Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

Super quiet swim tonight had lane to myself. Did a length of butterfly kick with breaststroke arms gosh I was puffing at the end. No idea how my youngest DD did 8L of that the other week in her lesson. Tried a few 50m sprints with 30sec rests as well to get heart rate up. We also tried a sea swim at lunchtime but it was bit choppy and murky I couldn’t swim with my face in as couldn’t see anything and it was really disorienting.

I want/need/demand another holiday!

I call my Butterfly more of a Moth tbf... :D

keep at it...

Which is excellent advice I myself need to follow.. I have 2 weeks before masters starts again and I said i'd have cracked it... eek

not helped by being in crappy gen pub sessions.... argh the swim rage

The drowning mid-aged woman doing butterfly signal hissy 😂I tried again today but was tired and water up my nose everytime I tried to focus on arm shape I forgot to tuck my chin in arrhhh my DD was encouraging though

Sounds a fab swim rights hope it’s a restful break.

Popping in to report a swim in the Med. Swam out as far as the buoy with 2 of my nieces. Lots of fishes to see. Lovely.

That’s a great goal to have ski! Keep at it!!!

Wouldn’t it be a laugh if we could all be splashy and inadequate together in pool - perhaps we already are!!

Although in true MN tradition, perhaps we ought to work out a MN sign...

Thanks hissy that’s inspiring I’m mid 40s and yes I too tried it in the sea the other day and was nearly sick as salt water went up my nose ugh! My DD is brill giving me tips and my 6yr old is learning so it’s neen inspiring me to have ago. I’ve had to drastically cut back on running due to injury again so I need a new swimming goal this may be it conquer a length of butterfly

ski I was 50 this year and have the same experience with trying to get it. I did try it a bit in the sea, but salty water is revolting so I didn’t do much, I’m nearly there... keep at it! I can just about do 25m badly. It’s all about legs and feet together, timing of kick/entry/pull and the head shoulders entry. It’s too complicated for me to get my head around but eventually it’ll get easier

I hope 🤣

My old masters club sounds much the same as what hissy describes.

Butterfly not essential but they liked people to have a go at learning it and even in the higher lanes there'd always be some people doing butterfly drill instead of the full stroke or other alternative due to injury (other people) or laziness (me ).

I'm really pleased I've managed to keep up swimming every week day since starting my new job but I can only really do a half hour session each day. Wondering if longer sessions less often would be more beneficial than a little every day...

Thanks hissy I’m may explore further with them. But tonight I did several lots of 10m of proper butterfly I did it a few times and my DD gave me some tips with head angle as the water went up my nose which I hate. But I was so pleased I’d managed it. Helps we are in a clubpool which was only us and I can touch the bottom. Me middle age woman learning butterfly! Heeheee

lljkk laughing at the coast guard checking you're OK! sounds like a lovely swim!!

SkiGirl007 I can't swim butterfly, although it IS something I am getting better at... SLOWLY (while trying not to drown) I'm nearly there....

I have only learnt this SINCE joining Masters a year ago. As is the case with many Masters, there are bits of us that don't work too well, so we can't do x or y for risk of injury, and that is OK. To begin with, I swam the fly part of the IM in FC, and then swam the correct strokes for the remainder.

I know other Masters in higher lanes than I (and MUCH faster), that don't do FC kick (knee/back issues) or will only do some drills due to shoulder issues. If they are keen to get you onboard - and I can't tell you how much I've benefitted from being part of the Masters squad, it's AWESOME - then have a chat with them and see. I think they will be happy to have you.

Glitteryfrog Absolutely just keep going, it will get easier. I can swim thousands of metres in a pool, but stick me outside and my head kicks in and tells me I need to stop. I've worked hard on it this summer and have managed to get a few hundred metres of continuous open water swimming without freaking out. Slow down to go faster/further :D Focus on being as streamlined as poss, legs and feet up, breath out fully and take your 6 strokes, then another and another and you will get there. for 6 strokes, try 9, then 12, breath on every three to pace yourself through it.

I practiced with a float for the kick and breathing then used a bull buoy to work on the arm pull. Lots of practice and watched several you tube videos like effortless swimming or swim smooth I found useful glitteryfrog

Another one splashing in....
I've started swimming in a local lake. It's quite a nice way to spend an evening and you get to swim past the ducks.
How the bloody hell do you crack front crawl?
I had a few lessons and I get the principals... But I do about 6 strokes, get a bit weirded out and stop.
Do I just need to keep going it and suddenly I'll be doing it for longer distances?

Good swim working on arm pull tonight and hand entry. Slightly frustrating as the masters section of my DDs club is really looking for new members but you have to swim min of 50m butterfly (along with the other the strokes) I can’t do 5m as never been taught and not sure my back could take it. But I’d have loved to work on the other 3 strokes, I wonder how many others get put off by this. I may have a chat to them see if there are any options as I can do a mile of frontcrawl now.

I swam about 1 hr in North Sea today... a lifeguard came out to check on me . I don't think I did anything to suggest I was in distress, but someone on shore thought it must be wrong I stayed in so long (I heard the lifeguard radioing in about "swimmer is fine member of public just concerned". The tide was pushing out, actually, so I swam parallel to get slowly closer back to shore, but hoped I wouldn't have to walk more than 1 mile back, was worse case scenario. We had rip tide lessons every single spring in school so I felt like I knew what to do.

4 Members of the open-water club came rocketing past me at one point (awed). HOW do they tolerate the salt water so well? They were swimming against current, too. I can't stand salt water in my mouth. BLECH.

Hi all

I went swimming for the first time in ages yesterday and remembered how much better I feel afterwards. I'm really unfit at the moment and don't have great stamina so didn't swim for long and took a few breaks between lengths. I'd like to get better but I'm not sure where to start. I mainly do breaststroke. Does anyone have any suggestions for a plan to follow - what would be a reasonable number of lengths to aim for? Or should I aim to swim for a certain length of time?

Thanks

xx

Thanks I've been doing sets with pull buoy and some breaststroke even just to get me to 1k.
I do wonder if it's the heat and I think my tummy isn't quite right too. So I'm low on energy because I'm doubly dehydrated.
I've been refilling water bottles to take and then not cleaning them, I need to take more care.

fiz

Re swimming itch

There is a sun tan lotion by Lifesystems that is designed for water use and has anti jellyfish formula- we tried it in our very duck flea bastard infested lake last year and I think it does work. It creates a barrier which the duck flea parasite cant get through

I’ve not been into this particular lake much this year, but I think it made a difference last year.

www.lifesystems.co.uk/products/sun-protection/sports-sun-cream-factor-50?sku=40320

Ive has a weird virus for couple of weeks flaming plus with the heat I’ve been shattered. Try something else? Bit of HITT at home? It will come back. Do some different sets in the pool rather than just same stroke 1k?

Hydration? Have you tried adding a salt tablet to your water or have one 1 hour before you swim?

It’ll be the heat.

I'm suddenly struggling to swim my normal 1k freestyle. Everything is an effort and when I get out I'm exhausted instead of invigorated. I'm trying to pin down why this can be. I'm tired all the time, I wake up at 6, get tea and muesli, and take it back to bed and then find myself dozing till mid morning (I'm on leave) I get up do my swim and I'm good for nothing. Any ideas what could be sapping my energy?

There is a Facebook group zero to 1650 - it’s amazingly supportive and helpful, have a look and give it a whirl

The advice given most is SLOW DOWN TO GO FASTER/Further

Once you have the stamina, you can then add in a bit more pace/refine technique etc

Well done boxcar!!

Well I did it! 750m continuous crawl. It’s taken 6 weeks to get here. Going to have to keep it going now.

Boxcar, that’s exactly how you do it, do what you know you can do then see how far you can get, then push it just a little further

It IS a mental thing!

Well done on your break through

I’m in Sardinia tiz. It’s amazing! Truly off grid (until we come into town)

Sorry, that was a confusing post. 30 continuous front crawl is what I’m after (instead of 30 FC with breaks after every 4-6 lengths or 30 continuous lengths with the odd length of back crawl thrown in).