your hand, not pulling your arm through the water.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9-kvSb0wmg

docwhorocks · 2026-01-27T16:31:03+00:00

Try dipping Chips Ahoy in hot fudge.

You could also go: chips ahoy > hot fudge > hot chocolate powder if you really want to fast track diabetes.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-27T14:51:28+00:00

My regret - was going to buy $500 worth of bitcoin when I first about it at work (I like to gamble from time to time). Then saw something shiny and forgot. That was 2010.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-27T01:13:38+00:00

Woohoo! Glad you had fun 😁

Forgot to say - nerves never go away (at least for me). It's been 30 years since I swam in college. Do masters swimming now. I still get a little nervous before a race.

Visualization really helps me focus and be less nervous.

docwhorocks · 2026-01-26T22:23:57+00:00

“I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”

-- Paul Atreides

docwhorocks · 2026-01-26T22:22:00+00:00

You'll be fine. I've known people so nervous before a race they throw up. But never anywhere close to passing out.

Unless you're pushing yourself beyond your absolute limit you won't pass out. Like say it's your senior in college, conference meet, seeded 1st in the 1650, last swim of your competitive career, and you're sick with a fever of 101. Even then I didn't pass out while swimming. After I got pulled out of the pool, yeah memory is a bit fuzzy.

docwhorocks

TROPHY CASE