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Original poster

Swimming for fitness (part 3). Dive in!

988 replies

rightsofwomen · 18/09/2017 13:07

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

Everyone welcome.

OP posts:
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tizwozliz · 27/03/2018 13:32

Whole pool to myself for the last 20 minutes I was in today. Glorious Smile

Do other people record what they're doing and if so where? I'd like to add up all the km's I'm swimming over the year

SingingAvocado · 27/03/2018 14:02

Hi Tizwoz I use Swimtag and that keeps a record for me. Comes as part of my swim membership from the leisure centre.

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 27/03/2018 14:27

I swam just now. I lost count, because I'm meant to do 40 lengths - 4 with and 4 w/o pull buoy. I should end on a pull buoy set, but didn't.
Quite a few people I knew there today so I'll blame them.

And now I'm fired up to do some hard work this afternoon, because quite frankly I have not earned my wages this morning fart arsing around!

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 27/03/2018 14:30

lljkk re aerobic memory. Yes, I think there's some truth in what you say.
How we feel when we exercise depends on SO many things. I just love love love getting in the zone. It took me a while to find it with swimming, but I do get it now.

flamingnoravera · 02/04/2018 21:47

I taught myself tumble turn today! I feel mighty proud, but I can't do it without a nose clip and I don't like to swim crawl with a nose clip so it's a show off piece that I'll never use!

Also took granddaughter swimming and started diving with her- she managed two halfway decent plunges,she'll get it now she knows how it feels.

I now need to work on breaststroke, I've only recently discovered whip kick, I was taught to swim in the 60s with frog kick and I'm struggling to change to whip kick- any hints?

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 03/04/2018 11:39

I swam on Friday, but had to stop after 28.5 lengths (usually do 40) because I had calf cramp. I'd raced (run) that morning so that was probably the cause.

flamingnoravera [round of applause] for learning tumble turns and for your GD diving.

I can't do breast stroke at all, so hopefully someone will come along and advise.

flamingnoravera · 03/04/2018 21:36

Aw thanks for the pat on't back re tumble turn. Turns out I can only do it with a nose clip and my nose clip slips off, it's too small. And I can't swim with a nose clip, I can tumble turn or I can swim, but I can't do both! But hey! I've learned a new skill and that's always good.

Today I swam with a friend we did 1000m then retired to the pub and undid all the good with a bottle of wine and panini. Well it is the holidays :)

Flippetydip · 04/04/2018 15:53

Hello - checking in after a long time. Wow, respect on the tumble turns. My swim class tried to learn them last time I was there. I didn't end up in the same direction once throughout the session and felt half drowned by the end. Safe to say I haven't used them once.

Have signed up for the 5km version of the Swimathon which is stupid as I'm slow and not stylish or efficient. Not really sure why I'm doing it except for the fact that there was nothing between 2.5km and 5km and I already know I can do 2.5km so no challenge. Managed 3.6km this morning (144 lengths). Took me forever!

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 07/04/2018 16:35

Hello all
I haven't posted for a while. Read this article the other day about swimming so thought I'd share.
https://the-motherload.co.uk/swimming-saved-will-save/

Have swum every day this week as been on holiday. Feeling so much calmer Smile

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 07/04/2018 16:38

Can someone explain how a pull buoy helps improve technique?

OrangeSunset · 07/04/2018 20:27

Hi! Trying to get back in to swimming but need a bit of a shove and some structure when I'm in the pool. Can anyone recommend a good website for some interval-type workouts? Lots of the ones I've found online have a bit of kit and a fair bit of faffing about. I generally swim first thing in the morning so am not really awake enough for all of that prep! I would like some workouts that are mainly crawl-based but where there is some progression to make the most of the session?

tizwozliz · 07/04/2018 20:32

How long do you normally swim for OrangeSunset and roughly how much can you swim in that time?

Swimfit used to have some good training sets online but now they only seem to provide them direct to pools. Have you checked that your pool doesn't have any laminated cards poolside?

SkiGirl007 · 07/04/2018 20:52

Have a look on British swimming orange and the Swimathon website had some. I did print one off but got too confused the jist I think was warm up 200m, do a few 100m sprints then rest 1min then do some more then cool down Grin well that’s what I thought it said Confused I try to do mix of F.C., pullbuoy, float kicking bit of breaststroke & backstroke near the end to cool down. It’s hard to do drills though in a public lane as it tends to be just F.C. fast I find...

OrangeSunset · 08/04/2018 20:51

Last swim I did was 24mins, 1200 yds. Bit less than I normally do, and can do 1500m non-stop at a push.
Don’t think there are any cards at the pool - it’s a gym one rather than a leisure centre. I’ll have a look at British Swimming.

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 10/04/2018 00:57

Am in Shanghai at a conference. Swam in the small hotel pool last night for about 1/2hr, which should be about 1K.
Do shorter lengths make for more or less distance ie more pushing off, but turns are slower.
I was the only one doing front crawl. Quite a few of the Chinese swimmers were doing whole lengths right at the bottom of the pool. Is that a thing?!

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 10/04/2018 01:00

RisingSun
I am no expert, but I found that the pull buoy raises my hips to what I believe is a more correct position in the pool. It also gives you that extra bit if buoyancy to allow you to slow down your stroke, thus allowing you to focus on technique. For me, as well as the above it allows me to rest my legs which I don't need to exercise in the pool due to my running.

Oh and I gave a talk yesterday and afterwards one of the delegates approached me and asked what exercise I did to get such nice arms. She thought I did rock climbing. Keep on swimming folks!

flamingnoravera · 10/04/2018 07:58

@rightsofwomen in my local pool there a quite a few men who seem to prefer underwater swimming, I've not noticed any women doing it.
In Shanghai I used to stay at the Jian Jang hotel in the French Concession, the pool there was reputedly one of Mao's favourites. It was a nice enough pool but the thought of that old creep swimming in it used to give me the heebies.

flamingnoravera · 10/04/2018 08:08

@rightsofwomen a bit of googling suggests that underwater swimming apparently helps increase lung capacity especially for runners (although this is not universally accepted).

TheOrigRightsofwomen · 10/04/2018 14:24

I have no Google in China!

I can understand that it would improve lung capacity, though I'm not sure why specially for runners, or do they mean it's something that easily improves capacity for runners?

I have just run on the treadmill, what a bastard those things are.

tizwozliz · 12/04/2018 19:19

I seem to have plateaued which is quite frustrating. I'm trying to get back to where I was 3 or 4 years ago so i know it's achievable but doesn't seem to be happening. Not sure whether I should be doing something different in my sessions or whether I just need a bit more patience.

CorrigansDoorKnob · 13/04/2018 03:45

Hey swimmers, I dropped off the thread. I was the kayak support for a couple of ocean swims recently. For the first one, the swimmers were pulled out of the water as a 4m great white shark was spotted in the swimming channel Shock! Luckily no one got eaten and we spent the afternoon in the pub instead. The second one got cancelled half way through due to severe weather conditions.

I’m now in training for the Masters Swimming Nationals. I’ve foolishly entered the 400m free and don’t think i’ve got the fitness to pull off the time i’ve entered.

Enjoying watching the Commonweath Games swimming - my goodness those elites are awesome. I’m hoping some of it can rub off on me....

BalloonFlowers · 13/04/2018 05:17

Place marking to get back in threads I'm on. Name changer - I swim in the outside pool in the middle east.

Not done much recently. Had the kids at home, then have just been really lazy. Worryingly im loosing weight tho - less excerise, more meals out, easter chocolate and a 3kg weight drop in the past month...

Hopefully will get back to it middle of next week.

tizwozliz · 13/04/2018 09:24

When are the masters nationals? I'm trying to get my 400m time back to 6 minutes which given my 100m times should be really doable but I have no stamina.

CorrigansDoorKnob · 17/04/2018 09:29

tizwozliz they start tomorrow. I'm not in the UK though. I would love to swim 6 minutes for a 400m but I'm not there yet. Maybe next year with some more consistent sprint training.

More sharks attacks here too Sad. Luckily no one died this time, but two people mauled in the space of a day Shock

Mrspotter12 · 17/04/2018 16:15

Hi folks been swimming today for the first time in ages and managed 30 lengths!!! Will try and go again tomorrow!

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