Come Swim With Me

The best way to get involved in competitive swimming at any age is to find a local team and talk to the coach. There are many options available to the perspective swimmer that offer coached workouts and stroke instruction in a structured setting. This is by far the best way to go. There is no substitute for professional coaching coming from someone who has spent years immersed in the sport.

Getting into a consistent routine in the pool is key for steady improvement. Swimming with a team will provide both a consistent structure and the push that comes from swimming with other people that share your goals. Regardless of your personal level of experience you can always benefit from sharing the pool with a group of other swimmers of different skill sets and speeds. The fellowship and competitive push that can come from the others around you will help to drive your improvement and get you through the tough spots along the way.

A quick search on the web for pools and teams in your area is a great first step toward getting your feet wet in competitive swimming.

Sometimes it is just not possible to train with a team. Be it time constraints or the lack of an active group near you, you just may find yourself making the first steps of your journey alone. If this is you there are still ways to improve yourself while training solo.

Do some research on your own and find a training method that works for you. There are tons of people to interact with on USMS's forums and there are workouts available for almost any skill level.

Watch champion swimmers and imitate the technique. There are plenty of DVDs on the market that feature Olympians demonstrating their skills and sharing tips that can help anyone seeking to move through the water more efficiently.

If you are going to be self training be sure to stay consistent and set up your sessions to allow yourself to balance a sound mix of technique, endurance, and speed. Each of your workouts should include adequate time to warm up in the beginning of your workout and wind down at the end. Make what happens in the middle count but don't skip the bookends - they are equally important.

Do - Reach out to a local club to find coaching. Find a good competitive group and a coach that understands where you are coming from. Chances are, if the coach has been coaching for more than a decade they have seen a wide variety of swimmers come down the pipe. Ask, listen, do - lather, rinse, repeat.

Don't - Drive yourself crazy trying to follow every single methodology you find. There are many, find one and stick it out. If it doesn't work for you then make a change. Many people end up chasing their own tails for years by grasping for every tidbit they read about or see. Be consistent and committed to something.

Do - Be consistent and then do it some more. If you are truly looking to improve you need time in the water and plenty of it. This can gradually increase over time so don't worry if you are just starting out. Show up to the pool at least three days per week and build into your level of participation.

Don't - Crash train... "I have a triathlon in three weeks and I really need to be able to swim a mile." Give yourself enough time to get involved and improve before you bite off something big. Swim training is like a mutual fund - what you get out of it is entirely dependent on what you put into it.

Do - Be realistic. If getting across the pool is a major accomplishment, take the victory and stay on the path. Bite out the pieces you can chew and let your goals rise in proportion with your skill level.

Do - Have Fun! Life is too short to drag yourself back and forth across a pool if you don't enjoy yourself while doing it. If you find yourself in the doldrums shake it up with a speed game or breath control challenge, you can race a team mate or try an event you have never done before. Having a reason to train and an active goal will make training both fun and rewarding.