Swimmers unite!

[aristocat]

Any swimmers still here?

There were quite a few of us last year, just wondered if you are still here. I still go 3 or 4 times a week and love it :)

[booksandchoc]

I'll join you! I've just started back, not really been since Dd was born and she's nearly 2! I'm going 3 times a week, aiming to do the great Scottish swim in august.

[aristocat]

Great stuff books It is easy peasy once you get back into the routine!

[booksandchoc]

I'm hoping so, I used to be able to do 2 lengths a minute and now I'm struggling to even do 2 lengths. My target just now is 20 lengths.

[ConfusedPixie]

I want to start going swimming again, I really need lessons though as my technique is shocking and I am embarrassed to go!

[kaizen]

Great thread! I only started swimming in June after constant running injuries. I've been on two swimming holidays, and am booked for some longer swims this year- Scilly Swim challenge in September anyone??

[SugarMouse1]

Oh great, I'd love to do an outdoor swim- is it expensive?

Maybe try aquafit if your struggling?

Or swim with a float?

[kaizen]

sugarmouse - The Scilly swim is about £110 i think, but its from island to island in one day, so 10 miles of swimming and 6 miles of walking with lots of back up and support - hence the price. Ive done about 4 miles in the sea at once and that nearly killed me so i'm building it up over the summer and in the pool.

I started last year and was knackered swimming 40 lengths, and then added 10 at a time, I'm now at 100 for a 'normal' swim session, and 200 once a week. I've got my eye on a channel attempt in a few years.....
I was a shit swimmer as a kid, and hated the few sessions i did at school but now have found that its the only sport where a bit of body fat helps, and women are naturally more buoyant than men. I've met some really lovely people too swimming, i think theres something levelling about everyone being in cossies, hats and goggles

confused Pixie - youtube is really good for technique stuff - the whole of Total Immersion lectures and videos are on there, and SwimSmooth ones too. i tend to go ane practice one thing at a time, so later i'm going to go and try keeping my ankles closer together cos apparently i swim like a really inelegant starfish and can't keep my legs together

[dizzyday07]

I am a swimmer! For the last couple of years I have entered the Swimathon and been able to complete the 2.5k with only a couple of weeks of "training" in the run up to it but this year I have entered the 5k so now need to do more regular sessions so that I can complete it in a half decent time!

[aristocat]

confused don't be embarrassed at your technique, there are all sorts of different styles at my pool.

It was so busy this morning ...... always more swimmers at the start of the year on a keep-fit drive.

I swim 40L but do swim 3 or 4 times a week :)

[ConfusedPixie]

I'm going to be booking a 1-1 swim teacher to start in February to sort out my technique. I didn't learn much in my school swimming lessons! I don't have a style as such, just lots of splashing

I will check out youtube though!

[dizzyday07]

Normally I just plow up and down at a pretty steady but slow pace but today I followed the first part of the Swimathon training plan and it was different but I enjoyed it.

I completed the 1750m in the allotted 45mins! I usually don't use my legs a great deal but I have just started the couch 2 5k programme and I kicked the whole time without upsetting my rhythm too much which is what normally happens!

[pootlebug]

I started swimming properly in October - did an amazing one-day front crawl course that turned me from someone who could manage a length or two of crawl to someone who does 1500-2000m each time, 3 times a week.

Debating whether to do 2.5km swimathon in March. I am training for triathlons in the summer so don't think I can commit to swimming training enough to do longer, but 2.5km doesn't feel that far (have done that a couple of times when I just had more time than usual to be at the pool).

Did a half-day follow-up course to my initial front crawl course on Sunday and although on the day I was convinced I'd learnt next to nothing and just confused myself, when I got in the pool today found I'd gone from 17-19 strokes per 25m to 15-16 strokes, so it definitely made me more efficient.

But I can't turn....so if anyone can recommend any good YouTube videos on turn technique that would be great!

[Pleaseputyourshoeson]

@pootlebug who did you do the course with as I'm wanting to do a course too. I'm swimming a 3k in May so would like to try and sort my front crawl. Plus it's in open water which I've not done either.

[pootlebug]

I did it with Steven Shaw from www.artofswimming.com it

His method is very focussed in minimum effort for maximum forward propulsion which works v well for distance swimming and triathlons

[OddBoots]

Is a 'plodder' welcome, I swim steadily without stopping but very slowly (32m length takes me 1m30s), I do 1h30m once or twice a week. I'm never going to get faster because of a damaged and fragile spinal cord but it's the best form of exercise for me.

[kaizen]

pleaseputyour the three main front crawl technique-based 'schools' are the Shaw method, as pootle said, Total Immersion, and Swim Smooth.

All have teachers (or coaches) around the country who will teach you one on one, or offer workshops (if you google). They will all offer video stroke analysis first, and then take you through the basics, usually in an endless pool (mini pool which has a jet that you swim against) or in a local pool if it's a workshop.

I won't get into the 'politics' of each approach as there are plenty of heated discussions online but there are lots of similar things in each approach. Basically each one will teach you to swim more efficiently with less effort and you will improve massively and very quickly whichever you chose. And you'll enjoy it much more too. They all have websites so you can look at to see which approach you fancy, or you tube videos so you can see people swimming. And then you can become a true swim geek....(

[SwimmingMom]

Hi everyone! I love this thread (see my name!).

I didn't know to swim until 2 years ago & learnt swimming only as an adult. But I love it, and now am swimming 50 lengths (1000m) over about 45 mins. Am rather slow as am more focussed on technique than speed at the mo. I swim 1-2 times a week regularly.

I would love to learn - to swim in open water, deep water (& treading), improving my speed/stamina.

Thank you for the useful links, I will be looking them up to see if I can find any training that can move me forward.

[pootlebug]

That's really interesting Kaizen - I confess I really didn't research the options - found Shaw Method when googling for swimming lessons and went for it.

It didn't start with video analysis though - it started from learning all over again from scratch, on dry land and then in the pool (then another land session, and another pool session). Video analysis came at the end to see what you were and weren't doing in terms of 'new' method. So it was about re-learning (or learning in the first place if you had no front crawl ability at all), rather than adapting what you already do.

[kaizen]

pootlebug I have total immersion lessons, and Ive only been to workshops for 'improvers' so they use the videos as a starting point if you can already swim ok (or think you can!) We then used my video and went right back to basics of balance drills and building the stroke up. I spent hours in the outdoor pool practising balance drills and I still do them occasionally now (as I've got over feeling like a dick doing them- just) I envy the folks learning from scratch as there are no bad habits to get rid of.

And they don't have to see themselves looking like a little fat hippo under the water on video instead of the 5'7" mermaid they envisaged

[magimedi]

I'm thrilled to have found you all - thanks to Kaizen.

I've just started going swimming again 3 times a week & today (fifth swim) was pleased to have done 500M front crawl. I want to build up both speed & stamina but am dire at backstroke & have been told not to do breast stroke as it's not great for back problems. I need to improve my backstroke, I reckon. Or can I just do front crawl, my best & favourite stroke.

[legspinner]

Waves to aristo - hello, glad to hear you are still swimming!
Hello to everyone - I swim about 3 times a week. My technique is not great so I'll be checking out the links above - thanks all

I am doing a big ocean swim on Sunday (it's summer here) and am getting very apprehensive about it - it's pretty windy where I live at the best of times which makes local sea swimming quite challenging. Watching the wind / weather forecast closely..

[aristocat]

Hi legs yes still at it ;) Good luck for your weekend swim (not another triathlon is it?)

[Pleaseputyourshoeson]

Thanks for the info Kaizen and Pootlebug, I'll look them up. Really helpful. What a great place mumsnet can be!

[EBearhug]

I haven't swum for ages, (bad cold before Christmas, and generally just very busy, yes, excuses,) and I refuse to go in January, as I can only go at peak use times, and I hate having to wait at the end of every length because it's so busy. But I am quite missing it

I find swimming can be very meditative - I count strokes in a length, and lengths, and it means I stop thinking about all the crap at work and so on.