Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

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

Everyone welcome.

Seriously Corrigans my brain is fried until I swim then it goes all MELLOW.

It took me months to get in "the zone" with swimming, but I love that side of it. So good for mental health.

This morning I decided to see how far I could swim in an hour. I'm happy to report 2.3 km I'm not super-speedy at any point - strictly breaststroke only - but I also don't stop much!

I'm going to try that laminated sheet idea - whizzing!

I find that I go swimming WHEN I'm mellow, not to BE mellow.

I have lost my mojo. I still go swimming 2x/week but I am VERY BORED with it.
I tried music player -- sound quality was bad. I used to like my own thoughts. But now am just bored bored bored.
Can't think of any challenges to aim for.
Is it hopeless? Can I find swimming enjoyable again?

Oh no lljkk! Is there a pool near you doing the 5km swimathon, or a race? A distance challenge?Mix it up, do a sprint triathlon?

This morning I did a modified version of Corrigan's workout from earlier:

Warm up:
200m easy
2 x 50m kick, 50m pull

Main set:
4 x 100m at 1:45 pace on 2:10
100m pull (no paddles, I don't have any)
3 x 200m at 1:47 pace on 4:10
100m pull
2 x 300m at 1:49 pace on 6:10
100m pull

Cool down:
2 x 50m kick, 50m swim

I used the pull in between each of the pace sets as an opportunity to catch my break, re-set my stroke and really stretch it out. I was aiming for 1:45-1:50 pace and got my actual paces from swimtag. Quite pleased with the results.

We can't have you abandoning us lljkk. I don't know what to suggest to alleviate boredom other than a drill as MShip says. I don't do drills but the other person in the lane with me today definitely meant business. He had those hand things that Rights was talking about and also a float for between the knees and seemed to do ±6 lengths normal front crawl, ±6 lengths with the hand things, ±6 lengths normal front crawl, ±6 lengths with the knee float thing … Guess it adds variety. I do enjoy seeing the other swimmers for a brief chat too. A lot less solitary than when I was running. Do you use Swimtag? Sometimes they have challenges and it was the last challenge that got me from 1 mile to 2km each session. Was it you who asked about other pools in the Places for People network? If so would it help to vary which pool you go to?

I've been swimming regularly for a few months now. It definitely clears my head!
I feel I need to step things up a bit though and get faster - I only do 1k in 40 mins. I am wondering about getting a coach for a bit to help improve my stroke - has anyone done this?
The virtual coach app thing mentioned in an earlier post looks good - but I don't really want more reafibs to look at a screen.
Also, what's the name of the thing you wear that counts your lengths for you?
Thanks 🏊🏻‍♀️

Reasons!

You'll find your mojo again lljkk

I thinks it's not always a bad thing to lose it for a bit, because when it comes back it feels really good again. KWIM?

Did you enjoy listening to music ie would a different player/earphones be worth investing in?

Could you go to a different pool, arrange to go with a friend, enter a race, have some classes, find an online group to chat to?

Or you could just ditch it for a few weeks and give yourself a break. It won't do you any harm to rest your body.

1K done here. I went the same time as last week and it was as busy as it was then, so it must be a thing.
Amazed at the woman doing head out breast stroke being as fast as me doing all out front crawl (not that I'm super fast, but she looked like she was making no effort at all).

And splashy man who was doing crawl but instead of kicking his legs was crossing them over and kicking like that. Is that a training method or was it just the way he was swimming.

Used the mens' shower (NOT communal) as women's were full.

Now back to Excel.

lljkk I'd just stop swimming for a while if I were you. Unless you have a target to train for what's the point if you're so bored? Have a break and you might realise you miss it! Or not!

Glad the programme was helpful MShip

I went to a session with the Swim Smooth Squad yesterday. It was a Pure Trchnique sesson so lots of drills. Aiming to avoid crossing over at the front, keeping the shoulders back and scapulae pulled together and not pushing down on the water at the front of the stroke when you’re breathing. We used Finis Agility and Freestyler paddles, fins and pull buoys.

Sloooow 1km done this morning. I have a cold and I'm feeling sorry for myself

Get well soon, Crotchet. Impressed you made it for a swim if you aren't feeling quite yourself. I'm sure I'm making lots of the mistakes that were being addressed at your session, Corrigans.

I found myself feeling a bit annoyed in the pool today. There was a fast swimmer in the fast lane and she was doing drills. There was quite a long patch (±10 lengths at least) towards the end of my swim when she was going super-fast, overtaking my slowish backstroke (I alternate backstroke and front crawl) nearly at the end of the length but then stopping to check out what she was doing next / have a rest so all attempts of mine to encourage her to go in front of me were thwarted. I hated being overtaken on every other length – quite discouraging as I normally hold my own in the fast lane. Eventually she did speed off ahead of me but I only had about 4 lengths left by this point! Grrrr …

Oh that's annoying, Singing. I was that fast swimmer the other day, but it was just me and one other regular in the lane, so after a couple of awkward pass & catch-ups, we agreed to just split the lane and each took one side. But of course that only works if there's only 2 of you!

After two weeks out of the pool due to illness I finally made it back today. Was feeling rather nervous but got a solid half hour of mostly FC done in the fast lane with 4 others but we were all being respectful & passing/waiting at the ends which was really good. I normally get bit nervous if it gets busy or people are fast but everyone was just friendly today which was great. It restored my faith in lovely swimmers again .

I managed 2km this morning - mix-up of breast stroke and crawl. I find I'm getting a really sore lower back whilst swimming - any suggestions?

Just dropping in as you've dropped off "threads I'm on".
Pool currently empty. Annual maintenance. Hopefully it will be filled in Feb, and warm enough by March to swim again.

flippety I am the same. Sore lower back. I've assumed that it's because I have a weak core so I'm incorporating some core exercises into my week. Probably not enough but I'm hoping it will help given enough time. Any thoughts more experienced swimmers?

Ah yes Igot that would make sense. I'm not sure I can cope with 5km with that amount of discomfort but potentially it will get better presumably with more core exercise. Must start planking....

I've read somewhere that breaststroke puts more pressure on your lower back. Maybe switch to doing more front crawl?

I maybe do one or two lengths of breaststroke per session singing the rest is front crawl.

I had lots of back pain during my first year of swimming too. Maybe I wasn’t rotating properly and had weak back/core. It’s much better now I’m stronger (spent some time at the gym and physio-led exercise classes). Breaststroke can be hard on the lumbar spine.

Sorry, it was flippety who was doing a mix of crawl and breaststroke not you, bee …

Would adding in few lengths of backstroke or kicking on your back with a float help? It re-sets your pelvis to tip the other way. I’ve had years of back issues but doing frontcrawl hasn’t aggravated it much. Is your head looking down enough which flattens your back position? If I use a pull buoy I can feel it sometimes in my lower back.
My poor DD was made to do 200IM in training this week then get out pool and do 10press ups on pool side and back in the pool again carry on she’s only 10 and wasn’t impressed by this “training set” I thought it sounded core building....