Need help getting to 500m without stopping

[trigu]

I have been practicing TI for about 2 months now and am feeling better than when I started but still not very confident. This weekend I swam in open water and was only able to go about 125m before I needed to take a break, it's the same distance in the pool as well. I felt like it was more lack of endurance as my arms and shoulders began to tire out, is my stokre that inefficienct?

I have four weeks until my triathlon and need to swim 500m, does anyone have any sets I should do to be able to get to 500m? I feel like I can breath ok if I stick to breathing to the right every time, but if I try to breathe to the left my stroke feels all out of wack, and breathing every 3 strokes I get winded very quickly.
Is it just lack of fitness at this point? How do I get to 500m without stopping? I don't care how slow I go I just want to be able to do 500m without stopping.
Any advice is much appreciated!

[madvet]

Originally Posted by trigu

I have four weeks until my triathlon and need to swim 500m, I feel like I can breath ok if I stick to breathing to the right every time,

....Is it just lack of fitness at this point?... I don't care how slow I go I just want to be able to do 500m without stopping.

For now, just breathe to your right.

Lack of fitness? Hey I am pretty unfit, I weigh at least 30 pounds more than I should. But I can swim 10,000 yards at a 20 minute per 1,000 yard pace.

How? Relaxed stroke. Tension will eat your breathing reservoir in a heartbeat. Well, several heartbeats. But, it will get you. Where is at least half of that excess tension? In your breathing. Relax with your breathing and that relaxation will flow over into your stroke. Relax the muscles which you are not using. Don't hold excess tension in trying to extend your bodyline, relax while lengthening.

Specific exercise? If you are crapping out at 125 yards, go 75, then on the next 25 yards, reduce your effort by a third. Still sensing giving it up? Reduce your effort by even more. Just keep going, calmly and steadily. Get to 250 yards. Then take a break. For your tri swim you just have to do that for a little while longer.

In your situation, the best possible way to do this is in open water. Relaxing in open water is a totally different thing than in the pool. Figure out what 500 meters is, and just slowly, unhurriedly get from here to there. If it takes you half an hour, so what? You have done it.

[naj]

Originally Posted by madvet

In your situation, the best possible way to do this is in open water. Relaxing in open water is a totally different thing than in the pool. Figure out what 500 meters is, and just slowly, unhurriedly get from here to there. If it takes you half an hour, so what? You have done it.

I agree with John on this point (and the rest for that matter). You need to let the tension go and concentrate on being mindful and relaxed. Get in some ow practice and start out at 50 meters non-stop, then 60, 80, 150, and so on. My point is go incrementally don't try to get the whole 500 down in one go.

Another way to look at preparing for this tri is to break the swim portion down in segments. If there are landmarks have ones at certain points that you swim to and make those your goal in practice and then in the swim. It will really help you in the long run.

Don't fret about how much time you have till the tri, if you work at a pace that is relaxed and not hurried you'll do the swim. So what if you stop during the darn thing! I stop in the middle of ow swims all the time and still make it. I believe you'll make the cut-off time if you swim within yourself. Good luck!

Naji

[ewa.swimmer]

I agree with the guys. Relax, think about all the people who can't do what you are doing. Working on your efficiency in small increments will get you much further than trying to just power your way through. Just finishing the tri will increase your confidence, allowing you to relax more next time.
Good Luck!

[CoachSuzanne]

I would suggest this type of a workout:

Pick 3 Focuses that you know you need work on from your TI drills or previous experience. Spend 5-7 minutes doing widths if possible, or 25s with singular focus on each of the 3 drills or stroke thoughts, doing only one at a time.

After 15-20 minutes of this deliberate practice you should be nicely tuned into your stroke. Then do this set:

3 x 50 rotate stroke thoughts or focus on each 50, take as much rest between each as you need, but see if you can do 5-10 breaths rest (and decrease in future sets)

Then do 3 x 100 rotating stroke thougths, again with 5-10 breaths rest.

This will add up to a total of well over 500 yds swimming, and although not continuous, will be valuable in helping you build your endurance while focusing on good technique.

For the next workotu you do after this one, repeat the same pattern, choose a new stroke thoguth or two, but limit to no more than 3 things to work on in each practice. The repeat the 3 x 50 + 3 x 100 sets, with fewer breaths rest.

As your rests get shorter, you come closer to approachign continuous swimming.

to progress this workout, try this:
3x75 + 2x150

Then perhaps
3x100 + 1 x 200

And gradually easy your way up in yards from week to week or workout to workout.

I think if you start with focused TI drilling, then swim shorter sets then progress to longer sets you'll find a new endurance that you didn't know you had.

[KatieK]

Originally Posted by trigu

I have been practicing TI for about 2 months now and am feeling better than when I started but still not very confident. This weekend I swam in open water and was only able to go about 125m before I needed to take a break, it's the same distance in the pool as well. I felt like it was more lack of endurance as my arms and shoulders began to tire out, is my stokre that inefficienct?

I have four weeks until my triathlon and need to swim 500m, does anyone have any sets I should do to be able to get to 500m? I feel like I can breath ok if I stick to breathing to the right every time, but if I try to breathe to the left my stroke feels all out of wack, and breathing every 3 strokes I get winded very quickly.
Is it just lack of fitness at this point? How do I get to 500m without stopping? I don't care how slow I go I just want to be able to do 500m without stopping.
Any advice is much appreciated!

Lots of great advice on this thread already. I totally agree with everything that's been said so far. A few more things to consider regarding the efficiency of your stroke:
1.) How do you feel when you do the skating drill? Can you relax and feel balanced in that position? If not, I'd suggest practicing it more. That drill has helped me with many aspects of my stroke: breathing, overall sense of ease, balance, glide.
2.) Is your lead arm patient? You want it to stay extended in the skating position until the recovery hand is just about to enter the water. If you start the catch too soon, your legs will sink. This causes a lot of drag which makes you work too hard. The switching drills can help with this.
3.) Try not to think about pulling. Just let the catch happen by itself. You don't want to wear yourself out by muscling the catch.

You're wise to focus on feeling good during the race and not worrying about speed right now.

Best of luck,
Katie

[DesertDog]

Along with the other suggestions I would try interval training. The basic idea is to alternate bursts of high intensity swimming with low intensity swimming. So you would swim as hard as you can, without your stroke falling apart, for X meters and then swim as slow as you can, concentrating on a focal point for another X meters. I usually make X=50 meters and alternate between high and low for 20 minutes. You could start with X=25 meters and go for 10 min. and then work up. This is a great way to increase endurance. Good luck on your tri!

I felt like it was more lack of endurance as my arms and shoulders began to tire out, is my stokre that inefficienct???????

[Penguin]

Something that made a noticeable difference for me:

Don't forget to exhale. This should be one of your foci. You can't suck in a lungful of fresh air if you are still half full of stale air.

Start your exhale, at the very latest, when your body begins the last rock from left to right before you inhale on the right.

Better yet exhale with the exertion of each arm stroke or, continuously, as soon as your face re-enters the water.

Originally Posted by trigu

I have been practicing TI for about 2 months now and am feeling better than when I started but still not very confident. This weekend I swam in open water and was only able to go about 125m before I needed to take a break, it's the same distance in the pool as well. I felt like it was more lack of endurance as my arms and shoulders began to tire out, is my stokre that inefficienct?

I have four weeks until my triathlon and need to swim 500m, does anyone have any sets I should do to be able to get to 500m? I feel like I can breath ok if I stick to breathing to the right every time, but if I try to breathe to the left my stroke feels all out of wack, and breathing every 3 strokes I get winded very quickly.
Is it just lack of fitness at this point? How do I get to 500m without stopping? I don't care how slow I go I just want to be able to do 500m without stopping.
Any advice is much appreciated!

I doubt it's a lack of endurance or fitness. How is your balance in the water?
See this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jMn01H6cAA

Practice balance -- your head needs to be in the water to release your hips and legs toward the surface....and don't wear yourself out kicking.

Break up your 500m into 100m with a short rest and string them together...then shorten the rest intervals.

Just like eating an elephant -- one piece at a time. You can do it.