Swimming Lessons for Tri beginner

At the moment, the only thing I can do is a weak breast stroke, I don't know how to breathe properly or any of those things!

It's a 5 lessons for €55 and then there is an advance course too that I could jump straight into at the end of that, I'm not sure what either entail, I'd just like to feel a little more confident in the water first I guess.

I don't honestly know where to begin, I have some provisional goals for the coming year and so I need to get swimming down in order to achieve those.

Would it be an idea to do the 5 week course and then get some tri specific lessons?

No offence whatsoever Kurt, I'm here for advice and happy to take it from those who know best - and besides, you're right, I float

Um....do people enter Tris before they can swim?

Oh right.

Maybe I should just do that then, be easier than learning how to swim like. Effort of it tbh.

:P

Wouldn't mind considering it in 2017 though tbh!

I'll get my first marathon out of the way next week though and see how that goes, I may never want to run again

Yep - DLR Leisure centre

Sure I can give one lesson a go a see how I get on, it's worth €11 to find out!

Just to update. Went to my first lesson tonight.

Was asked if I was a beginner or an improver, as there were some people there who weren't even comfortable in the water, I said somewhere in between and that I could get from one end of the pool to the other but that was it. I was then asked if I wanted to do front crawl or breast stroke and I said front crawl. I was told to go to the deep end of the pool. We were all told to do a couple of widths front crawl, so I had to go "eerrr, I don't know how to do that" so I was sent back to beginners :pac:

The beginners teacher showed me very briefly how to to a front crawl and told me to do a few widths, I was a bit lost here because she was busy looking after people who couldn't float.

So I kept at it for a few minutes and the improver a guy came and got me and said that I was able to do a front crawl and to come back to his group :pac:

After that it was pretty good, I'm not as god awful as I thought I was, I mean - I'm pretty awful - but I can float better than I thought at least and the guy was quite good. There was six of us in the class and he gave all of us attention.

I can't believe how hard it is on the lungs, I was out of breath a lot at the start, like proper huffing and puffing like I'd never done a day's exercise in my life!

I'll stick with them for a while to get used to being in the water, I've a long long loooooong way to go but it'll give me a good start at least.

ToTriOrNot wrote: »

I am sure other more experience people will come here and give you more advice, but getting your breathing right is paramount for success in swimming. One thing you should try it's relax as much as possible, and do not hold your breath!!! Try to blow air all the time (either through your nose or your mouth) while your head is under the water, very slowly, and you will be amazed at how much you can last without having to move your head to breath in!

Best of luck wit it!!!

Yep definitely. I was holding my breath at the beginning and then trying to breath in when I stuck my head out of the water :rolleyes:

By the end of it I was less out of breath as I had figured out to blow lots of bubbles! I like bubbles :P

I've a good six months before the try a tri I was thinking of aiming for, is it realistic to think I could get someway up to speed in this time?

I have absolutely zero idea about swimming, none whatsoever, so am I mad to even think I can go from 0-Tri in six months or is that perfectly reasonable?

The try a tri I'm looking at is 250 metre river swim. (Try Athy).

I don't think the cold will be much of an issue, I've no problem getting into the sea at most times of the year. Just that when I get there I can't go anywhere else

I'm lucky enough to live by the sea so I'll find someone experienced to take me out in the water later on when I can actually swim.

Three times a week at 30 minutes a pop or would more be necessary? I'm just conscious of keeping up my running schedule too which will always be my priority but as long as I know what's required I will plan for it.

Thanks for all the advice, it has been great so far

Deleted User wrote: »

I have a very serious 2 year plan

I feel that I should qualify this before I am asked to.

I have a very serious set of goals for the next 2 years, the plans for these goals are currently being made. Working out how much time I need to give to running/cycling/swimming/strength training is where I'm currently at with these plans.

Kurt_Godel wrote: »

Several people on this thread have given advice you should start from the very basics. As a beginner swimmer, who needs to learn from scratch. Probably giving that advice as they've seen lots of newbie posters who think they can "swim" rock up on the Tri-a-try-then-IM merry go round, and quickly fade away after frustrating swims.

Since you came here looking for advice, my advice is you are overestimating your swim abilities, and looking to improve in a hurry. You've said can "swim", are doing "improver" lessons, but can't do front crawl, and struggle to breathe. Obviously the coaches in your lessons have a better idea of your abilities than anyone online, but by the sounds of things you would be better of acknowledging you are a total beginner, and learning the correct basic breathing skills before you start improving. Nothing saps the good out of a race than a frustrating swim.

I agreed with your assessment of my "swimming" as me floating, I agreed with it both before and after my swimming lesson. I haven't said I can swim. Not once, in fact. From the get go I said "swim".

You don't book either beginner or improver lessons in this particular gym. You show up, and you tell them where you're at, and they decided where to put you. I was moved from the beginners group by the coaches, because they felt I was not a beginner, I told them exactly what I was capable of, no lies no exaggerations, it was them that moved me back from the beginners group after seeing me swim. The guys that I was swimming with, did appear to be the same level as I was, so whether that's being called beginners or improvers I suppose is just semantics. I haven't overestimated anything, I've said I wasn't as awful as I thought I'd be - that's the truth. I thought I wouldn't be able to do anything right, but apparently I kick very well and have a surprisingly good back stroke (his words, not mine). I've also said I was still pretty awful.

I asked was it reasonable to think I could go from 0-Try in six months - I thought it was a fair question. I still think it's a fair question. I would like some idea of how long I should plan for and whether or not my goals are achievable. There's no point in scheduling in a Try a Tri for 6 months time if it's not enough time. If I was told that it's not - I would plan something later. I asked how much time I need to dedicate between lessons and said that if I needed more time than suggested I will plan accordingly.

So I'm not sure quite what I've done wrong here, I went to swimming lessons, I told them exactly what I was able to do. By looking at me in the water they chose what group I should be in.

You are completely misinterpreting my posts if you think I'm looking to tick a box, or improve in a hurry. I'm looking to do it properly, I started by going to local swimming lessons, and they put me where they felt I should be. It's really that simple.

Thank you

Thanks Atticus, I'll check it out.

I've been chatting with a few serious triathletes/ironmen over the past week to get as much info as I can, one of them pointed me toward a site called www.swimsmooth.com which he said has loads of great info too (in case anyone else is reading and might be interested!).