Swimming for fitness (part 2). Jump in!

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We've filled up the first Swimming for fitness thread, so here is the new one.

Everyone welcome.

Good that you can get some decent swimming in when you are away Rights. My next big trip is to Denver and it is going to be utterly horrible weather there!
Just ran down the side of the river with the dogs and it was lovely

Got a half hr session in tonight, still working on the FC using the pull boy float, I tried a few 4strokes one breathe which felt fantastic but I couldn't keep it up...at the moment. It's given me my next aim to work on though that and I've been googling beginner tri's I don't think I'm ready yet, but I may try cycling to/from the pool to kickstart practicing, and then maybe see if I have enough energy to tag on a mini run when I get home. I'll prob just collapse instead!

Full of a cold this week and missing my swimming. Which is highly unusual for me to miss any form of exercise!

Swimming tonight, first time since the tri club session last week so I'll see if I can remember what they said. Skibike take the training easy to start with! You'll put yourself doing all three things in one go straight away!! It's hard!

Had a lovely swim at the lake tonight. I decided to go no wetsuit, and you really appreciate how there are cold and warm spots in the water that way. It was super busy, and I got people swimming into me three times but it bothers me less and less which is great.
Swam 2km which I'm pleased with as I do find it more tiring having to sight all the time, think about other people and avoid the geese

SkiBike, if you can swim, cycle and run, you can do a tri. In fact I think its better to sign up for a super sprint first anyway as they are much friendlier, and you get all the transition stuff to practice with less pressure. I've got a tri in August which should be great fun

Skibike, I got a bit carried away at the last triathlon my kids did. There was an amazing young man with cerebral palsy who managed to do it so I felt I had no excuses and signed myself up for a "super sprint " triathlon this September. There will be no sprinting by me. I have since stated running and learned to do front crawl so I guess it's a good way to keep motivated.

Get well soon Rahul.

You are all so impressive – wild swimming, triathlons. We keep a tiny dinghy at the sailing club at a nearby reservoir and when my husband went there early on Saturday morning he saw swimmers. I ought to find out more.

I've been swimming on Monday and Tuesday mornings and I'll be off again tomorrow morning as usual. On Monday I spent some time in the fast lane and there was a super-aggressive man ('ponytail man' we called him) who was overtaking EVERYONE! Yes he was fast but he ruffled a lot of feathers with his behaviour. On my last length (backstroke) he started overtaking me half way along and I gave it everything and we finished nearly together (him a bit ahead). I wanted to make a point! A swim friend managed his fastest time that day though by being made to feel pressured. I only did about 10 lengths in the fast lane so it didn't make a difference to me.

Did 1k today, tried to only breathe on alternate strokes of breast stroke and some crawl which definitely makes it faster but harder work!

I meant to go last Thurs but daft child had left his lock at school so I had to take his scooter home (I suppose I could have put it on my towel next to the pool...).
Turned out to be just as well as I'd carefully filled my bag with towels but forgotten the swimming kit!

Had a nice swim today, shoulder etc still sore, but after a few lengths you don't feel it so much. CMOTDibbler, we did a lot of sea swimming/snorkelling on our last few holidays (Croatia - The most beautiful water I have ever seen, full of fish etc), and it was amazing how you would hit a cold/warm pocket of water...always better if it was a warm pocket though! Can't wait to go back soon.

I only did 20 lengths last night as there was only 20mins left before aqua! I'm proud I did it though as I was slipping back into lethargic depression and it felt good. reminding myself how wonderful swimming feels is helping so much :)

I love hearing the stories of open air swimming! my kids swam in the sea at the weekend but I wasn't brave enough!

Thanks for the Tri encouragement bee and CMOT the entry tri I looked worked out I think 16x25m swim, 15k bike ride and 5k run, so I was surprised that all seemed very doable as shortage bits under 2hrs. But putting it together will be tougher than I think I work with a load of folks who do tris & im the overweight middle aged mummy one, so they never think I'd be planning one I've done a few 60m hilly charity bike rides so I know when I start setting my mind to it I stealthlie get there in my own way.

Swimming lesson today, was really good. She made me slow right down ..really, really slow down and think, and count my stroke rate..She wanted me to reach the end of the pool in less than 20 (don't be appalled!)..did it in 17..practiced loads after she left..managed it in 14. It's unheard of! Can't wait to get back in the water tomorrow.

We do the same for breaststroke Fatgirlwithchocolate
I can now get my breastroke down to 5 (25m pool)
We had a flipper lesson on wednesday doing frontcrawl straight after an aqua class, i was well and truely knackered

5?! Amazing. I will never achieve that! (Unless someone straps a rocket to me)..

Thats breatstroke though, you can get a good glide. But for years i was 7 and only just recently have i been able to do 5. Not sure what i can do with frontcrawl.

What's the reason in going slower/ less strokes to the pool? I can have a go today as I'm curious but not quite sure of the why! (I don't have lessons or anything!)

It makes you think about your stroke and make it more efficient

Potato, I believe that it's because (counterintuitively) more effort expended doesn't necessarily equal a faster, better swim..but slowing down and focusing on swimming "correctly" both conserves energy enabling you to swim for longer, and enables you to travel further with each stroke. But I could be completely wrong!

Fatgirl
Put it better than i did

Oh, I checked on Swimtag and I do on average 16 strokes per length of a 33m pool for front crawl and backstroke … I've never been too sure why they kept a record of strokes.

(just realised I've name changed . Was posting as Country Caterpillar!! Same person though:) )

I've swam 60 lengths (25m pool) in 60 minutes as the aqua class was cancelled. Not fast but steady and furthest I've swim since I've started a few months ago!

I had a play with the breaststroke glides too. I started with 17 strokes for 25 meters! Got down to 12 easily and then down to 8 if I really stretched the glide without swimming up for breath. I'm impressed at 5. My swimming settled into 12 after id done some fc though so maybe its encouraged me to glide more?

Its taken me 15 years to get down to 5 Potatoprint I was 7 or 8 for many years. Since i started egym (weights) my stroke has changed, which i had done it before swimathon.

Well done! I've started gym so hopefully strength will improve. 8 still was with me really waiting in the glide. 12 was more natural!!

Ooh you have given me food for thought I will see how many strokes I do if I can get a swim in tom. I do glide to the 5m flags before breathing on breaststroke and I can tell when I'm not relaxed as I struggle to do that to start with then by the end of the session I'm easily gliding 5-6m &past the flags

Managed 14 again today, so I'm really pleased that it wasn't a fluke, but it's slightly bad compared to your fantastic stroke counts! Hoping to get better though..need to gain more power in legs/arms.