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.

Well done Hissy! I'm on holiday at the moment and have been swimming in the warm med. Finding the breathing a bit tricky what with the waves changing the height of the water!

Thanks

You have to push down a little harder to sight over waves, and rotate a little more

I have the Aegean to look forward to in Aug- not done proper sea swimming before, but it will be wonderful

Well done Hissy. I long to swim in a warm sea. Not done so for a few years now. Did have a paddle off the Welsh coast this week and it was remarkably warm.

Well done hissy

I've just had a look at the swimming without stress page linked up thread. Interesting approach mixing Alexandra Technique to swimming, I've definitely improved as I've relaxed more and focused on my glide position. I'm looking forward to my Monday swim tomorrow.

Well done Hissy!

I had the fast lane entirely to myself for 42 lengths this morning. I had a lovely swim but realised I wasn't pushing myself at all. Others joined for lengths 43-60 and my pace picked up but it was interesting to see how much other swimmers shape my speed! I felt the need to do two more lengths as there was someone doing slow breaststroke during length 59 and I had to tread water and it felt like it was a bit of a cheat length! So 60 lengths became 62!

Went to Masters last night, another strong 1850m set, lots of kicking drills, fins etc. Am a little slow this morning it has to be said.

Am almost grateful for the school meetings this evening so I can't get back into water today :D

Singing I notice I go faster when there is someone in my lane or the next one who has a quicker pace than me, but I get lazy if I'm the fastest one and settle into a cruising stroke.

2km this morning in 5x400m, average pace 121s. I'd love to get that pace down further, but I suspect I'll have to actually go back to doing drills and really working on my stroke to get anywhere, and I don't fancy that. I just like ploughing up and down and not really thinking about anything much.

I'm taking my new pull bouy swimming tonight, coach at the tri club said I need to mix my swimming up with drills instead of just swimming up and down. I'm in awe of the amazing swimmers I saw the other night, I can't imagine being in their league. Coach also told me that many of those swimmers have had their technique nailed for years....I best get working on it then!!! Doesn't help that DH has been away for 5 days so I haven't been able to get out, unless pushing a buggy and walking in the park with the kids counts!

Hello, may I join you please? I have just done my first 1km swim in 45mins which potentially could have been less time if I had been brave enough to go in a lane instead of pottering about in the non laned bit.

I used to swim for my school so was trying to really focus on my technique as opposed to speed but suspect that most people were a bit grumpy with me. But i need a breather after every 100m so don't know if I am ready for a lane. Would it annoy you lot if there was someone who needed to stop after every 4 lengths? (Only for 10 to 20 seconds)

We will always swim at the pace we swim - unless we challenge ourselves.

Even the EvilCoach says he drops sets he sets himself if he feels like slacking!

DefinitelyOdd Of course you are ready for a lane if you can do a 100m stretch! What stroke are you using?

Even our masters sets are usually in 100s, so you swim the maximum pace you can maintain over the 100 and then stop for no longer than say 30s to recover

the trick is to push off just before you are ready to go. that will improve your interval times and help you get fitter.

Stop and clear the turn area and let others go around you. That's what we all do in 25 or 50m pools

check out ruthkazez.com/swimming/Zeroto1milePreamble/pre-zero.html

then go from this to the 1 mile programme.

Hissy - I do 4xbreaststroke and 4x front crawl. I need to work on both strokes as I keep forgetting to breath out underwater. I am also very slow with front crawl as I am focusing on the arms and getting them right.

I should probably add that for the last 200m today, I got a bit embarrassed by all the dirty looks so caved in and did 'head out of water' breaststroke. As opposed to my racing technique. I still got dirty looks though so am not sure why I bothered! Lol

DefinitelyOdd no one minds sharing a lane with considerate swimmers. I happily share with people who I lap every 3-4 50's, just be aware of the other swimmers and you're good to go.

it depends on your pace Definitely if you are in a fast lane, that might not go down well with those doing more fast pace stuff.

judge the speed when you get there, and be prepared to move to a different lane if you need to, but absolutely a lane is best for sets like this

It may be the looks you think you got were people wondering why you weren't in a lane when actually you should be.

it depends on your pace Definitely if you are in a fast lane, that might not go down well with those doing more fast pace stuff.

judge the speed when you get there, and be prepared to move to a different lane if you need to, but absolutely a lane is best for sets like this

It may be the looks you think you got were people wondering why you weren't in a lane when actually you should be.

Had a great swim tonight I got really relaxed and did a couple of lengths of FC 4strokes to one breathe and it felt really good. Then managed a 7stroke lenght of breaststroke but couldn't repeat it was back to average 9-11s on my other sets. I was focusing on dropping my head a bit more on the breaststroke and it really improved my glide just that bit more. My DD club were doing breaststroke drills tonight so she's given me another tip with my hands to try next time. Placed on top of each other instead of the more prayer position I was using. I also got chatting to the nice guy in my lane who commented my FC was really smooth which was great as it's only been 4mths that I've started to nail it so I was feeling very tonight

Well done Ski, it's nice when it starts to click isn't it. I had a better swim tonight, did about 16 lengths consecutively which I've not done for a while. Had to have a word with myself, a few months ago I could barely swim a length of front crawl. So I shouldn't be too hard on myself when, surprise surprise, I'm not as good as the super duper swimmers in the tri club!

Ah, dipping in and out of the holiday pool. It's not very big but it is lovely. Off to the sea today - the Mediterranean don't you know.....

May I join?

I try to swim once or twice a week among other exercise. I dont count lengths but just tell myself I am going to swim for 30-45mins depending on the time I have available.

I tend to do back stroke as I have to keep my legs straight to swim because of knee and hip problems and I like the full range of motion of your arms in back stroke.

Well done, Bee and Ski and have a fab holiday Rights.

Saw proper swim rage this morning! The pool was quieter than usual and there were only three people in the free swim lane. As I was finishing my swim one of the men climbed out the steps half way along and stormed along to a man catching his breath in the shallow end and shouted 'What do you think you are doing?'. The man shrugged and said he was swimming rotational (whatever that is) as was the other swimmer in the lane. The cross man said 'Unbelievable' and something about knowing rules and launched himself into the fast lane (where he probably should have been anyway). I thought the lifeguards might intervene but they did nothing. If it had been me being shouted at like that I'd have burst into tears!

singing what was the rotational guy doing - was he slow? working on rotation in the stroke or were they just swimming in the usual circle?

I'm puzzled

Unfortunately I didn't see what happened. I presume a collision of sorts. The free lane is confusing because people tend to go up and down rather than in a circle as is done in the slow, medium and fast lanes. Do you think that is what he meant by rotation? I was just amazed at how angry 'cross man' was! It would be sad if he has put off the other swimmer.

I saw swim rage today as well. This man was utterly rude to this poor young girl and her dad because they were in 'his' lane due to school lessons taking over the non lane bit. The poor girl was in tears so I offered to share my lane. She was a cracking little swimmer as well!

1350m in 45mins. I am absolutely shattered now!

I think so, the free lanes aren't always on rotation, neither was "wrong" but they have to work out what people are doing and follow suit.

No point in shouting tho!

Ive been lucky, you don't get twats in lakes, rivers, allocated Club lanes in 50m pools, or at masters.

Summer will mean I may have to join the public sessions... 😂 Eek!

The Mediterranean is lovely to swim in just sayin'

Actually, we just played around in the waves and on the lilo.