Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

[rightsofwomen]

Ohh la la....2nd thread filled up. Hopefully this Subject line will make it easy enough to find.

Everyone welcome.

Does the speedo one keep your hair dry Avo?

Aw thanks smiled, I swim at over 50s sessions mostly and a year ago I could only manage 4lengths of crawl. Now I can keep going till I turn into a prune. But my complete irrational fear of pruny skin means that I never manage more than 45 mins. But I'm quietly pleased with what I've managed.

I think I'm reaching the age where pruny skin is inevitable within 5 minutes :).

Did 2.8k yesterday . If I believe Swimtag, anyway.

Got 1k in this morning whilst DD at her club then tried a few drills to try get myself breathing both sides as I struggle to do bi-lateral breathing and did some with the float just need to keep trying to get my stiff neck to work on the left side.

I went to my local big pool today. There was a synchro club going on jn half the pool right next to me. I was totally distracted by watching them upside down, head nearly on the bottom whilst doing the splits with their legs on the surface.

Their ability to swim upside down and do odd moves underwater that one can only see if viewed through goggles from underwater left me in awe. I found my clumsy hefting up and down too graceless and got out after 800 metres. But I felt the glow after anyway so I'm not beating myself up about not managing more than 15 mins. It's better than nothing.

Hi smiling. No, my Speedo cap doesn't keep my hair dry. The top of my hair is usually fairly dry, but the back gets wet and I usually have to squeeze some water from my ponytail. There was something several threads back about a sort of silicone headband that you could use in combination with a cap that kept your hair dry. I think it was this: www.headcovers.com/waterproof-swim-caps/

Aw nuts, Swimtag says I swam 2050m, the poolside box said 1.7 km. Which one should I record? So much for technology making my life easier!

I can't hold my breath well enough to do something like Synchro. Immense admiration.

Thanks Avo will check them out.

I did a short swim yesterday after doing nothing for the last 4 weeks due to terrible chesty cough, and it's gotten rid of it! SO happy.

Got 42L in sat before my youngest joined me in the pool - I was rather prunie by the time we got out 1.5hr later. Our pool shuts Sunday for maintenance over the xmas period so hopefully one more chance on Sat for me before a 2wk break.

I am slacking!

Meant to go twice a week.
Been once this week, not sure I’ll get another one in.
Once last week.
Zero the week before.

Lots of running though.

Went this morning, after scraping ice off my car, and it was blissfully quiet. I think the cold has put lots of people off. By the time I was on my final lengths it was just me and one other person in the pool. The fast man in the fast lane spoke to me today! Festive spirit kicking in perhaps?

Must be festive spirit Avocado
I just blagged a free swim at a local club that’s just re-vamped it’s pool under the guise of maybe interested in membership (I’m locked in our local centre till the summer ..I forget to mention that!) they had sent me a voucher to use by end of the year and it was really nice and quiet but was v.brr doing the walk from club house to outside pool (now covered over). Still a good 1k done.

Place mark so I can come back later and join you all. Haven’t been swimming in years but I really want to start!

Welcome Sodaface. Swimming will make a perfect New Year's Resolution (if you believe in such things)!

Oh no - the new year new me swimmers! I know it is a good thing but my heart sinks on January when the pool is super busy. But there are worse things. Just realised the other day that I have been swimming regularly for nearly 35 years - only break when pregnant. Another 35 please..

We were saying just today at the fairly quiet pool that come January there will be twenty more people in the pool for a few weeks! 35 years is very impressive, Meg.

Meg I see your point but if your specifically referring to me it couldn’t be further from the truth! I am training for a triathlon so I have to include swimming... sorry if that is an annoyance to you.

Hi pinkgin not an annoyance -triathletes tend to swim with discipline, awareness of lane etiquette etc...and swim outdoors for long periods. It's the people starting or getting back into.. quite often chatty, swim two abreast and often in the wrong lane. You must have come across this?

Think pools should prep themselves for this in January - maybe some proper structured group sessions for returners in separate area of the pool??

Thankyou Avocado...it is a long time- wish I had used more moisturiser! Levels of chlorine have vastly improved, reduced so no more bleached blonde brown hair although either would be preferable to my grey. It hasnt given me beach ready body - more East German female swimmer -but it has saved my sanity on a few occasions.

Happy Christmas everyone!

my pool had 8-19 people in it, yesterday for lanes, about avg, I think.
Meg: are you a 2km in 40 minute swimmer?

I had to re-register and now can't use rightsofwomen. It's me though!

So, overall I think I missed swimming on average twice a week about 8 times in 2017, which is what my goal was. I don't feel at all discouraged by this and still feel I met my goal : "try" and swim twice a week. The missed ones were not due to being idle, but just not being able to fit it in or choosing to prioritise my running if I had to choose. And yes, there was the odd time when I did skip it in favour of staying at home and resting, and that's OK too.

I will stick with the same goal this year.

My Q. As a runner I really don't need to work my legs in the pool. I use my pull buoy which gives my legs a rest.
I was thinking of getting some aqua gloves, but I not really sure why - just that they will be a different experience which mixes things up a bit.
Truth be told, I need to shake things up a bit by mixing my sessions up instead of just swimming 40 lengths at the same speed using the same stroke. I don't have particular race or target goals, but will do some open water races I think.

Just found this "Swimmers wear gloves during training to increase water resistance, with the webbed fingers spreading wide to create more drag. The added resistance provides more work for the upper body, giving the shoulders, arms, chest and back an intense workout and toning muscles well beyond normal swimming."

YES! This is what I need. Watch our Adlington!

Oh god...they come in sizes!

Sorted. Small = youth (ha bloody ha!), Medium = woman, Large = men and women with large hands.

Ordered.

Anyone else want to share their goals for the coming year, swim wise?