Why is my swimming fitness so much worse than my cycling and running fitness?
I cycle a lot, I run a bit, and I swim once per week. I have been training once per week for 5 months now. When I started, I could barely swim a length of freestyle. Now I can swim a lap with ease.
However, I am struggling to swim more than a single lap without stopping at one end. Now I know what you're all thinking: form and efficiency. I don't think this is the primary reason for my poor swimming performance, as I have focused on efficient form from day 1, and have had others verify that my freestyle technique is smooth.
My question is, is swimming fitness that much different to cycling and running fitness? Is this normal, and why is this the case?
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Swimming fitness is a little different because your arms are the predominant power source and your breathing is controlled instead of natural. If you are having trouble with a length, however, the dominant issue is likely to be efficiency. Form drag, friction, rotational drag, etc. will nearly stop you outright if you are not balanced and smooth. According to wikipedia, resistance is exponentially related to velocity and is also related to surface area, so good technique is essential. I suggest instruction.
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