Swimathon - help!

[Cornishmumofone]

I've signed up to swim 2.5k at Swimathon this year... but with a 1 year old who seems to pick up every germ going, I'm finding it hard to get to the pool. I was hoping this challenge would really kickstart my fitness, but I'm now getting a bit worried that I won't manage it.

Has anyone else signed up for Swimathon? Which distance are you doing? How's your training going? Have you got any tips you can share with me?

[Cornishmumofone]

Anyone? I thought there might be a few more swimmers around who are doing Swimathon!

[Lifeisabeach]

I haven’t entered it but I’ve spotted it’s happening at my local pool and I’d quite like to do it. I’d probably do the 2.5k distance too.

What can you do at the moment - how far can you swim and what stroke? Do you want to do drills to improve technique etc or just build up the distance you can do without stopping?

I do triathlons and am planning an Olympic distance one this year, which is a 1500m swim. So I’ve been building up the amount I can do non stop recently. I usually do a 200m warm up, then do my long distance swim, which I’m building up by 100m or so each time, and then a 200 or 400 cool down at the end.

Not sure if that helps? There’s a swimming for fitness thread you could join to chat to other swimmers..

[Sweetnlow]

I've signed up to do the 5k! I must be fucking mad!

I have a nesrly 5 month old baby and a 3 year old.

I have been swimming and am up to a mile (1.6k), no bloody idea how i am going to get enough training to ever be able to swim 5k!

[Cornishmumofone]

Hi @lifeisabeach and @sweetnlow - thanks for your replies.

I can swim about 1500m at the moment (I think), but it's quite slow and I'm struggling to find a longer chunk of time to get in the pool as I usually swim during my lunch-break. I mainly do front crawl - my technique isn't great, but it's better than my breaststroke. I think I need to work on my technique, so any tips would be great.

Do you do all of the same stroke during your swimming sessions, or do you do different strokes and drills?

Thanks for the tip about the swimming for fitness thread... I was just a bit nervous about posting there as everyone seems to 'know' each other and they al sound like good swimmers!

5k sounds like a great challenge - especially with two children. What's your training schedule like at the moment?

[SkiGirl007]

I signed up to do 1.5k in my own time as I don’t think our pool is doing it or I’ve not seen it yet. I can comfortably do 1k so it’s not great leap but I’m not a natural swimmer and just thought it would give me a nice goal to work towards. Doing it with little ones who get every bug going Oct-March is hard work. My youngest is 6yr and still seems to have had a constant stream of colds etc since Sept!

[SkiGirl007]

Some folk recommend swim smooth on YouTube for technique. I dip in and out looking up ideas as I’m self-taught FC last year, along with my eldest daughter giving me tips

[Cornishmumofone]

Thanks @SkiGirl007 - I'll have a look at some of the swim smooth videos. Sorry to hear your LOs have been ill. I'm living in hope that my baby's immune system toughens up as she's been constantly ill since October :-(

[CorrigansDoorKnob]

Come over to the swimming for fitness thread. I don't know anyone, but I'm probably scaring people away with my long swimming sessions, which I will tone down.

Have you got time/money for some lessions? I've only been swimming for 2 years and my swimming has improved heaps after lessons, in particular 1-2-1 video analysis. Its interesting to see your faults in glorious high definition, but then also to have help solving them. If you have good technique then your will make greater gains with less effort. You could swim 3 times a week with lower distances and still achieve a finish in the Swimathon.

[SandLand]

Come over to swimming for fitness thread. Corrigans does some scary distances, but she shouldn't tone it down. And it feels like everyone knows each other because they are a lovely welcoming bunch, and will embrace you and offer support and advice.
My only suggestion would be if getting to the pool is out sometimes, can you run or do an excerise video at home to improve your base fitness level? Any fitness will gelp. Obviously swimming is best, but something is better than nothing.
Good luck.

[Cornishmumofone]

Thanks @CorrigansDoorKnob and @SandLand - I'll dip my toe in the water of the Swimming for Fitness thread

[Clevs]

I’ve done the Swimathon several times since the nineties and always do the 5km distance. I would love to do it again this year but my due date is mid-March and I’m not sure if it’s a bit ambitious to be doing it a few weeks after giving birth (first pregnancy so have no idea how I’ll be feeling!).

However, if I feel ok I’m hoping to enter last minute. I may have to reduce the distance to 2.5km this year but I’d really like to enter. There’s a lack of swimming events for the general public and I love doing this as there’s always a good atmosphere and it encourages me to go swimming regularly to train for it (there will be no training this year though!).

[rwalker]

I used to train for years with the idea going as long as you can,fast as you can was best only ever slightly improved .Joined a triathlon club (always being intimidated by these as thought just hardened athletes, all abilities aged from 16 to 72 lovely people ) and just went to there swim training. Proper training session not as brutal as it sounds proper structured training with short rest periods,interval sets ,few technic tips and using pull buy and paddles can now swim a mile in just under 27 mins . When you train in a group easier to pace yourself as well good luck .