Swimmers unite!

Kaizen & caper

I swum this morning & tried your advice for a few lengths. I sed a pull bouy so I didn't have to bother with kicking. It went really well & by the end I managed a couple of breaths on the right! I was so pleased - then the next time I tried it I nearly drowned!! But it is definitely helping & I will persevere.

For more kicking stuff, watch Sun Yang's 1500m freestyle gold medal swim on you tube - he's a 2/4 beat kicker with a really smooth stroke but when he's in his last 100 metres and going to break the world record, he suddenly develops a massively fast kick like a paddle-steamer going up the pool - it's quite funny to watch (if you're a swim geek )

ps yes I know it's crazy to sea swim if you can only breathe to one side..which is why I really need to nail the both sides thing....

Some great tips on this thread for me as both a virtual non-kicker and a non-bilateral breather - thanks all. I think I'm a 2-kicker as well kaizen if i kick at all

I do struggle with bilateral breathing and can only breathe to the left. I can if I really concentrate, swim a couple of lengths bilaterally but as soon as I need to speed up it gets too hard. I guess I need someone standing over me with a whip to get me to do it all the time! Or just slow down and really try to get it a constant thing.

That Burgh Island swim looks fantastic kaizen I would def do it if in the UK!

Our swim squad was back yesterday after the long summer holidays - our coach was quite gentle on us which is most unlike him, most of the time I can barely lift my arms when I get out

Do you point your toes? I once had a lady who used to go backwards, because her feet were pointing up like when you're standing. Most people aren't that extreme, but getting a good line does help - and yes, kick from the hip with the whole leg, not from the knee.

I do a 2- beat kick like the one on the video below (but not nearly so well timed or smooth yet!!) I find it fits my style and I like the way it co-ordinates with the arms (sometimes). Different kick styles fit different bodies though.

Most people do a 6- beat kick, which is a faster 'flutter' kick, or a 4 beat, which is inbetween - these are usually better for sprinting. I think kicking too much causes drag (lots of blokes do this as they kick to keep their heavy sinking legs afloat) and is tiring unless it's used really well. I sometimes don't kick at all, and just streamline. I sometimes give a massive kick with both legs at the same time, but that's naughty apparently.

The other thing to remember is always kick from the hip, not the knee (or your leg will bend and create drag) and try to THINK that you have a coin to hold between your bum cheeks - don't do this literally you can practice with a kick board.

I watch how better swimmers kick underwater, as they are usually really horizontal so the just kick adds propulsion, and doesn't try to keep them afloat. Hope that helps a bit - what do others think?

Sorry - meant that for magimedi not kaizen!

Kaizen - the other thing to try is turning from the waist so it's not just your head turning to the other side. And really outstretched the leading arm at that point . It doesn't have to be big turn - apparently you shouldn't be able to see the ceiling but only a bit of the side of the pool when you turn your head

kaizen - I will try that on Wednesday, when I next swim. Sounds like a really good idea.

And another swimmer signing in.

I swim 5 times a week before work half a mile of front crawl (takes 18 minutes plus I do five minutes stretching afterwards). Can only breatheto one side (to the left every fourth stroke!).

On a practical note, can anyone recommend goggles that don't leave too much of a mark - at 53 my skin is less elastic than it was and I am fed up of the time it takes the marks to disappear.

Another swimmer signing in! Have joined swim club at gym to give me a bit more inspiration in the pool . It's a great challenge - 45 minutes hard swimming as we do lots of pace work and sprints. All front crawl except today when we finished with 25 m butterfly (first ever attempt at butterfly - but I survived).

magimedi for bilateral breathing try this - breathe to your normal side, but every few strokes try turning your head to the other side very gently and just looking under the surface of the water - so don't bother trying to get air, just get used to moving your head in that direction. It's quite nice doing this and looking up at the surface of the pool. It might 'loosen' up that side a bit.

Then gradually increase the turn of your head so your goggle breaks the surface and eventually you can turn enough get a bit of air. It should feel quite relaxed and help you to balance in the water (as breathing on one side only can make you a bit lop-sided)

Then practice getting air from your worse side every so often, then do whole lengths just using one side then the other.

I have a new 'favourite' side in the last few weeks- no idea why- hated the left side before. I have to force myself to use the right now......

I would love a swimming holiday and am sure DD would too! Like *AntiJam's" she too swims better than me and she is only 9 years old -though she is County standard! DH can just about swim a length and would probably be quite happy quaffing a few beers on the boat every day

I too can only turn my head to one side - mine is the left - and I think it is because I sleep on my front and lie facing that way.

Swam 1.8k today in 45mins and had a lane to myself for the whole time and the whole pool for the first 20 mins. Bliss

I can only breathe to the right magimedi. I don't have a brilliant stroke though, I never really did much front crawl when I was learning and my stroke is self-taught from watching dd1's swimming lessons and swimming club.

Dotty that sounds great with your dcs. Are they interested in joining a swim club? Dd1 swam with a club for about 2 years when she was 7/8 and her swimming is now WAY better than mine. She's 14 now and if we were to go swimming together there is no way I'd be able to swim as far or as fast as she does, and yet in school lessons they still get them swimming widths with floats .

I'd love to go on a swimming holiday, but the only other member of my family who would be even vaguely interested in coming with me would be dd1. Dp doesn't swim, I think he can but he has only been once in the 9 years we have been together because I bought him some trunks and told him he was doing a baby swimming class with dd2. Dd2 is still only 3 so hasn't even started lessons yet (other than the baby lessons which stopped when she was 18 months); she's nearly ready to ditch the arm-bands but isn't quite ready for a swimming holiday yet

All this talk of swim trek has made me think about bi lateral breathing for front crawl.

I was taught front crawl nearly 50 years ago (eeeek!) & was taught using breathing on one side only. I have always turned my head to the left.

A couple of years ago I had the chance to have a couple of lessons to tune up my front crawl. I was told that bi lateral breathing would improve it & obviously, if swimming in anything other than a flat sea it would be vital.

The trouble is I just could not cope with turning my head the other way & breathing from that side. I nearly drowned myself & the rest of my stroke went away totally.

Have any of you got any suggestions as to how I could learn to breathe using the other side, as it were?

Anyone else fancy a Swimtrek 'round Burgh island swim'? We could have a mumsnetters swimmers meet up in the summer - would be cool and it's a beautiful swim

Pm me if you fancy it, as this thread is getting Swimtrek-hijacked (and i will have to demand a free hat for publicity)

my class times have changed so I do 3/4 mile most morning and my full mile once a week, occasionally finishing off the mile later in the day when my kids go swimming

try to keep to 4 miles a week ....
I write all of my emails and reports while pootling up and down as the sun shines

re. swimming with the kids and nipping into the big pool. We went as a family to our local leisure pool last weekend (slides, waves and too much noise) and when I announced I was off to the competition pool to do a few lengths both my DDs wanted to come with me. DD1 who's 8 is a pretty strong swimmer, but DD2 who's 6 had never been out of her depth before and I was so impressed that she managed 4 lengths. Maybe one day they'll come with me on a swimtrek holiday...? I can dream, anyway.

Deal :)

dili - let me know if you chose a date, I'd love to do it again and it's a bit scary going round without the trusty lifeguards on their paddle-boards.

kaizen, hehe, small world then, no?
I must admit I am really really tempted!!!!
I don't do panic, but then again, I don't do 'out of comfort zone' either. And something like Burgh island would be out of my comfort zone but somewhat controlled, I'm happy to be pulled out if it's stupid, £60 or not £60.