Floating, Swimming, Running, and Lifting

Question
Do you know: Is there some threshhold below which a person cannot float very well? For reference: The ideal male should have about 15% body fat. The average American male has about 23%. I myself have 12.7%, which may actually be at 12% even as I write this (I've been running up to 8 miles per day).

I have been trying (and trying and trying) to learn how to swim, but it just doesn't work.  

To a first approximation, one can only learn so much from lessons and then the rest must be fixed in practice.  

In your experience, how long does it take for a person to learn to swim, start to finish? I only want to learn how to do the front crawl.

Also: The purpose of this learning how to swim is to get my body fat down to 7%.  And that is another troubling issue. I see some of the fattest people that I've ever seen at the pool. One woman at the pool was so big, I'm surprised that she didn't have a blow-hole.  But she got in the pool and swam back and forth for 45 minutes without stopping. I can only make it across one or two times before I'm out of breath. This in spite of the fact that I can run 8 miles in 76-80 minutes without stopping.

As near as I can figure, there's someting wrong with my stroke. Talking to my research advisor (also a pudgy man who can swim very well), he says that that could be the only explanation.  And that someone with arms the size of mine should be flying through the water.  Could that really be true? Does stroke length have that much to do with arm length?

Lastly: If I want to build a hard and lean body, is swimming really even the way to go (in light of all the fat people that I've seen at the pool)? Or should I just stick with running? (I also lift weights, BTW and have some muscle mass.)

Answer
Lemas --

What a bunch of (very good) questions!  I guess I'll start at the beginning.

*floating:  some people cannot float very well.  Men are usually the victims of this.  Contrary to popular opinion, however, the difference is not that men have less fat, but that its placed differently.  Try a front float to determine whether you can float or not.  Just go limp, face-down in the water (aka the dead-man's float).  If part or all of your head and back are out of the water, you will be able to float on your back.  If not, you are one of those people who simply cannot float.

*length of learning:  once again, it all depends on the person.  I've seen people learn to swim in less than a week, and I've been teaching a lady for almost three years now (who has just begun to feel comfortable in deep water.)  Stick with it, and eventually you'll get it.  You may also want to seek out a local swim coach for an hour of private instruction, so that you can learn what you need to do differently.

*Pudgy people:  A lot of heavier individuals use the pool as an easy way to lose weight.  (or at least, they think it is).  It's easier on the joints, so from a fat-person standpoint, its a lot healthier than walking.  The key, however, that keeps most of them heavy, is that in order for a water workout to be effective, you need to keep your heart rate in a target zone (which your pool should have available for you to consult.)

*Endurance:  swimming endurance is different from running endurance.  They go together very well, but they are different.  For example, when you run, you breathe in and out as you wish ... probably pretty frequently.  However, swimming requires you to put your face in the water and hold your breath for a length of time, which decreases the oxygen in the blood and wears you out faster.  To improve this, be sure you're breathing every other or every third stroke (at least).  This will come with practice, the same as running.

*Strokes:  You may be doing the stroke all wrong, but I can't tell you from here.  As I suggested earlier, ask a swim coach (or, at the least, a lifeguard) to critique your stroke.  By the way, arm length helps with swimming speed (although if you're doing the stroke wrong, it can actually be an impediment.)

Swimming is a great way to burn fat and gain muscle (if you keep your heart rate in your target zone.)  I would use it as a supplement to running, since that seems to be your favorite.  You can add it into your workout every other day (or whatever you prefer) to add a little variety.  It will help you build up the arm, chest, shoulder, and thigh muscles.  Just keep that target heart rate, and don't be discouraged by all the fat people.  Just be happy for them that they are attempting to become a healthier person.

Hope this answers your questions.  If you have any more, or you need clarification on anything, feel free to contact me at any time.  Good luck!

Lorena