[swandive81]

So after a long (10 year) hiatus from swimming (and, well, from exercise in general), I joined my local YMCA and am back in the pool! In the past, swimming has been the only form of exercise I could really get excited about, and I'm on week two and really loving it so far.

I used to be a swim instructor, and my technique is still pretty good (some strokes are rustier than others). I also have a surprising amount of stamina... I've been doing about 2,400 meters (a little shy of 1.5 miles) in about an hour, which is honestly kind of amazing to me since I can barely jog a mile. I won't be winning any races any time soon, but I am hoping speed will come with time.

The issue I am having is that, now that I am reacquainted with the water, I honestly have no idea what I should be striving for in terms of improvement. I am swimming for both strength development and weight loss, and I don't want to get stuck in a rut. Does anyone have any workouts or training regimens that they could recommend?

Thanks so much!

[doubtingJulia]

There's a book called Swimming for Total Fitness by Jane Katz that I've found very helpful in the past. I also need to get my butt back in the pool. :-)