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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.

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8
Hissy · 17/11/2017 10:51

My OH and I were in a medium lane doing front crawl. there were 2 women in the slow lane next to us doing sporadic breaststroke for a length or 2 then a good 15 mins chat.

Bloke got in our lane and started breaststroke when he could see we were doing FC. OH suggested he'd be better accommodated in the lane where they were also doing breaststroke. He didn't like it one bit, but went in the end. The worst thing about it was that while OH was having his chat I had to keep going on and on, up and down in front crawl all the while to prove the point. then OH got back to swimming and we had to put in a fast length or 2 to ram home the message... exhausting!

You have every right to say "Actually, I'm a faster swimmer than you and you are getting in the way, there are 2 clear lanes, please use one until someone faster than you needs it. that's the way lane etiquette works, but if you have any doubt please go and talk the lifeguard"

Hissy · 17/11/2017 10:57

That said.. if someone is already in the lane, it's best to wait so they see you are joining them and if they are much slower than you USUALLY they will move. If I join a swimmer about my pace, I'll often ask them what they are working on and sometimes it works to train together.

I'm now able to hold my own in the fast lane in most public sessions, so do aim for that lane, if nothing else to keep non-swimmers out of my lane. :) I'm certainly not about ego I'll happily be in the medium lane if a club swimmer is in a higher lane, but I have learned to avoid the slow lanes as much as possible because it really does bring in those who have zero clue when it comes to manners.

Hissy · 17/11/2017 11:00

My OH and I will spot people eyeing up our lane and usually respond by putting in some fast lengths with turns if poss until they reconsider their choice Grin

I'm thinking of getting a swimming club hat cos that might put em off. Course I'd need to buy a different colour cozzie to match it now ... hmmm

Hissy · 17/11/2017 11:01

Rollergirl11 what open water swim are you doing next year?

SingingAvocado · 20/11/2017 09:38

Excitement today as our changing rooms reopened after a 6 week refurb. However the health suite between the changing rooms and the pool is out of action for a further week and without being able to walk through it there was no way to get to the pool unless you were happy wandering around the leisure centre in a swimsuit! So not so exciting afterall …

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 22/11/2017 07:59

roller in that situation I would stomp (splash?) off to the middle lane just so I could swim freely. Only if I have to talk to people do I.

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Original poster
rightsofwomen · 22/11/2017 16:28

1K done. Amen.

Only swam once last week (tricky to fit it in with new job and DS1 being at uni so no one mind DS2 in the evening).

Rival friend was there with her wanky aqua gloves. I need these in my life, right?

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Original poster
rightsofwomen · 22/11/2017 16:31

avocado photos of the new changing rooms or it didn't happen! LOL.

roller yeah, tell us what open water swim. I did some last year for the first time. My goals were not to die and not to come last. I achieved them!

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flamingnoravera · 22/11/2017 19:28

I rarely swim in public session but today I was blessed with unheard of time in the middle of the afternoon.

So there are two of us swimming in half the pool roped off for proper swimming. And we are swimming clockwise as you do. A third woman got in and asked "is this a private lane?" I smiled and said "no, it's for proper swimming rather than splashing with children" and swam on. Halfway down the length , I crashed into the new swimmer, swimming up the down side (iyswim) and I stopped and said sorry and indicated with my hand that it's clockwise swimming in the roped off area. And carried on. I swim crawl, so I can't see anyone approaching me till we are in collision mode. And blow me if she wasn't doing again. So I stopped and said, it's a clockwise swim lane and pointed to the sign. She replied with, it's three lanes, I'm swimming up and down. I said, I can't see you when you do that, please swim clockwise. She shouted no and tiold me that as there were only three people in the lane we could have a lane each (it was two black lines wide not three).
The pool guard cane over and said she would sort it out. And at the end of the next length I bashed into the rope- the pool guard had reduced it to one lane! With the new swimmer having three quarters of the pool to herself now and me and the other clockwise swimmer in one lane. She's hugely tall and swims breaststroke, her legs are as wide as the lane, so overtaking is difficult but she stops if I'm faster and vice versa.
Luckily I was nearly at the end of my swim, I was cross that the new woman refused to use the pool as instructed and ended up getting the swimmers lane made smaller to accommodate her. I was not in the wrong was I? Totally prepared to accept IWBU

Original poster
rightsofwomen · 23/11/2017 11:43

YWNBU!! She was in the wrong and so was the pool guard.

In my experience, it's fine to deviate from the normal round and round if there are 2 or 3 people, BUT ONLY IF THIS HAS BEEN COMMUNICATED AND AGREED BY ALL. If one person doesn't want to go up/down then that's fine, we all go round and round.

I prefer up/down, but am coming round more to going round and round by default now as you can just zone out and not worry about more people joining. Unless I have the misfortune to swim at the same time as your woman nora!

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Original poster
rightsofwomen · 24/11/2017 22:09

1K done. Lane to self. Nice. Any of you lot swimming ATM?!

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flamingnoravera · 24/11/2017 22:42

I'm swimming, four times a week, 1k most days, sometimes 1.5k. Today I did 1200 m then half an aqua fit class but my skin got too pruny so I had to get out.

TriGirl007 · 25/11/2017 10:11

Yah finally got back in the pool this morning after a month out. Had to hold my ground with 2 big fellas in the lane but there was only one public lane up (swim kids had 3L) so I carried on and they were ok in the end and I had a lot more stamina than one of them Grin felt good to know I’d not lost it. But I do struggle a bit with anxiety in the pool when it gets busy which is why I’ve been focusing more on running as I can avoid people then Smile but I need swimming for my body..will just have to keep trying to find quiet slots when kids are occupied at their clubs which isn’t easy.

SingingAvocado · 27/11/2017 19:46

New changing rooms properly open today. They left the same wall tiles, but new floor tiles and smartened up toilets and showers. The number of benches has been reduced and a lot less hanging space, and they've gone for grey throughout (so maybe a good thing that the wall tiles stayed). Sorry, no photo Rights as I don't usually take my phone with me! A minute slower than usual today …

Well done, Tri at holding your own. There is a fast man in the fast lane but I've got braver about swimming with him. Once I started out just behind him and it took until lane 40 before he lapped me, which I didn't think was too shabby!

flamingnoravera · 27/11/2017 23:37

1k in 20 mins today. The pool was warm and quiet but a bit grubby. Yesterday I swam at another pool where the water seems clearer and brighter, but colder too. I'm working up to trying a tumble turn but don't know where or how to start or if it's even worth trying to learn.

SingingAvocado · 28/11/2017 09:23

I've never mastered a tumbleturn, nora. There are lots of video tutorials online if you are feeling inspired! I don't see very many people at my pool doing tumbleturns. They seem to instead do the touch and push away at an angle (if you know what I mean). Don't know what that is called.

SingingAvocado · 28/11/2017 09:26

Ah, it is called, with great originality, a touch turn!
www.triradar.com/training-advice/touch-turn-faster-in-the-pool/

SandLand · 28/11/2017 16:50

Nope, not swimming. Pretty much decided it's too cold (no, it's not, but the water is fecking cold -sea temp is 23, I'm guessing the pool isn't much warmer).
Going to try at lunchtime tomorrow, when at least it should be above 20 when I have to walk home in my wet costume and soggy summer dress.....
Think I'm running til March now.

teddyneedsawash · 28/11/2017 22:00

Ooh, hello. In a moment of complete insanity, I've signed up for adult swimming lessons. I can swim but without style or sensible breathing so have opted for the improvers session. Please tell me it'll be ok! I feel rather sick with nerves and they don't even start until Monday...

SingingAvocado · 29/11/2017 08:33

Welcome Teddy. Adult swimming lessons sound like the perfect way to start. You will be fine and I'm sure you'll catch the swimming bug as much as we all have. I know what you mean about nerves though. On the first day (about 18 months ago) that I'd resolved to get up early and try out the pool I was awake from about 3am fretting about it. So you are not alone. YOU WILL BE FAB!

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 30/11/2017 10:00

Hi All,
Can anyone recommend me a good swimming hat for longish hair? I have a big head too...
Thanks Smile

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 30/11/2017 10:01

Wow 1k in 20 mins is amazing flamingnoravera!

SmiledWithTheRisingSun · 30/11/2017 10:08

I am aiming to get back in the pool soon rights - just need to get rid of my horrendous cough I've had for last month Confused

SandLand · 30/11/2017 10:36

I swam. It was awful getting in, but actually quite pleasent after the first few lengths.
Will try again next week - it's certainly away to get the pool to myself. No one else is mad enough to be swimming this time of year!

SingingAvocado · 30/11/2017 13:27

I've noticed that ProSwimwear do caps for long hair, RisingSun. For example:
www.proswimwear.co.uk/speedo-long-hair-silicone-swim-cap-blue.html?fee=34&fep=8950
www.proswimwear.co.uk/tyr-silicone-long-hair-cap-black.html?fee=34&fep=84925
I've got a silicone Speedo cap (an ordinary one, not one for long hair) and it is very good.