Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

I wear a cap, with the vague hope it is protecting my hair. Most women I see either wear hats or keep their head out of the water.

I am horrendous at counting laps, luckily my Apple Watch does it for me. Very useful bit of kit.

Been for a swim tonight, really need a swimming buddy to keep me going.

Anyone wear a cap? I have short hair but it still gets in my eyes. Only people that are really good wear caps though don’t they? I’m just starting out, having 1:1 lessons to get me going, only managing half lengths at a time at the moment

Happy Birthday Minute
Safe flight Rights

Cant remember who asked, but
Motivation: 2 of us have agreed we will try to swim at 7 on Tuesday's. Its agreed that its no problem if we arent there (tho i dont like swimming totally alone in a pool with no lifeguard, there is normally someone else around). It turns quite a few "not sure I can be arsed" mornings into swims.
Counting: I do maths with the number. So if I'm on lap 6 of 60, I'm 10% of the way through. It's taken 5 mins, so the whole lot is going to take 50 mins sort of thing.

Ahhh thanks all!! Lovely new swimming headphones, paddles, pull buoys and fins (all the gear and no idea?!!) lovely lady at the pool yesterday recommended a local coach too so might see if I can schedule a couple of sessions in post Christmas to give me the idea

Happy birthday, minute!

Ooo that sounds exciting Whattodowithaminute. Happy birthday!

How are you doing with your motivation @TeaAndToast85?

Back at the pool today after an enforced break over half term, good to be back. Have a range of swimming gear coming tomorrow for my birthday, really excited!!

ha! (at improving swim lane etiquette).
There's a guy just barely faster than me, so as soon as he overtakes me I have to slow down a lot while drafting him for subsequent 3-5 lengths. But hey... it's good practice for drafting (which you do in competition), so I try to make most of it. He only kicked me once today (and not hard, being sincere, dodging strong legs is a valuable skill when drafting).

Megthehen oooh good tips, i’m an apple shaped lady just starting out. Also need tips on keeping motivation.

Apple shaped lady checking in..normally swim to 30 min max lengths breaststroke..average 54 lengths ...then swim down and stretch.. regular swimmer for 30 yrs +. So preventing boredom tips..sing (not out loud), recite poems, plan work, chase the "fast" guy in the fast lane...help him improve his swim lane etiquette, count laps obvìously, count backwards from 20 in various languages, times tables, pick a pool with thumping loud music (unusual), pray, cry...think about pulling the water and gliding.

I've yet to be to an office in a nice part of the world (Except for the UK offices of DHs current company in Central London). Anywhere I've worked has been grot bag central!

Did my 2km . Wonder how long the water will stay warm enough?

Hope it was heated this time of year!
Tsim Sha Tsui is fantastic, just dont try to swim across the harbour!

Hoping to swim in my unheated pool tomorrow first thing.

OOOH *rights, where is it? my lovely OH is off to HK in a week or so, I'd love to give him a heads up - not to mention he'll LOVE to make me jealous!

Usually I can find something to obsess mull over so I don't get bored. Like when to go shopping or what to have for tea or list 16 things about some situation that irritate me and even try to rank them in order. I'm pretty comfy in my own thoughts, though.

Welcome Tea and Toast, Adjusting the Sails and Oddsocks. I agree with lljkk that having membership is a good incentive. I cover my membership fee if I go twice a week. I usually go three times so think I am in profit! Also, if you can make it fit your schedule rather than trying to adjust your schedule to fit it you should find you go more often. I shower and wash my hair in the mornings and so started to go in the mornings (early) and come home to still shower and wash my hair. It works for me! Re boredom, I just keep count! That is quite a challenge in itself (I count batches of 10 lengths). I offered to take my neighbour swimming with me and she said she'd get too bored! It helps too that I've got friendly with some people at the pool and we often have a chat at the end.

You're right, SandLand, the number has to be even since I started & finished at same end. The real question is... what if the real number is 68... or 62? Maybe an extra 9 got added when I left the wristband in locker during my shower. We were warned not to wear it in the shower because it can count extra lengths there.

I don't mind accepting a minimum estimate, still more accurate than me counting, sadly!

too not to

Hi All, sorry to intrude. I’ve recently started swimming again at the pool at work. I’m fairly competent and can easily swim 1k without to much effort but I get so bored. Really bored. What do you all do? I’ve been meaning to try headphones but don’t know which are good? I really want to get back into it as it works for me fitness wise so need to sort the boredom issue . Anyone got tips?

Actually, it's an easy one to sort out. Did you get out at the end you go in at??? Ie shallow end to shallow end or deep to deep??? Because that makes it the 60.
If you got in at the deep/out at shallow (or vise versa) its an odd number so the 69.

That's assuming you dont swimm in a stupid pool like mine that is 2m deep at the shallow end, and 2.2m at the deep end.... so basically, just deep!

ha!
I decided on 60. I felt like I was plodding...