First my confession: swimming is not my strength. Oh how I wish it were! I really, really do. But what I’ve come to learn over the past few years in triathlon training is you can tell which ladies grew up swimming, and which ones did not. I, my friend, did not.
But I have come a long way. I actively started swimming three years ago and I can now say with pride that I’m a middle of the pack swimmer, the one you’d find maybe in Lane 5 (Lane 1 is uber fast and Lane 8 is beginner). But if I’m honest, it’s taken a good bit of determination to get there. Because picking up the sport of swimming laps and ‘racing’ freestyle as an adult is different than picking up the sport of running or biking.
Mainly, because we all grew up running and biking as kids. From around the young age of three, we’ve engaged our leg and body muscles to run. We know how to balance, breathe, and move when we run, so we can build on that experience to improve as an adult. It’s a bit of the same with the bike. Most of us grew up riding bikes, so we know how to balance, pedal, sight, stop, etc. As an adult, developing our bike skills for a triathlon is fairly easy with our large base of experience.
But it’s not so easy or fast with swimming. Few of us grew up on swim teams and participated in swim meets. Sure, we may have taken some local YMCA swim lessons, and swam laps a few times for fun, but we don’t have the weekly swim practice that develops the body and muscle memory of balancing, floating, and moving in water. So it’s harder work to improve our swim as an adult, when we need to first cultivate the swim skills of balancing, floating, breathing, and moving efficiently in water. But I’m here to say it can be done!
Here are five steps that helped me make my way to Building Swim Confidence:
- Make the commitment to swim.
Make it your Athlete goal for the week or month, and allow yourself at least two times a week to just get in the pool (with swim cap and goggles!) and swim some laps. Start off for maybe fifteen minutes. Think head down, bottom up, and big arms when you swim. Just feel your body balancing in the water and have fun with it.- Sign up for swim lessons.
After a few weeks, sign up for swim lessons or join a Master’s Swim group. Yes, they take beginner swimmers! This will give you the skills to focus on and develop as you swim throughout the week. Plus it’s a great motivator to swim with others.- Invest in some cute swimsuits.
I’m not just saying this because this is Athleta. New suits always inspire me to jump in the pool. Athleta has some really cute suits that have definitely inspired me.- Visualize how you want to feel and move in the water.
Before each swim, take a minute to visualize how you want to look and feel in the water. See yourself as floating and moving like a dolphin in the water.- Practice, practice, practice.
Don’t we say this about everything? Well, it’s the truth with swimming. The more you get in the pool and swim, the more confidence you’ll gain and the better swimmer you’ll become. Commit to swim at least three times a week.
These steps helped me develop my swim and confidence for the triathlon world. I hope they help any aspiring swimmers out there ready to dip their feet into the swimming world. Have fun with it, and before you know it I’ll see you at the start of the swim for a triathlon!
ANNE MARIE SEBASTIANI is an athlete, fitness writer, and creative life coach living in the Bay Area, where she also works for Athleta as a "try on" model during the design & development process. She helps individuals, buddies, and groups discover their inner athlete and limitless life potential through her coaching. You can learn more about Anne Marie through her blog GoalsForTheWeek.com and coaching site GFTWCoaching.blogspot.com.
I am totally going through this now! I signed for a an Ironman thinking, I’ve got the running and biking down, the swimming should be easy if I put my mind to it. Oh My GOSH! I cannot believe how hard it is! Then I tried swimming in a lake and had a panic attack. I hear that’s not uncommon. I’m hoping now that I put my mind to it, make time in my schedule, and buy some cute suits that will all help. Thanks for writing about this. At least I’m not crazy!
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Kristen, that’s so common we also did a series focused on open water swimming. Here are the links:
Part 1 – Swim Outside the Lines
Part 2 – Follow My Bubbles
Part 3 – The Intangibles of Triathlon Training
Have fun, and good luck!
~Michelle
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Hi,
I don’t know how to swim but want to learn. Where do you recommend I go for lessons? I’m an adult female of 43.
Thanks
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I just learned how to swim “like a real swimmer” in February of this year! I enjoy the water and like to snorkel, but could never swim better than “advanced dog paddle.” I took four private lessons then joined Masters swimming. I LOVE THE POOL and swimming. My husband is the swimmer/surfer/waterman in the family and I never thought I’d say that. I completed my first tri (an Oly) two weeks ago and have my eye on an Honu 70.3 in June 2011.
Your words are so true – take some lessons THEN SWIM!
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Wow- glad to know I am not the only one struggling! I also had a panic attack doing laps in a lake for the first time. Something about not being able to see in the water! Yikes! Good tips. I admire all of those active women out there. My first sprint triathlon is July 17th.
So excited!
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Hi Angela (and everyone!)
For lessons, I’d look to a few places: your gym pool (if they have one) most likely has a master’s swim program and swim instructor. I’d investigate that.
I’d also check out your local city swim center. They definitely should have ‘adult’ lessons and a Master’s Program to connect with. Most swim centers also have their schedules online through the city’s parks/recreation center.
Hope this helps. Investigate and take the plunge in the pool;-)
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Great article A.m.! You’ve come a long way and you’ve listed some great tips! And I agree, a cute suit helps a lot–I always swim faster when I have a new, cute suit on. ; )
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Great tips AM! I’m gonna print this out for reference and inspiration. I will get in the pool for something other than dog paddling one of these days..really I will!
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AnneMarie, I wanted to add that, although I’m a terrible swimmer, I have found one “tip” that has given me a bit of swim confidence. Prescription swim goggles! Who woulda think?! Makes a world of difference.
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Great tips. I am a former swimmer and it’s *still* hard for me to get back to serious laps!
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You have given me MAJOR encouragement to keep at this swimming thing and it’s working! Thanks, as always AM, for being so helpful!
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If interested in finding an adult swim program in your area go to USMS.org (United States Masters Swimming).
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Thanks for the tips AM. I am plunging into the pool next week. I will keep all of this in mind, especially since swimming is not a strength or much of a friend of mine!!
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Maureen and Dion- Those are both great tips/resources! Prescription goggles and the USMS.org site.
Thanks so much for sharing!
And to all out there with other tips/suggestions, please share!
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Great tips Anne Marie! One other suggestion I strongly recommend, find a Masters Program you like in your area and join. If you’re in a metro area you often will have multiple programs from which you can choose. You will find swimmers at every level who encourage you and will also become friends. You will find coaches that can give you personal tips. But most of all – it can be a lot of fun which will keep you in the pool!
Mike
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I too consider myself a TERRIBLE swimmer, but have now completed about 15 triathlons of varying distances, including one half ironman distance. In my first few tris, the swim was just awful! I backstroked, breaststroked with my face out of the water, panicked, freaked out, and almost gave up and grabbed on to a buoy or lifeguard and gave up completely. I then took a few lessons, and decided that as a Yoga teacher of all things! I should be able to breathe and stay calm, and just go slow and steady. This has been my mantra with my past 5 or 6 races, and it is working! I am still not fast, but get out of the water somewhere in the middle of the pack (and then catch up on the bike!!!). thanks for these tips, though…helpful! And they motivate me to get my butt in the water more in preparation for my half distance this coming october!
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my swim is crap and every now and again i have to remind myself this is a hobby not my job when i start to get stressed out…staying calm and relaxed are my only goals at this point. technical proficiency and speed are not high on the priority list, though a few more lessons couldn’t hurt. i worked with my TNT coach in a 1:1 session – a little too late to really benefit for the event-i got somewhat discouraged and overwhelmed by all the technical cueing. i don’t think i was a bad student, just the timing was off.
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Cute goggles, cute swimcap and a cute matching towel to dry off is great incentive too!
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