Swimmers unite!

That's an amazing clip. When DD2 was in her previous class, her teacher was a completely beautiful, effortless swimmer. She didn't get in very often, but sometimes she'd swim from one end of the pool to the other to collect another child to do their length and could do the ten metres in a couple of strokes. I used to secretly hope she'd get in so I could watch her and try and work out how she did it. (Wonders if she does adult lessons. Hmm.)

That's a beautiful, graceful stroke.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=4InLAsnmKhY

There you go- watch it and weep

Thanks for the link always, wonder if it's last weeks ice swimming competition.

I was going to do my big 3 hour session today but I've been invited to the pub instead- easily distracted so I'll do it tomorrow instead!! I had promised myself a kebab on the way home though as that was the only way I could get through it I think (I haven't tried music Dili as I think I need to get through the psychological stuff of long boring sessions).

Happy there is loads of stuff online about calculating your optimum strokes per length based on genetics (wingspan and height). I've got an email somewhere after a Total Immersion workshop I did last year with lots of equations. I'll try and find it later. Mine's 17-21 based on being 5'7" - I can hit 16-17 going slow but it creeps up to 21 if I get panicky with iron men behind me . This time last year it was 25 ish.

I'll try and link a video of a total immersion coach doing NINE strokes per length in a 25 metre pool. And he's fast too.

Watch country file on bbc tomorrow evening (9th February) for Lake District open water swimming. Lovely people

Very envious of anyone who can watch a video and then put what they've seen into action! I've got a course if four lessons booked to tune my crawl and to learn to tumble turn. I must have done a hundred tumbles yesterday but still can't coordinate the turn and pushing off the wall!

Hope those with colds are back in action soon. It is rubbish not being able to go.
Definitely noticing an improvement in stamina and speed the more regularly I go. Am really lucky in that I can swim the main pool whilst the dc have their lessons in the teaching pool on Saturdays. Managed 40 lengths in 25 minutes today. Definitely wasn't doing that a month ago.

kaizen, I have never ever encountered this, make a w sign on your head .
3 h swim???? Wow!!! Do you listen to music while you swim? A book?
No, not built like a brick house, but I've grown boobs since I got back into proper swimming. Which is a bit disconcerting given that I had nothing for about 25 years or so and I'm fast approaching 'everything's going south' time (kids herself, been there a while now).

happy, not sure about importance of number of strokes, but it doesn't quite sound right if they are wildly different. Don't worry about how many you do for a while and maybe focus on something else (breathing, point of entry, whatever you feel hinders you)?
I do a sort of HIIT, but not following anyone's sets, I just do really really fast laps in the middle of my usual set.

Down with an awful cold atm, so no pool for me, but DH very kindly surprised me with a new pair of Aqua Spheres. They're still the best goggles I have ever found :)
Couch surfing for me this weekend, gave a good one everyone :)

If you're doing markedly different numbers of strokes per length, then it does suggest your stroke isn't that even - assuming you're swimming steadily, and not sprinting on the 22-stroke lengths or whatever.

I don't think you can wee and swim at the same time (always glad to lower the tone ). I have to stop if I'm in the sea and it's common and polite practice in groups to make a 'W' sign on your head I dream of weeing in the pool when the miserable ironman is behind me....

I am definitely NOT built like a brick shithouse. I am still built rather like the Michelin man

I swam 56 lengths in just under an hour this afternoon, then I had to get out for a wee so stopped slightly earlier than I wanted. I did wonder at that point how often people must just wee in the pool. I don't think I'd notice if someone was weeing in front of me. Sorry to bring down the tone of the conversation

On a more pleasant note I lengths of front crawl breathing on both sides! I never normally manage to breathe on my left, I usually stick to my right.

As a way of boosting us back up the threads and because I've just been in the pool after a week off with a cold, I need to share that I am now built like the proverbial 'brick shit house', as we say 'oop north. I went in the hair drying bit of the changing rooms in my cossie and realised why most folk leave the fast lane before I've even started. That's not a stealth boast as I'm not that quick, but I seem to have developed lat and trap muscles and shoulders like a navvie.
If I flex them, it's bloody frightening. I have been upping my swims and doing kettlebells so I guess it's obvious why. I've been sent a training g plan for my trip in April and I have to up my swims to at least one 3 hour swim a week and two one hour fast swims. 3 hours will even test my boredom levels (I'm thinking 400 lengths)and I think I'm going to need to widen my doors at home - has anyone else got a 'built for comfort not for speed' swimming body instead of a beeootiful elongated fast sprinters shape? I think I'm heading for a job as a bouncer at the moment.

Oh and I can't tumble turn to save my life - I end up facing the wall or staggering around with water up my nose, lost

GoingtoBedfordshire - well done. I have similarly been inspired and have been looking at Youtube videos of breast stroke turns and working on improving my technique. I may be brave enough to have a go at freestyle tumble turns if the pool's quiet enough one day but it was crazily busy today and I only managed half a mile. Still, I've not been for 2 weeks because of a snotty cold, so not too bad for easing myself back into it.

Looked at some YouTube videos of tumble turns and can't believe I can do it now! Thanks to for this thread, I never would have tried them otherwise. They are very messy, but have only been doing them for my last two swims, so I'm sure they'll become more elegant as time goes on.

Looking forward to the swimathon now - anyone else doing it?

Low on energy today so just swam a leisurely 70 lengths (45mins)

SwimmingMom, it's probably better to google for videos of tumbleturns than to have explained in just written words. (Certainly at this time of night, anyway...)

Place marking until I get on the laptop. Love this thread! I have taken up swimming again this past year (used to swim loads as a kid), and really enjoy it. Looking forward to checking out those technique tips and hopefully signing up to some swims in the near future.

Yesterday I learnt to do a turn with breast stroke after watching youtube videos. Took a while but loving it now!

Am still a bit baffled by the flip turn that I've seen agile swimmers do with front crawl. Amazes me - how do you make the body go 'down'?!

porkincider, I am very jealous! I had a chat with DH, to do it would mean I need a hotel the night before, and all the logistic nighmare that comes with that, plus child, etc. so we need to plan it properly.

littlemiss, welcome! It's such a nice feeling, isn't it?
Do you know about swimfit?
It's fab, gives you sets to do :)

Hi everyone, kaizen kindly pointed me over here.

I've just joined my local councils membership for leisure centres, and went swimming yesterday for the first time in a while.

I forgot how much I love it :) I went to the next town on the bus as they have a nice new pool.

Managed to do 22 lengths in just under half an hour, and am aiming to do more each time.

I do breaststroke but really want to do front crawl so will look at some videos on YouTube.

I would love some lessons on my technique etc. the local pools do swimming clubs for various abilities but I need to ask where I fit in.

Hoping to go at least twice a week, more when I can.

I haven't done the Dart, but it's supposed to be an 'iconic swim' adn very pretty. I think 75 puts me off a bit. A friend of mine did it and said it was easier than expected as the flow is tidal. Her and a friend had dodgy stomachs afterwards too after ingesting some suspect river water

I'm doing Burgh Island with swimtrek in June. I'm also interested in doing the Dart 10km, has anyone done that?

magimedi- two steps forward and one step back!! Well done on your two breaths, just try and keep a relaxed head and neck and do it when it feels ok. I had two breakthroughs last week - I used my lat muscles and back to move my arms instead of throwing my hand forward, and my head relaxed into the water properly for the first time after being told 8 months ago. Bloody yippee!! But I have to focus on those two things now until it's natural - god knows what the back end is doing but it makes each length interesting and I'm keeping up with the Ironmen now......