Hi. Keen swimmer here!!! :)

Hi. My name is James. I am seeking some advice about swimming and technique. I absolutely love swimming - particularly open water, but I currently train regularly every day at our local pool, swimming at least 1.5-2 miles a day.

What I am seeking is advice to improve my technique, actual swimming times etc.

My main problems are that I cannot kick start further than about 7.5 metres if I am lucky, and want to know how can I improve this? What is the recommended time from kick-off the wall to start of stroke? I tend only to last 3 seconds submerged. Is this too short? My dolphin kick can be upto 8 from the wall, but after that I tend to rise to the surface.

I also have problems with breath control even though I think I have good lung capacity. On a treadmill I cn run 3 miles in 24 minutes but am breathing very heavily but controlled - I do not do more than I can manage.

In the pool, I can do one whole length on one breath in about 27 seconds, but most of my lengths are 31 seconds per 25m. This has stayed the same even though my long distance time for a mile for exaple has reduced from 47 mins 36 in October 2009 to 34 mins 48 secs now - this is a PB.

My other problem is that my time can vary as much as 5 minutes. In the morning I am upto 5 minutes slower for one mile than in the afternoon. This morning for example I did one mile in 38 minutes when I can usually do it in 35, but half a mile in the afternoon was completed in 16 mins 25 secs. I find it very difficult to pull as much water in the morning compared to the afternoon. The rowing machine in the gym here, even on the most difficult setting, I can pull this eally hard for 5 minutes and only pull 1189m - but it is not strong enough for me. On the last occasion, I fell off the rowing machine, because I was pulling so hard the machine would not take any more friction. I wanted to pull it even harder to strengthen my arms - and yes I was doing heavy controlled breathing.

We also have a hand bike in the gym, and I have been known to turn 520 metres worth in 1 minute with my arms. despite this, my swimming is very slow, and want to go really fast in the pool and outdoors.

Below is another post I placed elsewhere. Can anyone advise me having read it all. Sorry for its length.

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STROKE TECHNIQUE AND TRAINING ADVICE

I am a keen open water swimmer, but not a triathlete. I have always liked swimming, but since a poor open water event last year, I want to make the best of th next one.

For that reason, I have spent the last 5 months swimming every day and gradually increasing my distance. I have also been given very useful hins on how to improve my technique for which I am very grateful.

In October 2009 I was only able to swim a mile in 47 mins 30 secs. Now I can do it in 35 minutes.

My question relates to technique. I have problems with getting low stroke count AND efficiency together. Either I can do low srroke count and do it slow, or a higher stroke count and swim fast. My time for both is about the same.

When I was swimming a mile in 47 minutes, my 25m time was around 31-33 seconds. However, despite me reducing my mile time by 15 minutes, my 25m time is still around 31 seconds, with a stroke rate of 16 cycles (32 arm pulls) per length. The smallest number of stroke cycles per length for me was 12 (24 arm pulls), but that meant I increased my time because I could not do this style very fast at all.

From wall to the 20m bunting the fewest strokes I took for this distance was 9 cycles.

I am also doing gym work to imrpove, but I am 5 ft 8, 9 st 6 lb, 39 years old and size 8 feet (width D), and very hairy.

My PBS are:
50m: 51.96, (usually do between 56-65 secs)
100m: 1 min 54 secs
200m: 3 mins 56 secs
400m: 7 mins 53 secs
800m: 15 mins 52 secs
1 mile: 33 mins 48 secs

I have very great difficulty kicking fast, and often cannot move my feet very much at all. My breath control is very poor, but am able to swim a whole 25m under water in around 27 seconds if I push it. It feels to me as if I am being strangled while I am doing it this way.

I currently swim arund 1.5 to 2 miles a day and need to improve more. I am very happy with my progress so far, but want to get to a competitive level.

If anyone can help me on this on how I can improve I would be most grateful.

I would like to know also which is the best competition-legal swim suit I can now use that will give me the best performance? My current one is a traditional trunks size 32 but would prefer to use a tighter pair.

I really need advice on this, so genuine help would be very much appreciated.

Thanks very much and I look forward to hearing from you.

James

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Finally I need advice as to whether any particular products are banned if in competition? Is NO-Explode banned, or Q10 tablets, or Vitamin D3 or Vitamin C supliment, or "My Protein When Protein?

Sorry if the last bit is a bit of an odd question, but I know absolutely nothing about sports nutrition and am not sure what products ARE allowed to be taken if a competitive athlete. ADvice would be very much appreciated.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Cheers for now. It's back to the pool in the morning. :)

James Robinson