beginner's swim plan to swim one mile in six weeks 0 to 1650 ZERO to 1650 in Six Weeks *(A swimmer's

mile is 1650, not 1760. It is the equivalent of 1500 meters)* (New - A Facebook discussion group has been put up by a swimmer doing this program. If you would like to join or begin a discussion please go to FB 0-1650 talk <http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102385074105&ref=mf>) There's an app for that. For Apple it's swim-a-mile <https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/swim-a-mile/id587366798?l=ru&ls=1&m t=8> Also, you can click on 1650 app <https://market.android.com/details?id=ru.humantouch.trainer_paid&fe ature=search_result > for your Android. If you're feeling uneasy in the water, especially of deep water take a look at: *Fear Of Water* <FearOfWater/FearOfWater.html> If swimming 100 yards is not yet possible go to *Zero to 700. * <Zeroto1milePreamble/pre-zero.html> Can't do it all freestyle (crawl)? Then see green note below. Young or old, fit or not, six weeks seems to be the most common length of time it takes to be able to swim a mile without stopping for rest. It requires three times per week and the willingness to be somewhat uncomfortable while stretching your aerobic capability. Like a scar forms in response to a wound, as a muscle enlarges to meet new demands, so does our ability to absorb oxygen. If we methodically increase our need, our body kindly responds. The amount of discomfort should be small, but it is necessary to pant a bit at the end of each effort and only partially recover before beginning another. The number of breaths taken before continuing I guarantee will not seem enough. I also promise you'll be surprised that you are able to continue much more easily than you imagined. The feeling of not having adequate rest is necessary to improve. A COUPLE HINTS: If you think you're really too breathless just to get to the end of the pool, let your legs drag; the quads, being so big, take a disproportionate amount of oxygen. Any muscle will, of course, use more when in use than when relaxed, so if you don't need to use the muscle, don't - for example, when you are recovering your arms. Relaxing even your neck will help make the swim easier. Speed is not your aim during these six weeks. Nor is the perfect stroke. They come later or not at all if your intention is just to enjoy the water, to relax, or to get some pleasant exercise. */nota bene: Week is 3x the yardage. Week 1 is 700 per day, 2100 for the week /* WEEK 1(3 Days): 4 x 100 yards (or meters)...rest for 12 breaths between 100s 4 x 50 yards...rest for 8 breaths between 50s 4 x 25 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 25s /total: 700 yards/ (/Your pool is 50 meters? Just add 2 50s instead of the 25s) /

WEEK 2: 200 yards...rest for 12 breaths 4 x 100 yards...rest for 10 breaths between 100s 4 x 50 yards...rest for 6 breaths between 50s 4 x 25 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 25s /total: 900 yards/ WEEK 3 400 yards...rest for 12 breaths 200 yards...rest for 10 breaths 4 x 100 yards...rest for 8 breathsbetween 100s 4 x 50 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 50s /total: 1200 yards/ WEEK 4 600 yards...rest for 10 breaths 300 yards...rest for 8 breaths 4 x 100 yards...rest for 6 breaths between 100s 4 x 50 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 50s /total: 1500 yards/ WEEK 5 1000 yards...rest for 8 breaths 4x 100 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 100s 4x 50 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 50s /total: 1600 yards/ WEEK (days 1 and 2): 1200 yards...rest for 6 breaths 3 x 100 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 100s 3 x 50 yards...rest for 4 breaths between 50s (day 3) 1650 yards straight (equals 1500 meters) /total: 1650 yards!/ A FEW WORDS ABOUT TECHNIQUE: It is said by many that technique is everything, yet I've said very little here about it. I've noticed that most of the big problems of a beginner disappear on their own by the time they can swim a straight mile. Holding the head too high - the most common problem - is difficult; as you become more comfortable, gravity kindly assists you and it goes down without attention. A stable head invariably transfers to a narrower kick and that second most common problem disappears on its own. But is technique really everything after the first six weeks? Yes. Technique means nothing more than making the stroke simpler, using less energy, so that your effort is channeled directly into propelling you forward. Take at look atVery Basic Swimming <VeryBasicSwimming.html> for some suggestions. I recommend that you not tie yourself up in knots and get discouraged by technical concerns in the beginning. You're here to enjoy some exercise, not go to the olympics. I'm often asked if changing strokes defeats the purpose of the whole idea. Could it possibly be better to abandon the plan of swimming a continuous mile rather than switch strokes? Of course not. Also, once the stamina is built and you go on to other workouts, other strokes are part of the scheme. They add to your skills and provide

enjoyable variety. For stamina's sake, after you've gone the distance any way you can, try to eliminate the resting strokes, but get the distance by any and all means at first.

Very Basic Swimming (especially with triathletes in mind) There are three objectives to swim training for triathle tes: Go long. Go easy. Go fast Go long. If you are just beginning, there are two ways to increas e your distance. You can do a mile from day one, changing your stroke to anythin g easy, even sidestroke and elementary backstroke, whenever necessary. After a w eek, restrict the non-freestyle to something like every fourth lap, later to eve ry eighth lap, until you've eliminated non-freestyle altogether. Or, using no al ternative strokes, you can swim shorter distances, strictly limiting rest time t o ten breaths, gradually increasing the yardage. Both methods should take about six weeks until you are able to do the whole mile non-stop, all freestyle. Take a look at: Zero to 1650 yards Go easy. This is a matter of technique which primarily consists of DO NOT GET IN YOUR OWN WAY. What does that mean? Mostly a series of Do Nots. Do Not place or move any part of your body in such a way as to interfere with your forward progress. Soun ds obvious, doesn't it? E.g., do not allow your kick to be very deep or extend b eyond the width of your body; keep your arms within the invisible narrow tube in which you are swimming; move your head as little as possible, in a line with yo ur torso; do not tense up with excessive concern for your technique! There are f requent changes in swim training theories; often the prevalent advice is based o n observing whoever won the most recent olympic swims and may have little to do with what is best for you. You can improve your own methods by imitating those w hose swimming seems to you to be effortless as well as fast, and you can do dril ls at least once per week. Drills: These are just a few. Swim one length one arm only, return using the other arm. This will also be an opportunity to learn to breathe on both sides. Catch-up means to touch your hand outstretched in front o f you before you pull. Hesitation is a delay at the end of your pull while your other arm remains up front. Ripple means dragging your fingers through the water close to your body, keeping your elbows directly above your hand. Fist swimming is just that, sensing the leverage your arms get without the use of your hands. Tarzan is, of course, with your head up, a handy ability for triathlons. It is always a good idea to count your strokes frequently and reduce them if you can d o so without slowing down. Although the best swimmers often have very low stroke counts, some fast world class swimmers, such as Janet Evans, do not. Do what wo rks for you. Go fast. There is only one way to increase your speed. You must break the distance into s maller segments that can be swum faster - sometimes much faster - than your race distance pace. This is the meat and potatoes (or Powerbar and Gu) of all swim t raining. It is called intervals and is done with very short or medium or long re sts. Do all three. Here are a few sets: 500 meters broken 100's: 4x25 meters on :30, repeat 4 times with 30 seconds betw een each 4. 2000 ladder: 400, 4x100; 300, 4x75; 200, 4x50; 100, 4x25.

1600 pyramid: 2x50 on :60, 2x100 on 2:, 2x150 on 3:, 2x200 on 4:, and back down. 3000 ladder: 200, 2x175, 3x150, 4x125, 5x100, 6x75, 7x50, 8x25. Race distance 100: If, for example, you plan to do a 1/2 IM, swim 20X100 with ve ry short rests. Race distance 10: If you hope to an IM, go 10x400 with short rests. PUTTING IT TOGETHER If you are swimming three times per week, concentrate on distance one day, drill s another, and speed the third day, although not exclusively. Variations, using different strokes and employing swim *toys* such as kickboard, pull buoy, and fi ns, will make it easier and more pleasant to increase the length of your workout . I have fifty workouts for either 2000 or 3000 thousand meters at: 50 SwimWorkouts Other links: SWIMMING Swim training for an Ironman FlipTurns TriBasics Home The Adult Learner Minimal Training for a Sprint Triathlon (New - A Facebook discussion group has been put up by a swimmer doing the swim-one-mile plan. If you would like to join or begin a discussion please go to FB 0-165 0 talk) Home