I cant swim 50 meters

[london.cidade]

I am novice swimmer, started with 2012.

I can swim 25 meters in free style. 3 strokes 1 breath

then i go to second pool which is 50 meters.

In my first 50; i can swim 30-35 meters with 3 strokes 1 breath, the 2 strokes 1 breath.

In my next 50s, i swim 25-30 meters with 3 strokes 1 breath, then i finish the left part with backstoke..

I feel a little bit hopeless. when can i swim 150 meters non-stop.. _ ? will i ?
yes of course, it depends on working hard and my personal ability..

but i only wonder your comments ? the one who is like me ? at least how many days /months needs to spend to be able to swim 150 meters non stop..

with regards

[Richardsk]

Just keep on swimming and make sure you're exhaling when your face is in the water. Try to relax, especially the muscles at the back of your neck, and before long you will be swimming much longer distances.

Backstroke is also very good for you and will help your freestyle.

You may also find that taking two strokes to a breath is easier - or possibly five, although this is less likely. Personally, I find five strokes to a breath quite easy for relaxed swimming,as it allows for good exchange of air. You do need to exhale all the time, though.

[andyinnorway]

Originally Posted by london.cidade

I feel a little bit hopeless. when can i swim 150 meters non-stop.. _ ? will i ?
yes of course, it depends on working hard and my personal ability..

but i only wonder your comments ? the one who is like me ? at least how many days /months needs to spend to be able to swim 150 meters non stop..

with regards

Hi welcome to the forum.

Yes you will swim 150m and 10 times further, and probably in much less than a year. (1500m that is).

How long will it take? As long as it takes you to make the changes necessary that enable you to relax in a balanced state in the water.

Buy a DVD if you can, study you tube, think about it a lot and enjoy every swim, it will come quickly.

[kas01]

don't worry. if you take the time to follow the progression you will get there. i was at your point 25 months ago, coming off of rotator cuff surgery. i went to the pool at my gym to use the water as a way to increase the range of motion in my shoulder. somehow i stumbled onto a terry's book on an amazon search. i started self coaching for a few months and found a local coach a few months later. now i'm swimming 500 meters a session. i'm not up to the less than 20 SPL as most of the member on this forum arm, but i am having BIG FUN in the pool at each of my practice sessions.

keep your practices focused. be patient. don't get discouraged. and don't let the sneers at the pool upset you.

[CoachDave]

I've had many people in exactly that situation (or who are winded from one length of 25y) come to workshops before and leave a day later with a stroke that has endurance that's really only limited to how long they can maintain the focus that holds their form together. Instead of trying to push into longer distances, see how far you can take some focal points from the TI materials in both drill and full stroke form.

[tomoy]

You will get there. If you can get to the pool twice/week, I would guess that you can get to ~200M within a month. It won't come by trying harder, kicking faster or stroking harder, growing gills, or swimming the way you always have for more time. Something will have to change.

I got there by watching this series 3-4 times:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97b6XIntfcc

Then relaxing in the water, giving up on speed, relaxing the head into/under the water, accepting that 95% of the body will be underwater while swimming, finding the right skate positing, learning to almost not kick.

Try not to get frustrated. Don't copy what everyone in the pool is doing. Try to keep an open mind, try to feel and sense what your body is doing. You will get there.

[nicka]

Very new to the forum myself but welcome.

I never would have thought swimming had an addiction linked to it and like yourself only 12 months ago i could not swim half the length of a 25 meter pool and starting with some of the TI drills and 2 swims per week i was increasing my lap ability within weeks and now almost exactly 12 months later i have just this week been able to accomplish 2000 meters in that same pool and having the time of my life swimming as far in the ocean.

Be patient, stick with it and you will be rewarded.

Nick

[efdoucette]

Hello,

Not to put a damper on all the inspiring words but some people take longer than others. If after a couple of months you are still not swimming k's, don't give up. There are some techniques that are easy to understand but hard to execute in the water, ie seamless breathing.

I've been at TI for over a year, 10 times per month in the water, being relaxed and mindful each time in and am now just swimming 50 meters comfortably. I still have breathing issues but making positive progress.

So, we all learn at different speeds, hopefully you will enjoy your speed as much as I enjoy mine.
Eric

[Zanna]

Its all about comfortable breathing, and comfortable breathing is about relaxation in the water. For me, the more frequently I am in the water, even if for relatively short practices of 20-30 minutes, the more relaxed I become. In other words, for me, four times a week of short practices brought better and faster results than twice a week of longer practices.
I had/have a pronounced water phobia and was over fifty when I began to learn to swim TI. I started in Dec-Jan and was doing open water sprint triathlon swims that summer.

[CoachBrian]

Hi London,

Have you tried breathing every other stroke from the start? (Two strokes, one breath.) It sounds to me like you might just need a bit more air. I can swim a 25 meter length with no breaths, but if I'm doing a 50, I'll have to breathe at least 4 or 5 times. If' I'm doing anything longer than that, I'll probably breathe every other stroke.

Having said that, breathing less frequently for shorter repeats will help you build the stroke habits that make breathing better, easier and more efficient. If you're in too much of a rush to swim 150M non-stop, it may hinder your progress toward becoming a better swimmer.

It's important to be able to maintain balance, tempo, targeting, patient lead hand, etc. during a breath. The way to do that is to make those things habits when not breathing, and then maintain those habits during the breath. That's what the Swim and Nod drill does.