Helps with lengthening the stroke and rotation also in my experience. Fly helps with core strength and the catch and pull. BR I felt helps with the catch but was the one stroke that gave limited advantages especially with the pressure on knees if the whip kick is done properly. I do use things like BR arms FC or Fly legs. Makes you use your brain
Yeah, totally feel that. When you catch the rhythm it feels all good, but one slip and you’re out and all over the shop.
I’m only swimming once per week as non-weight bearing cross training, so just taking the opportunity to experiment while I dont have a swim race near.
Seem to have picked up tumble turning quickly too.
Backstroke will be next.
still making steady progress… 2 months now of working on increasing SPM, and its becoming my natural rate… if I ‘just swim’, i’m a full 8 SPM higher than in Sept.
I feels like its paying off in my pace too… swam a 600m set tonight of 50’s at 1:35 off 1:50 pace and that would have been unthinkable just a few months back… what is most noticeable is that it feels ‘smooth’, like a continuous motion, rather than a series of unconnected individual strokes.
I need to work hard on maintainng that pace at greater distance, but for the first time in a LONG while, I feel there’s potential to improve, rather than a plateau that I didn’t know how to get past.
Thanks due to Hammerer for firstly some motivation, but most importantly for challenging me to think about where to focus my efforts a bit differently…cheers!
One other unexpected benefit, is that i’m becoming one of the guys in the lane that some others wait at the ends to let by, instead of being held up waiting to let others by myself… its a nice feeling to be in the quicker group! 
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Had a month off swimming due to my local pool being closed for annal maintenance
Last week was first week back. Monday joined fast group, 2600m @ 1:38/100m avg, sort of kept up, but felt terrible. Thursday had a long set, joined middle group (Monday just fast and slow, Thursday 3 groups), long set 3300m @1:43/100m, it felt pretty terrible… however, managing to hold that pace for 3300m would not have been possible last year.
Yesterday’s swim I thought would be awful, massively fatigued after too much training over the weekend, with just 2 lanes I joined the fast group. It was hard, 2600m interval set which involved 6 X 100 medley, however, I kept up and had an average pace of 1:33/100m which I am pretty sure is my best ever, especially pleased with 5 * 100 off 1:45 all in 1:27-1:28
This year, our new coach (ex olympic swimmer), has us doing lots of medley. I can now manage 2 lengths of butterfly (in under 50s), without looking like a comedy swimmer. My perception is that it really helps with shoulder strength, feeling the water and timing the kick… trouble is my perception is that 2 lengths of fly equates to 8 legths of crawl in terms of fatigue
LOLS!
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It was the same in Germany; they do like to drag-out the maintenance unduly. In Erding, there would be a 2-week gap between the indoor pool closing for summer, and the outdoor pool opening (and vice-versa when the outdoor pool closed). Presumably because the all important ‘Process Map’ didn’t allow for concurrent activity 
Good to hear still finding progress.
Listened to a podcast last week and though about calling you out due to Lanza/KQ ambitions. Podcast suggested need to ride 380W to overtake through a 20m draft zone of someone riding 240W. Obviously less for 12m zone within 20s, but still shows the spikes you need to do.
Clubmate who returned from Kona this year suggested near enough impossible to overtake in the first 50km as it’s one continuous pace line, and thinks he needs to improve swim to have any chance of getting further up the road on the bike.
Started properly yesterday. Hoping to get 3 sessions a week.
20 x 50m trying to concentrate on technique. Increased my stroke rate to 60 and tried to iron out dead spot as I know I tend to over glide. Alternating breathing every 2 / 4.
Hit around 55 seconds / 50m. Fooked after every 50m.
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A lot of this resonates with me. I’ve not consistently swum since the end of September when I had the trapped nerve issue in my left shoulder causing me extreme pain. I was then focused on the marathon.
I knew I was swimming rubbish on the few bits I did on holiday, but didn’t have a true gauge given the pools were different. Now I’m home … yep, I suck.
As confirmed this morning. At the end of our club session, where I had to bail on the last 150m due to missing the turnaround, I asked our coach at the end what I should focus on. His first response was, “no offence, but your swimming today was awful”. I like the fact he was honest!
I asked what, and he pretty much said everything. It’s going to be a long road back. Although your post does give me some optimism a week or two of consistent pool time and I might make some reasonable headway.
In other news, my cycling also sucks. FTP down 7.5% from Nice according to the FTP test I did last night. My 2020 goal of +10% to my 2018 FTP (where 2019 was already 4% down on this figure due to the prolonged run focus), really feels rather unreachable at the moment.
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You’re still ‘young’ …you’ll make it back.
I find the first session back, even after a couple of weeks off, is always awful. The water feels heavy and thick, but it’s only that first session and soon back into it.
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I did a spirited 400 yesterday (not flat out), the result was not awe inspiring. If the pool is quiet in a bit, I might go for 40x50m with 10s RI. Then a long tempo swim on Friday.
I seemed to be able to surf the sub-6 400/60~ min IM wave for so long, but 2018 marked the point where it just started to slip. Could it really just be the facial hair I started growing that year?
@stenard - I had years out doing nothing and it came back, even better, in under a year.
Chin up and keep training. It’ll easily come back.
Yeah, it was the same for me; no ‘proper’ swimming from 24 to 33 and I was back swimming close to 8 min for 500 in an Olympic pool in a matter of weeks. Within a year it was 60mins for Ironman.
I could swim after one of my coached sessions but I’m too embarrassed that the kids will see me 
Not sure I could ever get that back
Do as I say, not as I do?!
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Agree with this. Can make gains back very quickly though when start getting feeling and swim fitness back.
We used to complain at treacle feeling every Monday morning just from having Sunday off. First day back after summer break felt like drowning. It’s the best thing about being relatively less fit now is that don’t feel annoyed because used to it now.
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I coach 12 year olds that would probably beat me currently 
I would expect a 12 year old swimming club swimmer to be faster than me!
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I was the same when I boxed, so I just trained Sundays too but it was just really an active recovery sessions. Monday’s felt so much better!