[NBjunkie]

ok, I just came from the pool--when I did my first tri--in Sept--I did not know how to freestyle, and did the breaststroke the whole time. I vowed to swim this winter and learn how to freestyle for next season. So I have been faithfully going to the pool 2X a week. I started swimming just 500M almost all breaststroke, than swimming 25M out of a 100M of freestyle--totaling 1500M swims. Last week I did my normal 1500M swim and had time to kill so made myself freestyle even if I had to stop in the middle of the lane and take a breath--it seems something "clicked" and freestyle got easier for me--so I kept swimming, probably another 400M or so and called it a day.<br><br>
Today I started out doing my normal 1500M program trying my best to use freestyle as much as possible. I got to my 300M set and completed it, and just felt like continuing (300M is the longest I have swam at one time) so I did 500M and felt strong. I decided not to push it, rested for a minute and than did 2 more sets of 500M (almost all freestyle). Not believing myself, I than attempted to swim just a slow 100M of ONLY freestyle and almost completed the whole thing!!!! I am so proud of myself--I actually felt like a swimmer out there today (water in my ears and everything--LOL--but my ears are really full of water).<br><br>
So I swam my longest swim to date of 2000+M ( I lost count after a while)

 

[Stitcher]

Yay, you!!<br><br>
Keep doing those intervals....the rest gives you time to get back into good form instead of "please, God, don't let me drown" form.

 

[NBjunkie]

STITCH--thanks--I just hope I dont lose my confidence in the OW--although I still have some time to work on my swimming etc before race season--so I SHOULD be ok!---

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

Swummeth. But who cares?? Woooohooooo!!! Good for you. Keep it up!

 

[Stitcher]

he he he....<br>
Sheldon probably has a note somewhere: "remind Stitch that she doesn't move down on the food chain in OW swimming." Cause, that's my big hangup.<br><br>
I signed up for my first tri in April...paid and everything, on the recommendation of friends.... and THEN remembered that there are creatures in the water.<br><br>
I've been TOLD that the creatures aren't interested in the loud, big splashy splashy "thing" that's there on race day....but, I'm still gonna stay away from the edges. It'll be the edge people that go first, I'm thinkin! lol

 

[NBjunkie]

LRR--is it really swummeth? I have never heard that word before-I shall use it next time! <img alt="smile.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/smile.gif">

 

[NBjunkie]

STITCH--LOL--I too am afraid of the "things" in the water--and when I swim in my lake (I live on the lake) I have to not psych myself out about the "things" there----I dont think I could EVER to an ocean swim cause the seaweed would even freak me out...lol<br><br><br><br>
on another note--I just received my bike computer today too! I am <i>so</i> a triathlete today! LMAO (now I need to figure out how to install the dang thing)..lol

 

[LeftRightRepeat]

See <a href="http://community.active.com/thread/29622?tstart=195" target="_blank">here</a>.

 

[COcarrie]

Good for you NB! I love reading posts such as yours cause it reminds me to not take for granted that I've been swimming since before I can remember. I get so excited when "newish" swimmers have a breakthrough like you had! Keep with it. I just love swimming and get happy when other people do. It was my very "first" sport as a kid and I was such a water rat. It's kind of fun to be getting back to it a little bit.<br><br>
I can't imagine swimming anything OTHER than free, though I "swummeth" (that right, LRR?) all the strokes when I swam the IM competitively in college. Now, that all being said, I'm right there with Stitch on the whole creature thing in the OW. Well, not creatures so much as that you don't get a nice black line on the bottom to follow (and if it was there, you'd never see it anyhow!!) or walls to get some yardage off on turns. Yeah, I have some issues with the OW thing myself. Give me a pool anyday. (Don't tell anyone, but I found THREE tris this summer that involve pools!)..... sign me up!<br><br>
Anyhow, indeed you ARE a swimmer!!

 

[Econo]

I have run today. (1 mile, after the spin)<br>
I have swum today, too. (A pitiful 35 minutes it was)<br>
I have rown today. (20 minutes, with gusto!)<br>
I have spun. (30 minutes, lazily)<br><br>
And I have chin-upped twice. <img alt="icon_salut.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/icon_salut.gif"><br><br>
Oh, heh heh, wrong thread.<br><br>
NB -- BRAVO!!!!

 

[jkaiser20]

Excellent. My handle only came up as Guest on that thread. Thanks Active for letting me hide out. I can now deny that I ain't never did no typing on an grammar thread.<br><br>
I be done.<br><br>
Ouch, that hurt me ears to read silently.<br><br>
To the original post, that is an awesome job. I have two IM swims under my belt, and two to do this year, and I rarely have swim workouts that long, that go so well. Of course I spend a lot of my time right now drowning through drills, with the expectation that come spring I will be zipping through 500's also.

 

[Gelette]

And you should be so proud of yourself - thats an awesome acheivement <img alt="biggrin.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/biggrin.gif">. And if you can swim 2k then you can swim 3.8 <img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif"> .<br><br>
And don't be afraid of open water - anything that is there will be much more scared of you than you should be of it.

 

[mmoonptdeux]

Nice NB! As a newbie swimmer myself, I love those little breakthroughs. First I got the distance breakthrough like you did last year, and this season, I'm noticing some time breakthroughs.<br><br>
As for OW swims, I think you'll be just fine. I remember my first one ever last year - I admit at first I was a little freaked out and didn't feel like I belong out there, but once I got acclimated and into my groove, it's a pretty liberating experience.

 

[RandMart]

<i>"If ye taste salt in the sea,</i><br><i>Then sharks there will be"</i><br><br><i><img alt="" src="http://us.i1.yimg.com/img.movies.yahoo.com/ymv/us/img/flickr/10/28/000460471028.jpg?x=92&y=92&xc=134&yc=1&wc=532&hc=532&sig=jaPzAHgkRjuoELBFM.XZ9A--" style="border:0px solid;"></i>