My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Chat to other fitness enthusiasts on our Exercise forum.

Exercise

Swimming for fitness (part 5). The pools are open again. Dust off your goggles and dive in!

308 replies

TheOrigRights · 05/05/2021 23:45

We're so busy counting laps we didn't see part 4 fill up!

Everyone is welcome here.

OP posts:
Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 06/05/2021 09:06

Thanks rights

Report
TheOrigRights · 06/05/2021 10:48

Grin
Today's drill was kick on side with rotation. Let's just say I was not as elegant as the donny in the video!

Am going to ache like a bastard tomorrow.

OP posts:
Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 06/05/2021 12:32

I’ve booked a lane session Friday night if my sore covid jab arm is ok I’m going to play around with my stroke rate and breathing after Tiz advice.

Report
profpoopsnagle · 06/05/2021 21:40

I'm pleased with my progress so far. I am trying to get 4 sessions in a week (until the novelty wears off), even if the sessions are only 30 mins. I am finding that I can do 40x 25m lengths breaststroke in 30 mins if I just want a continuous swim without much thinking- it wasn't that good before lockdown.

I am really trying hard to practise my FC, there's just so much to remember, but tonight I felt that my glide was going well and the breathing became more natural the longer I did it. I managed 15 lengths of FC tonight (although not continuously!) which is the most I have ever done. I find that the slower I take it, teh more effective the stroke is!

Report
ZenNudist · 06/05/2021 21:58

I swim for fitness. I never lose weight but it clearly tires me out and I do it to help my bad back and neck.

Pretty much do 45 mins FC no counting lengths. Can't really go any faster. Really slow at breast stroke so can't do that in the fast lane.

I'm slower than most in the fast lane and faster than the middle lane so I overtake everyone. How do I get faster so I don't have to hold up the fast lane? Admittedly it depends on the baths because in one place I go I have no problem swimming in the fast lane.

Also why do so many slow swimmers choose the middle lane? It makes me wish the life guards would demote them. Clue: if absolutely everyone overtake you its time to move lanes.

Report
YoBeaches · 06/05/2021 22:32

@profpoopsnagle I've been doing the same - slowing down a bit to try and keep the stroke effective. Tonight I did 48l in 36 mins which I don't think is too bad? I am doing bilateral breathing which seems to take at least 10/15 lengths to get into the right rhythm.

My 2k outdoor swim is in 7 weeks. I did a sea swim on Saturday and as much as I was fretting about jellyfish (none) and inhaling sea water (didn't) i had totally forgotten about the extra bouyancy of salt water and a wet suit. It was a short dip but positive.

Report
tizwozliz · 06/05/2021 22:44

I think I'm going to skip the outdoor swimming events this year, normally I like to do a couple but we tend to go to ones further afield and make a weekend of it and think it's going to be too much hassle sorting accommodation out.

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 07/05/2021 06:51

@ZenNudist I’m the same I’m not quite fast enough for the fast lane if anyone serious gets in but the middle lane recently has only been breaststroke head out go slow swimmers who stop every length. I had an ally last week as a guy was also in the same lane swimming FC at similar speed but then one of the breaststroke ladies told him off for overtaking & gave me fifly look muttering something about if your doing FC should be in fast lane only ffs! Luckily the lifeguard did come over to remind her that wasn’t true as she got quite arsey at one point with the guy who was really nice and I didn’t see him do anything wrong. It was a double width lane so we’d both spent most of the session using the middle part to overtake. The fast lane had 4 club swimmers in it going super fast so there was no way we could have gone in there. The joys of public swimming Grin

Report
Mxflamingnoravera · 07/05/2021 07:39

Ah, the middle lane bane. I thought it was just me that finds myself too slow for fast but often too fast for middle, why oh why do people book the middle lane when they are going to stop and chat after every length? Why don't they look before kicking off for yet another length of floating on their back whilst fluttering their hands when they can see a FC (but slowish) swimmer catch them up every length?

I'm no way fast enough for the fast lanes and for some reason our pool has allotted them two lanes and two for slow but only one, narrow lane for medium. If I wait before pushing off I lose my place and some other head out breaststroker will circle round and blithely carry on.

There are signs now telling us not to overtake and not to stop and to give way to faster swimmers but clearly they don't apply to the middle laners who can swim but can't bear to admit they are slow.

Rant over. I'm just so grateful to have our pool open I just grit my teeth and turn up late for the session as most get out after half an hour and I get the lane to myself then.

Report
TheOrigRights · 07/05/2021 08:32

I'm getting better at telling the life guards to sort people out.
I do think the pools could help by putting up boards reminding people of the rules/etiquette. It might be that people just don't know.

I also try and time my swim for the end of the session.

OP posts:
Report
tizwozliz · 07/05/2021 09:42

We have boards up reminding people not to overtake, to give way to faster swimmers etc. but I think the people who are oblivious to others in the lane are likely equally oblivious to the signs.

On Wednesday there were 8 people in the 'fast' lane and only 3 in the next medium lane down. I don't know why slower people don't move down in that scenario.

Luckily our lanes are double wide so can just ignore the no overtaking rules. If the lifeguards have a problem with that they need to sort out the people who push off in front of others. I've only had words with one person so far. I've seen the lifeguards have to intervene in middle lane squabbles more often. Our pool is constant depth so the middle lane swimmers have to put up with the aqua joggers too.

I had a lovely 15 minutes with the lane entirely to myself at the end of the session today

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 07/05/2021 11:24

I did get a lovely 15mins in the sea this morning flat calm, no lanes fab Grin even got a sprint of FC in as the warm is very slowly starting to warm enough to not get brain freeze/ numb face with head in swimming again.

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 12:06

Had a good mile swim last night really enjoyed it as I got in lane two, the 2nd fastest and we were 4 ladies all a similar pace doing FC and being really polite at ends. We left the middle double width lane with 5 splashy blokes then one tried to join our single lane so I gave him a hard stare and he jumped back after one length Grin he was the splashiest with Straight arm FC?! I tried a 4/2/4 breathing pattern and was speeding up I cut 2mins off my mile time but I was concentrating so much on 4/2/4 that I couldn’t count number of strokes at the same time 🤣I will keep practicing though as this will help me speed up I can feel it.
That meant with the seaswim earlier I got 2k swam yesterday in under an hour, pleased with that as I feel like I’m making progress again.

Report
boredsolicitor · 08/05/2021 12:21

Hi everyone I've just started swimming again after a big gap and I wondered if there were any YouTube tutorials or websites that you would recommend for me to look at to try and improve my stroke and time. At the moment I can only do breaststroke/slowly And backstroke A bit quicker but not much. I can do 45 Lengths of a 25 meter pool but it takes me 45 minutes so properly slow. I'd like to learn how to do front crawl and speed up but don't really know where to start. Grateful for any advice on where to look.

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 12:42

@boredsolicitor there’s been a few of us on here who have learnt FC in our 40s, so it’s very doable Smile if you can get a couple of 1:1 lessons that may help. To learn FC I used a pull buoy float between my thighs to really focus on the arms and breathing. My lightbulb moment was that the body rolling initiates the breathing there is no head lifting (unless using it for sighting in open water). On YouTube I used effortless swimming and swim smooth. The basics like kicking with a float held out front whilst you practice the breathing help. Plus the hardest thing my head had to get used to was that after doing a fast breaststroke my FC would be slower to start with, FC is all about the arm pull/body roll/breathing, (breaststroke is much more legs), but after getting the hang of the arm pull on FC I soon sped up again. Plus I think as adults we forget that kids learn FC over about 1-2yrs of lessons yet we expect to just ‘get it’ in a couple of weeks, but it takes practice. Good luck having ago

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 12:43

45L in 45mins isn’t slow either Smile

Report
Sammysquiz · 08/05/2021 13:14

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets cross about lane etiquette. I would like there to be a Swim Officer who stands at the end with a whistle & tells people to switch lanes if they’re being dicks. Come to think of it, that’d be a perfect job for me. Once I’ve sorted out people talking in the train quiet carriage Grin

I’ve just got back into swimming after a long break. Sorry for the shallow question, but it’s really drying my hair out. Can anyone recommend a good after-swim shampoo? I do wear a cap but still seem to be damaging my hair. I’ve seen protectors I can put on my hair beforehand, but surely that would all come off in the water & I’d be leaving a trail of gunk behind me??!

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 13:42

@Sammysquiz I dont think there’s a magic answer, some folk use a leave in conditioner, My DD has naturally dry hair & was swimming 4x a week pre-covid we just used to put coconut oil on the bottom third when it needed it. Just the coconut oil I use for cooking it seemed to work. She always wore a hat often two hats as her hair is long.

Report
boredsolicitor · 08/05/2021 14:10

Thanks so much tri sea - that's v helpful.

Report
tizwozliz · 08/05/2021 14:14

I’m glad I’m not the only one who gets cross about lane etiquette. I would like there to be a Swim Officer who stands at the end with a whistle & tells people to switch lanes if they’re being dicks.

On Wednesday I was envisaging an wristband system whereby you had to take a test and earn a wristband before being allowed to swim in the fast lane. I used to be an open water lifeguard and this is the system we had before kids were allowed in the deeper areas of the lake.

At the outdoor pool you have to book according to lane and I'd say 50% of people can't swim at the speed they state you need to be in the fast lane.(50+ lengths in 30 minutes)

Report
randomsabreuse · 08/05/2021 14:42

Hi everyone.

I've just got into swimming, swam at school and can still remember how to front crawl (more or less, breathing is very much work in progress!!) but massively prefer back crawl.

Spent 45 minutes in the pool last Monday which was interesting. I stuck to the slow lane as everyone else looked more competent than me, but was really too fast on my back but correct speed for FC (because I was not managing a length before breathing in water) and my inept attempts at breast stroke.

I've got ideas about doing a triathlon at some point so need to improve my front swimming skills. Running is the easy bit and I'm working on my cycling skills... So swimming is the last piece of the jigsaw!

I've been hoping to get my DC to the pool some time but not a hope as can only book 4 days in advance as a non-member. Can't even get them on the lessons waiting list. Ok for lane sessions in the late evening though and they're not too busy.

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 14:49

@randomsabreuse at my first Go-Tri over half were swimming breaststroke some head out... I learnt to FC before the Tri but in the panic of the choppy pool I reverted to my fast breaststroke and it was fine. If you can find a Go-Tri or similar they are good introduction to a Tri with relatively short distances swim 300m/ride10k/run2.5k is the start point I think. Give it a try, I never thought I could do it but I’ve had a go at couple now in my 40s

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

randomsabreuse · 08/05/2021 15:50

I can't breast stroke at all. Well I remain above water basically static. Can do side stroke (lifesaving towing stroke) but breaststroke is ineffective.

Report
sandwiches77 · 08/05/2021 19:04

TriSeaSwim99 how did you teach yourself FC using a pull buoy? And how did you progress?

Report
TriSeaSwim99 · 08/05/2021 20:01

Most of FC is the arm pull, so by using a pull buoy you don’t have to concentrate on kicking just on getting the arms and breathing right. Then take the pull buoy away and do a flutter kick. Watch some of the you tube stuff I mentioned above and just try it out in the pool

Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.