Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

Thanks rights - hope your Tri training going well.

I've just created a new thread

No fancy title - just wanted to make it friendly and all-inclusive.

Come on over - no running by the pool side though!

@MinnieMountain glad to hear you're doing better and back doing what you love! The sea swim sounds amazing!

I'm just starting again after being a bit more proactive at making me time. Only really started in January, me and a friend have signed up for the Aspire swim the channel challenge so I aim to go 3/4 times a week and swim a mile each time. The most I've done I've 100 lengths (20m pool) in an hour mix of breast and crawl but wanting to extend my lengths and build stamina. Do you do anything else for fitness if just swimming?

Swimming has always been my favourite exercise missmartini. The sea swim is a challenge for me. I was ill last year and wasn't allowed in the pool for long periods, so this felt like the perfect thing to sign up for once I was better.

Oh wow @MinnieMountain that's a fab length to swim! I'm building up to that! How long have you been swimming for? Is your sea swim for a charity event or a challenge for yourself?

A lunchtime swim must be fab @TriSkiRun99 did you manage today? I

Hello again
I did 3km yesterday. I work PT so my plan is 2.5km one weekday and a longer swim building up to 4.5km the other weekday.
Although I'm doing a sea swim in August, I'm viewing that as a one off challenge so am steadfastly sticking to breast stroke and not bothering to learn front crawl.

I got a lunchtime swim in today, I’m working on my left side breathing & got into a slightly more relaxed breathing pattern this time.

Thanks @TriSkiRun99

I've only got the app but well over 970 posts so not sure when they get full!

Having a rest day today and tomorrow then back at it again Saturday and Sunday, I've been Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday this week so far. A lot to work on technique wise and things only really been back at it since January but loving being back in the water again! My back can get a bit tight after a long swim, I'm assuming that's down to technique or maybe just overall strengthening up. I only swim just now might need to include a gym/ yoga session too.

Hope the thread picks up again, would be interesting to read everyone's work out schedule in the water!

Welcome missmartini sounds like you have some good swimming going on. There’s a mix of folk on here but it’s been rather quiet of late.
Thread may have hit its limit I can’t tell on my phone but says 40pages?

Hi! Can I join?!

After many years making excuses I've joined a gym with a pool and I'm back swimming! Have been going since January and still loving it. Go around 3/4 times a week and aim for a mile each time. My aim is to lose weight and overall tone up.

Can anyone offer advice as to what their swimming schedule/ workout is like?

Looking forward to getting to know you all! Also I'm doing the Aspire swim the Channel challenge, anyone else?

Ola, back from my lunch swim.

I noticed I'm losing some of the tone in my upper arms (outside upper muscle, whatever that's called), so really want to get back to going twice a week. Not sure how though.

I have swimathon end of this month (1K as part of a 5K team) and my first sprint Tri mid May.

I can swim mostly FC upto an hour but only breathe one side. I can breathe both sides if I slow and think about it but I’m not relaxed doing it yet. I think I have a different rhythm when breathing one side so I’m probably not slower breathing both sides but I find I can “panic” then try to lift my head on my left side rather than just roll it out (one google in water type) on my right side. I just need to be patient and practice more and it will come.

I wear ear plugs zoggs ones which I love and my hat keeps slipping off so I think it’s time I got a new one too thanks for promoting me to think about it

tri, I breathe every 3rd stroke, I’m left handed, so I still drop the right one every time I breathe on the left so my left hand comes out of the water dragging. It’s driving me nuts!
Try a lenght just breathing on the non dominant side? Do you do ‘belly button to the wall’ or do you breathe in the crook of your arm?

I’m getting stronger, it’s amazing (for me) that I don’t feel the need to stop for 15 minutes. I did a quick half an hour this morning, made me feel so much better :)
And I realised my swimming cap is 4 years old, that’s why it fills with water!!! I went and got a new one, Sports Direct have the silicone one on sale.
Does anybody use the olive and tea tree oil sprays for the ears? I bought one to give it a try, I wear earplugs (those are new 😂) but the outer ear feels a bit sore.

Lunchtime swim playing with my FC arm trying a drilli I saw on you tube but spluttering instead really needed a snorkel instead. And working on my breathing technique as I’d like to crack breathing both sides as I’m dominant on one side.

1k this afternoon & the pool to myself which was lovely. It’s half term for me this week & I’m hoping to fit in a couple more swims. 2 weeks to go to my first aquathlon.

I need to up my game, my target is 300km for the year and I'm not quite on target at the moment. It's getting easier to motivate myself, now the daylight is coming back. Just need to swim minimum 3 times per week for the rest of the year...

No idea box, sorry.
Managed 14 lenghts in the pool today. My head is so all over the place I could not coordonate my arms AT ALL.
I seem to go swimming twice a week. I’d like to up this to 3times a week, see how it goes.

That sounds scary Tri!

Quick question about my Garmin 235. It was way out length counting this afternoon but is usually right. I did 2 lots of 400m. 1st one it said 375 (couldn’t have been - I would have been the other end of the pool) & the 2nd one it said 475 - same thing re which end of the pool & there was no way I swam that fast (times were very similar & a bit quicker than my usual time but that seems right as I’m getting stronger & I’ve had a good rest this week). Is there any reason why every now & again it gets it wrong?

Tried to swim Tuesday night - I did last 30L but the club hadn’t turned the lights on in the pool & I got in as sun was setting (it’s outside underbig polytunnel), So as the light was fading it was getting darker & darker in the pool and only the flood lights from outside & emergency exit lights were on! I kept thinking they will notice in a minute and flip the switch but the office didn’t! Doesn’t bode well for anyone watching the cctv in reception of the pool. I told them on my way out as I got out thinking it felt too unsafe and spooky (left one lady in there!) I think there was a new lady on reception but the duty mgr in the office should have been supervising. So an interesting experience!

I totally get you minnie, it really lifts my spirits after a good swim.
I went yesterday for a swim, and that felt amazing :)
I have a few days on my own this weekend, I’ll go again :)

I'm back swimming after a rest due to snow and period. I get sudden "floods" so I don't swim during despite using a mooncup.

Did 1.5km on Friday and 3km today. It feels so good to be in there even when it gets busy.

Sounds grand flamingnoravera give me a few more years and I’ll qualify too. We have a ladies hour instead on Thursday night which is popular at our local pool, a real mix of powerful swimmers wracking up km and those with dry hair breastroke chatters across the lanes.

I went to the over 50s session today, it was the only one I could get to. I'm 57 so it's fine. Did my usual 1km crawl . There are two of us who swim at a pace and we weave in and out of the pootlers. It's lovely, I get "ooh you're so fast how do you do it?" And "ere you's a bit quick love" and in the showers we are all nattering about grandkids and shampoo and how the lockers are shite. I love my local pool.

Quick evening swim 800m logged, before I had to collect my DD from her club.

That’s a really good time :)
I went today for 30 mins, did 20 laps and then it got really crowded. So I left. But boy do I enjoy it!