Will anyone think I’m a twat?!

[TheChosenTwo]

For going swimming and only doing 15 lengths 🫣😂
I’m not a good swimmer, actually rather terrible, but I really got quite into it on my holidays. I don’t have much stamina and my form is poor.
Dh suggested I just go and do 15 lengths a few times a week and try and build up from there.
In theory it’s a good idea, I have the time and wfh 4 days a week so could aim to do it twice.
But would anyone else swimming be laughing at my pathetic efforts?! Tbh I doubt it as I usually use the gym and take no notice of anyone else but I think it’s because I only plan on being there such a short amount of time, I think I’d feel a bit stupid… 🫠

Ahh, good on @DH too 😄

Well I’ve just been again, i enjoyed it even though it felt harder. No one batted an eyelid about me being there, the other swimmers are all very good and far too focussed on, you know, actually swimming 😂
No breakfast this morning though, might have to sack DH as my number 1 cheerleader!

No offense but I think they have enough going on in their own lives to worry about you, do you think this badly about people when you see the like this? no? then why would they think of you that way?

I swim regularly but haven’t been for a couple of months. I’m doing 20 lengths at the moment as anything more is exhausting. Lot only do 10 mins and there is a couple of ladies who walk up and down who I assumed are recovering from injury or operation. Generally I have no idea how many lengths people do.

No offence taken! Although I pretty much answered this above, it’s a confidence issue.

There's a gym I used to go to had this layout. Really irritated me.
Would go at quiet times of day when I would have the place to myself and fantasising I owned my own pool.. but look up and 25 'running blokes' were my audience 😂

@Justleaveitblankthen to be honest i‘m swimming on my front and haven’t looked up there once! I don’t doubt that they’re there since the car park is rammed but i can’t see up there while swimming and I’m not about to start looking 😂

15 laps is loads. That's way about what my goal would even be!

I struggle to do one full length without stopping. I still go swimming when I can.

I regularly lane swim I'm mornings when I'm wfh. Trust me, mo one will be looking at you or counting your laps. Just relax and enjoy

Your pool sounds like Bannatyne I go to!! I hate the layout.
I've never noticed how many lengths other people are doing though and just do my best before heading to spa area. Well done for sticking at it!

Embarrassment is the cost of entry. If you aren't willing to look like a foolish beginner, you'll never look like a graceful master.

Courtesy of my LinkedIn feed this morning.

Haha that’s very true actually!

Thanks all, I can’t say I find it relaxing or enjoyable at the time mainly because it’s so hard but it is nice to just switch off completely and be really focussed on what I’m doing.
I did 18 lengths today, 450m. Really pleased!

@itsallnewnow its not a bannatyne but I guess similar. It opens at 6 and I need to be back home for 6:50 to start the morning routine getting the dc up so sadly no time for the spa afterwards. Would be bloody lovely though.

Who would count and why would you care anyway?

Of you are really crap (I am too) and have poor form I would 100% recommend booking a private swimming lesson.

Get them to teach you the most efficient and safe way to do whatever stoke you are most comfortable in.

Because I've discover my instincts are wrong and someone who knows what they are doing makes suggestions and adjustments that improve my whole experience 5 fold.

You may find that you can do more than 15 lengths if you know who to move and breathe (breathing is the most important thing) correctly.

You may also find that the number of lengths are immaterial when you concentrate on form - and you'll get much better benefits.

Swimming is low impact and once you can float/swim no one ever things oh I should have a lesson - but it will make swimming way more enjoyable and easy.

I'm a rider. I can ride but I have lessons regularly because someone pointing out how to love and breathe makes an unbelievable difference to the way me and the horse go.

I can only do widths and stay in my depth, I nearly drowned during a swimming lesson and still have no confidence in deep water.

15 lengths would be a dream.

Lifelong keen swimmer here…nobody cares what anyone else is doing. As long as you obey the lane wetiquette! It’s a lot less judgey than any of the gym bunny mums I have encountered in the changing rooms. Nobody is there to gossip or compare - just to swim!

I've just started swimming too OP after years of only swimming with the kids or the odd spot of outdoor swimming. I do an extremely slow breaststroke/backstroke and cover about 0.7km in half an hour. It's a bit shit when everyone else is zooming up and down the pool but hey I'm getting exercise and we all have to start somewhere.

Oh god @GettingStuffed - this has reminded me I filled out my own swimming form when I was a junior school; said I could swim. Got to the pool For the first lesson and we were all sent to the part of the pool that matched our so called ability. Well I couldn’t swim and ended up being rescued by the giant pole with the loop at the end. Mortifying.

@Shannith I have considered a private 1:1 lesson, running is fucking up my knees and hips and I’m keen to switch to a much lower impact form of cardio.

My local council pool does swimming improvers lessons, I'm going to sign up next spring...might be worth looking at. Might sign up my husband too, he's a very enthusiastic swimmer, but then looks up and realises he's only gone 2 metres.

I can do 40 lengths but it's head out of water all the way.

Might be worth looking to see if there are improver lessons available.

You're much better going in the slow lane unless the general area is very empty. The problem with the general lane is people are going all directions and you end up stopping and starting.

In the lane, just make sure you follow the etiquette. Have a look and see what direction people are swimming. The pool will often have a sign up to show clockwise or anti-clockwise. Basically, you go up one side of the pool and down the other. If someone is close behind you, and particularly if they touch your foot (that's the normal communication when someone is close), stop at the end to let them turn before you.

And no, nobody with laugh. They won't notice what you're doing.

This morning there were 3 other swimmers in the pool, 2 in lanes (the fast one was empty) and 2 in the general swimming bit. The general bit is 2.5 times the width of the lanes so the man that was already in there was swimming along one side and I just got in at the other side. No one else was there swimming in the way, it’s nice going in early!
I definitely wasn’t going anywhere near the fast lane in case someone else got in while I was in there and started zooming about with me being in the way 😂

@TheChosenTwo I did couch to 5k a few years ago and it really buggered up my hip. Except it didn't - my hip got buggered because I was running extremely wonky due to an old injury.

My riding instructor despaired at how wonky I was and sent me to her physio. That helped but what helped long term was taking up yoga.

I can't tell you how bad I was but 4 years in and slowly but surely I've dewonkofied.

I don't run so much now but when I do the difference is marked - nothing hurts like it used to, stride is longer and I breathe (yoga) rather than sorry of forcing myself through it. I don't over pronate.

The point I'm making is that without the intervention of a professional instructor I'd have decided "I can't run", "I can't ride" but it turns out I can but trying to do it on my own was holding me back.

I know a swimming instructor and her absolute favourite people are adults who want to improve or just learn how best to move through water to swim like they want to. Because it only takes a session or two for the penny to drop and swimming to become a pleasure - which is what all good instructors want for any sport.

No one cares. I struggle to count my own lengths, nevermind keeping track of someone else's. 😁