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Original poster

Swimmers unite!

290 replies

aristocat · 13/01/2014 13:54

Any swimmers still here?

There were quite a few of us last year, just wondered if you are still here. I still go 3 or 4 times a week and love it :)

OP posts:
eightytwenty · 18/02/2014 10:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

AlwaysHopeful · 18/02/2014 12:48

Anyone else suffer from awful fingernails as a result of being in the pool? Mine are so soft and split since I started swimming more than once a week. They weren't long to start wot but they're a disaster now Hmm

dotty2 · 18/02/2014 14:07

Just been and done 44 lengths, which I know is not a lot by some of your standards, but is more than I've managed for ages (horrible cold, followed by busyness - last week I only managed one 20 minute swim!). Times are all different for half term, so it was very quiet and I had a lane to myself the whole time - lovely. DH has taken my DDs out and I am working at home, but spent the whole of yesterday bent over a laptop, and really needed the break - I feel much better for it.

No, I haven't had the nail thing. That sounds nasty - maybe you could try rubbing some hand and nail cream in well a little while before you swim, to try and protect them?

Mitchy1nge · 18/02/2014 17:31

hello swimmers, anyone using a Garmin 220 in the pool? I know it's waterproof but does it work, or should I just count lengths (in between bouts of near-drowning)? thanks

Suzannewithaplan · 18/02/2014 17:54

Mitchy, I use garmin swim in the pool which has motion sensors to count lengths and strokes, the 220 looks like it uses GPS so I doubt it'd be that accurate unless you're swimming in open water?
(as opposed to back and forth in a 25m pool)

Mitchy1nge · 18/02/2014 20:06

open water? Shock I tried swimming down the middle of the pool last week (ie: away from the edge) and had a complete fuck-I-can't-swim moment and started sinking in the deep end and the lifeguard was helpful but puzzled (having watched me power up and down for the last half an hour)

if I can't touch the floor I must be able to reach the sides! ok, will just count lengths and upload it manually, thanks!

Suzannewithaplan · 18/02/2014 20:29

I feel just the same about open water swimming :o
garmin swim aint all that accurate , I used to have to reverse engineer the data by extrapolating from the total number of strokes per session.
Fabulous graphs & chart though :o

kaizen · 18/02/2014 21:00

I swim a lot in open water but get mad fears if I'm on my own about what's 'below'. I swim in the swimming area of our city harbour in summer and it's marked by buoys that you swim round. I swim round them like mad cos I can't bear to see the rope hanging down underneath, all dark n horrible. Sometimes I think about bodies floating up and grabbing my legs and then I could literally start screaming like a mad banshee. I nearly hit a piece of driftwood with my hand last year and I think I would have had a heart attack Grin

Suzannewithaplan · 18/02/2014 21:03

omg Kaizen Shock
now I've read your post I'm not even going in past my knee's again

magimedi · 18/02/2014 22:26

Now I would 100,000000,000000 times rather swim in open water than a pool. Especially the sea. I just love it & have no fear of any bodies, fish or woo.

I have a very healthy respect for the power of the sea & always ask locals for knowledge before I swim anywhere I don't know but my idea of heaven is to swim in the deep blue globe encircling sea

AlwaysHopeful · 19/02/2014 12:49

I can tumble turn!!!! Grin

Dilidali · 19/02/2014 13:32

Heheeee, brilliant! Well done!!!!

Mitchy1nge · 19/02/2014 13:54

oh it does (sort of) work, if anyone was wondering, I switched the GPS off but it logged it as a run

probably need some time with the manual

Mitchy1nge · 19/02/2014 16:44

"NOTE: The Forerunner 620/220 will not track strokes, distance or any other swim metric. It was designed to be specifically a running watch." :(

kaizen · 19/02/2014 19:19

I had a garmin swim watch that counted strokes and everything in the pool, and even knew when you changed strokes. You can download geeky data too.

The only open water garmin is the 910xt which has GPS and maps and everything but it's a very pricey triathlon watch (£350) with bike sensor and everything. It's like having the 'mothership' strapped to your wrist. There are other GPs ones I think. I gave up with them cos I got anxious and started hating swimming and my stroke suffered as I tried to beat the watch.

Or That's my excuse for being lazy.

magimedi · 22/02/2014 15:16

I was idly wondering if any of you wear swimming caps?

I don't. My hair is very short & I just give it a quick wash in the shower afterwards (Boots Swim & Gym shampoo - highly recommend for taking away the chlorine pong).

But when I swam on Friday there was a woman there who was obviously very fit & a really,really seriously good swimmer. She had very long hair, well below bra strap line & she was swimming with it tied back in a pony tail. Which is fine, doesn't bother me at all but I wondered if it would slow you down from the drag of it?

Swimming going well - I'm focusing on my stroke and on enjoying it & not making it a competition for myself!

Suzannewithaplan · 22/02/2014 17:56

perhaps she wanted the extra drag to give her a harder swim workout Wink

Pretty sure it would slow you down but you'd need to be swimming at a very high level for it to matter much (?)

I hate swimming caps, horrible headache inducing, I also hate the effect of chlorine on my hair, I've got the boots shampoo and it doesn't seem to make much difference :(

Suzannewithaplan · 22/02/2014 17:57

too much Blush

magimedi · 22/02/2014 20:06

I don't think it makes much difference to the hair, Suzanne - but it takes the smell away!

VO5 hot oil treatment, which I use when I remember weekly does make a difference to the dryness problem!

www.boots.com/en/VO5-Nourish-My-Shine-Hot-Oil-Deep-Nourishing-4-x-15ml_870689/

Suzannewithaplan · 22/02/2014 20:19

I used to use the vo5 for swimming damage, oooh must be nearly 30 years ago now, I expect they've tweaked the formula since!

magimedi · 22/02/2014 20:29

I've been using it for at least 20 years (waves to another mature & wise person) & I don't think they've changed anything - except the price!!!

lfoatw2 · 23/02/2014 21:07

hello! i swim at least 3 times a week, 80 lengths a time. Currently i do all breast stroke (my version at least as my hip pops out) but am desperately trying to build up my front crawl. I find it hurts my shoulders too much at the moment so definitely need to work on my technique!

i refuse to wear a cap now as it snapped my hair and i am left with loads of flyaway and fluffy bits that are much shorter than the rest of my hair. i run through some conditioner to protect it then put it in a plait -other than wacking myself on the head when i turn too fast i have no problem! i read nice to drench your hair in the shower first so it has absorbed as much clean water as possible before you get in the pool so it takes up less of the chlorine.. not sure how well it works as my hair always smells of chlorine when i next wash it but every little helps i guess!

PavlovtheCat · 23/02/2014 21:34

Hey guys, used to swim a lot. Don't any more but trying to get back to it, following trouble with my back. I prefer front crawl as breast stroke hurts more. I love sea swimming but never done huge distances, mostly doing calm swims from my kayak or with the children, or saving myself from drowning following a bit wave when bodyboarding! Always been my plan to do a sea swim like the burgh island one, but, unfortunately didn't do it before my back problem and while I shall aim for it in the distant future, not nurse that's ever going to happen now.

I am marking my place so I can read your tips for technique as I tire easily at the moment, largely due to being unfit. I am a one sided breather, try to a alternate but often swallow water on my left side. Does that affect muscle tone on one side, it want to end up with uneven muscles?!

Ad, do any of you swim to music, and if so, what player do you use? Do you have a waterproof MP3 player, or do you have a sleeve and waterproof headphones. If you have the later, does the headphone wire get in the way? I have seen a few different ones, but can't have the 'in the ear' headphones as they don't fit. Although I can put them under a swim cap if they will stay in.

PavlovtheCat · 23/02/2014 21:37

I meant to say, that it try to swim 3-4 times a week now, only manage around 15 lengths but building up, and taint regular breaks from it such as recently, when pain is too high, or, I will just float a few lengths to keep moving. I would love to get back to 100 lengths but that's a dream fir another time!

SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 23/02/2014 21:43

Hi. I have just gone back to swimming as part of a weight-loss, lifestyle change effort.

I used to swim for the school at one time (from age 12-16) but have not swum seriously since (and I am 38!).

On my first visit a couple of weeks ago, I really needed to push myself to manage 10 lengths! Blush I have been three times per week since & am now up to 16 lengths - I have added one length each visit - and am not needing to push my body quite so hard!

My goal for the moment is 22 lengths, three times a week - which will be a mile a week.

I suffer from arthritis & find many other forms of exercise too painful on my joints.