Running comes somewhat naturally to me, or at least I think it does (probably because I have been doing it for so long!), but swimming is definitely another story. The first couple weeks I was in the pool, I just swam laps to get used to the feeling and the breathing. Then we started true workouts.( To see some of those workouts, check out Meghann’s Pinterest Board.) It was super hard at first (and still is!) but with the coaching of Felipe and Courtney, I am finally starting to see results. Courtney is an extraordinary swimmer, and has been crazy patient with me. She makes sure to look at my stroke above and below the water and let’s me know where I need to tweak it.
Swimming definitely comes naturally to this little pup!
Court and Felipe gave me some great advice last week, and told me I was working way too hard with my stroke and not pulling my arms through the water nearly enough. Felipe took a few extra minutes with me, and something just clicked. I had been working so much harder than I needed to be, and not seeing the results. My elbows were not high enough, my hands entered the water too soon, and I was turning my whole body when I breathed – that’s a lot to work with! He altered my stroke just enough so that I am starting to become much more efficient, and I am finally starting to see my times drop – not to mention my arms do not get fatigued nearly as early as they used to. Win!!!
It is pretty amazing that making small changes can make such a big difference. Seriously! The same can be attributed to running too. I used to swing my arms across my body, which was a terrible way to expend energy. Now, I really focus on moving them front to back, instead of side to side – it’s just so much more natural. And yes, when you catch me in the latter part of a marathon, my arms are flailing like crazy 
Not the good form I was talking about
It takes a lot of hard practice and dedication, but you will start to see progress with your training. You may not see it at first, or even for multiple weeks, but it is important to believe in yourself and know you will get better. There’s nothing wrong with saying “Hey, I’ve Got This!”
Id say I need to remind myself daily — but that would be a small fabrication
MANY DAYS IT IS MOMENT TO MOMENT.
and Im ok with that as long as it prevents me from quitting.
xo
Most definitely! I can relate!
Absolutely. We must always evaluate our form. Small tweak make a huge difference and allows us to perfect each movement to benefit most from it. Great reminder.
I’m always focusing on form when I am tired! It’s the easiest time to slip up!
You are so much braver than me! I hate swimming. A friend tells me it’s like meditation when you’re breathing is regulated. Do you agree, or is it something you really have to work at?
I can’t say when I’m working out hard swimming is like meditating but when I’m just cruising it is very similar. I get lost in the pool and feel completely different than any other time on land. Despite working hard or swimming easy breathing should be natural! Try having a swimming friend look at your breathing or check out videos on YouTube to make that switch. This doesn’t come over night but when the natural breathing clicks you’ll feel a world of difference.
Thanks Courtney, that’s really practical advice.
Courtney definitely answered that way better than I could!! Check out her response.
I had my first swim lesson last night, and it totally kicked my butt! I’m going to have to really hunker down and focus if I expect to be any kind of swimmer at all.
I feel like I am more tired after swimming than any other sport!
I also started swimming with a runner’s background. The biggest difference between running and swimming for me is that I can swim as hard or as long as I want, for days and weeks on end, but unless my FORM is correct, I won’t get ANY faster. It’s such a change from running, where time and effort = speed, more or less. Congrats on the improvements! I think with swimming you really have to take what you can get, even if it’s only a few seconds here and there!
A few seconds can make a huge difference for sure!!
I do believe small changes add up for sure. You have to start somewhere right?
Absolutely! Little steps add up to big ones
I used to be really horrible about looking down when I run. I read a few articles about running form and started to work on looking up when I run. I would pick a point in front of me and stare at it, then move my eyes when I got to that point. I also learned to relax my arms and not hold them so tight & up high. Dropping my arms helps me to relax and oddly helps me to quicken my pace.
I tend to totally zone out when I run! I look down too!
Yay for the clicking Mary! You have been rocking it in the pool. And the best part is you still have room for improvement. I can’t wait to see where you’ll be by the end of the summer. I admire your hard work and efforts to make those small changes. Maybe you can return the form favor and help me with my running
Oh, man- I need those swim coaches! I just signed up for my first tri, despite not hitting the pool in months… and never “really” swimming. Got a lot to learn in the few weeks I have to cram in my training.
I definitely believe those small tweaks can pay off, both in swimming and running.
Luckily swimming is first, so you will not be as tired!
I totally agree with small changes can lead to big results … particularly in swimming. I coached swim team for years and found the littlest things led to substantial reductions in time. Way to go!
I do this every practice, but my problem is remembering all the millions of things Felipe and Court have said… there’s like a million things and they don’t always agree lol!
I’d be interested in hearing where Felipe and I differ on technique. As far as I can tell we agree…we just have different ways of explaining the same concept. Make sure you speak up if you’re confused! We don’t want that because learning swimming technique is hard enough.