Swimmers unite!

Waves to all swimmers.

I am going 3 x a week & doing a steady 1K of front crawl.

I have had to start using ear plugs as water in ear was really getting bad & I was worried about infections.

I was dreading it, but since getting them I seem to be swimming better!

Only going once every week or so, but hello!

Wondering how all you other swimmers getting on? I'm managing 3 swims a week and have noticed improvement in fitness. Have had some great ideas from my swim club about how to mix things up and avoid getting bored which has really helped. Other than fitness and toning, I have real aim - not sure that's important but I sometimes wonder.

Hello all! Just marking place.. I came on to see if there was any advice about swimming hats and front-crawl technique and I've already read loads on this thread - so thankyou!

(I am swimming once/twice a week as cross-training for my marathon running training schedule, and loving it! I've been doing 40 lengths in the pool = 1km but did my first 1600 last night and will try and do the mile each time from now on.)

Hello, I'm hoping to start swimming soon. I'm aiming for 100m to start with and increase by a few lengths each time. Can't quite remember how to swim properly or how to put a swimming cap on so it shall be interesting

Does anyone use the lap counting watches?

Always - there is a teenage sister and brother at DD's swim club (think they are 13 and 15) who did the Half Mile at Windermere. He came second and her 34th!!

I went again on Monday and felt much more comfortable this time. 80 lengths in 40mins. DD's coach saw me and said she might join me next week. I hope she's joking.

Can I join. Love swimming, stupidly very overweight and have developed an achilles tendon problem which is nagging me enough not to go to the gym at the moment. Bought a swimming costume today (not a practical one wbut it will do until I can comfortably get in my other one) We are very lucky as we have a 10 metre swimming pond on the garden so went in for the first time tonight and will continue, may even brave the sea in a week or two. I want to get back into the habit and encourage my DD 8, she loves swimming and it would be a good form of exercise for her as she is quite landlubberish although game at land side sports.

Hi all

I used to swim in my teens competitively (but was never amazing) and have recently come back to the pool after a lot of years of just playing in the water!

I've got up to 40 lengths in 35 minutes (pb last night of the 30meter pool) but I need something bigger to aim for to keep it up.

The great swims look like a fab experience and idea, when do you start training for a big swim like that and are there any other companies that do something similar?

I've never swam open water (other than when canoeing) and don't know anything about it!

I'm a pretty poor swimmer. I'm slow, when I try crawl I get overtaken by the old folks who don't even get their hair wet. I always try to bear my posture in mind.

Today was second swim in about four months, I thought I was doing well, my goggles are missing and the pool was full. Until I farted in the water and tried to smell my own fart. I nearly drowned. Sniffing the water is not recommended.

I did it

Great North Swim 2 miles at Windermere on Sunday went far better than I could have dreamed! Mill pond flat, lovely and warm (relatively speaking) and generally fantastic atmosphere. I beat my pool time too, which I wasn't expecting, so all round very pleased with myself.

Anyone doing any if the other Great Swim events? I'd really recommend it

Likewise Dizzy.i did a 3k open water a few weeks back and I've not been in the pool since. But I'm running/cycling instead. I think I will go in the morning. I bet it will feel exhausting after a few weeks out.

I haven't been in the pool since I did the Swimathon in March, and boy did I feel it today!

My arms felt like lead at @40 lengths and I was going so slow I was almost stationary, but I managed 60 lengths in the end. Took me 40 mins though where they'd normally take me 30 - so I think I need to make an effort to go on a more regular basis

hello, im hoping you are going to have some tips and hints for me, ive just started swimming again (I did swim in school but not since) I went to the early session this morning and did 50 lengths (it wasn't pretty) mainly backstroke. I tried front crawl but kept holding my breath for the whole length which is knackering! I cant seem to get my head in the water without inhaling and trying to drown myself any ideas to get over this hurdle.

also im really slow on my front - I seem to be putting lots of effort in and not getting anywhere.

and tips or am I destined to swim on my back forever!

How lovely to find swimming chat! I've had a good read through and thought I'd introduce myself.

I have been swimming on and off for exercise all my life, but never competed. I'm back at it again after a long break and I'm determined to keep going 3 times a week min. I'd love to go on a Swimtrek holiday one day and I'm keen to find some open water swimming soon.

I'm 40 and can breast-stroke up and down a 25m pool for a 100 or so lengths quite fast, but I've never managed the breathing for sustained front crawl. Until last week! I made the breakthrough discovery that I CAN do it if I just go a bit slower. duh. Now I'm thinking about getting some training or joining a class or something to help me improve and use both sides.

Hi all

I found this thread last night and I just wanted to say that I tried the total immersion method (well, what I thought was total immersion method) and instead of doing 4L front crawl and coming up gasping for breath, I ended up doing 40!

I got taught to swim to use my arms more as a windmill with the usual arm bent etc as you enter, straighten and then bent again as you pull through. It took about 2 lengths to get the hang of doing the 'reach' and holding my arm there until the other arm was ready to enter the water, but once I got the hang of it, it was great.

My timings were much better I think, by going on the pool clock. When I go swimming on tuesday I will wear my watch and time myself properly.

Oh Kaizen exactly ! I thought they were Olympic swimmers and was feeling very slow. I cheered up a bit when I saw the accessories!

I'm knackered. I want to go to bed.

I don't use any aids at all, but only because I was taught the Total Immersion style of swimming, which relies on gaining natural balance in the water, and aids are seen as getting in the way of this

Lots of other swim styles use them though, mainly for technique work - so 'fins' help ankle strength and flexibility and strengthen the kick. Paddles help with the 'catch' so they improve the feel for the water. From my observation, lots of blokes who are poor are poorer swimmers rely on training aids to get over things like sinking legs, instead of going back to basics. Two blokes were flying in the fast lane last week and I was nearly puking to keep up, then they removed the pull-buoys from between their legs, legs sank, back to square one. But some of the fastest swimmers also use them to train, so when used well I think they add something. They can also make sessions less boring

Good on you for pushing yourself - it's a nice swimming ache!!

There were 2 super fast swimmers at the pool today - they had flippers, hand paddles etc. is there a fitness benefit to those? I assumed it would make the swim easier so burn less and tone less?

I'm aching - pushed myself but thinking about when I can fit in another swim this week - bought new costume ....I'm getting hooked!

Thanks thread. I needed a push ...

Perrinelli I would advise maybe a lesson or two for technique, as it makes a big difference to your experience of swimming. Or you could watch some You tube videos and practice on your own.

Dont worry about your weight - I've just spend a week training with some big female Channel swimmers (probably size 20 and up) and they did long distance and Masters swimming. Weight is no barrier and can be an advantage once you get fitter. Good luck!

You ladies are all very inspiring!
I am really keen to get into swimming properly, am quite overweight now and know I feel better in mind & body if I can do something regularly. I tend do always do breaststroke and I know it can be done energetically but I find it all too easy to do it at a sedate pace. I really want to do front crawl but at the moment can barely manage 25m.

Here's the thing - I have access whenever I want to a private outdoor heated pool which is about 12m long. It's very lovely but I worked out 1k would be about 83 lengths! When j did breaststroke the other day I sort of did a lap of the pool so I didn't actually stop at each end. Not sure if that would work with front crawl though.

Any advice for me? Should I seek out a lesson or two in the front crawl techniques mentioned upthread or do you think my weight/lack of fitness/lack of basic technique would be a barrier?

Excellent, Kaizen, thank you.

Always this is good to put stuff in if you are swimming on your own, or to hang onto if need be.

www.ishof.org/safety/ssd.htm

Sauce - swimming worked wonders for my pelvic floor. Far better than other exercises in my opinion

Kaizen - thank you! Slightly nervous about open water swimming without the wetsuit buoyancy to provide some reassurance that I can pause and roll onto my back if indeed to. Was thinking to buy a float to attach to my waist in case I need it.... Do you have experience?