Swimming for fitness (part 4). Everyone welcome.

[TheOrigRightsofwomen]

Old thread here

Anyone interesting in swimming for fitness welcome here.
Newbies, experiences, the fast, the slow - we're all sharing, learning and most of all supporting each other.

[tizwozliz]

If 4 feels too many, you could try doing 2,4,2,4 etc. This is how I often breathe. I can bilateral breathe if I think about it but prefer not to, it's never felt natural to me

[TriSeaSwim99]

Thanks tiz that confirms what I was thinking& seeing. I only breathe one side due to neck issues and can do 4 strokes but prefer to do 2 per breathe which I think impacts my stroke rate as well.

[tizwozliz]

So 13 would be very low, and if you're not moving that fast would suggest over gliding with some deadspots in your stroke. 26 would be just above average. I wouldn't expect club swimmers to be taking 26 strokes per length (unless you're talking about kids) but their stroke rate, i.e. how many strokes they do in a minute would be higher. I fairly consistently do 18/19 strokes per length, irrespective of speed. I go faster if I move my arms faster.

[TriSeaSwim99]

I only count one arm in my head ... I think so that would be 26 if I counted both arms..

[tizwozliz]

What are you counting as a stroke when you say stroke count is 13? Each arm as one stroke or left arm + right arm as one stroke?

[TriSeaSwim99]

That’s sounds really interesting rights do share any tips you find out. I especially find it hard to work out what’s better with the number of strokes. I got praised once by a coach for averaging 13 strokes per 25m yet my FC seems slow compared to a lot of others who are doing faster turn over on their strokes. I was focusing on gliding smoothly but couldn’t seem to do both with a faster stroke rate 🤔 I counted the other day and I’m still 13 per length and only marginally faster than a couple of years ago. I was trying to watch the fast lane club guys last week and they were definitely doing a far higher stroke rate than me yet I got the impression before that wasn’t ideal...who knows.

[TheOrigRights]

I have signed up for a 28 day course to improve my freestyle.
It's a mix of pool and land exercises.
Yesterday was the first pool day and as a base level I had to time how long it took me to swim 100m and count the strokes.

Then it was a drill of side swimming; the aim being to improve body awareness. It was hard.

It's really good to do something different though and also to be part of this worldwide online group all doing the same thing.

[MinnieMountain]

I only swim breaststroke. It’s still good exercise.

[fattygoesswimming]

Backstroke isn't allowed at our pool, not that I do it anyway as it's hurt my shoulder too much. Like you I get pain in it when lying down, I've been going to bed with deep heat to try and stop it.

[Vinniepolis]

I have only been able to swim crawl and backstroke since the pools reopened as I have a knee injury which makes breastroke painful (had an xray this week so waiting to hear). I’ve noticed my right shoulder is getting a bit achey... not when just sitting, but if I lie on that side at night and also
while swimming. I am worried I have overdone it somehow but I really don’t want to stop - it feels so good to be back in the pool. I bought a kickboard today, thinking I could use my arm less but omg it was so boring...

[fattygoesswimming]

Neither can I, I can only do breast stroke. I'm scared of the water and can't swim with goggles as seeing the depth of it scares me silly. I do breast stroke and pretend it's not there.

[sandwiches77]

I can't swim FC - help

[tizwozliz]

No sign of demand dropping at our pool. Having to log on every day as soon as slots open up, then faff about booking and cancelling, e.g. if I want to book for next Weds I need to book today, but if I only want to swim on Wednesday if I can't book on on Thursday, I need to wait until Thursday then cancel Wednesdays slot. First world problems!

[Mxflamingnoravera]

Omg, I'm two weeks to swimming after over a year and a dislocated shoulder. I'm pretty much back to my pre lockdown stamina (40-50 lengths of face in crawl at a steady speed) and I LOVE IT. I had missed the endorphins and now I walk there instead of driving so it's extra great.

I honestly cannot get over how much it has affected my body and feeling about life in general. Thank you swimming pool for re-opening and making this possible again.

I go four times a week after work.

[fattygoesswimming]

@tizwozliz

Wrist based heart rate trackers can be quite unreliable especially when exercising. I'd imagine in water even more so. If I run mine tells me I've spent 30 minutes at peak which I know to be wrong. I wouldn't pay too much notice and go by how you're feeling.

Thanks for the explanation.
No swimming today, I'm still at work so I'll go tomorrow.

[TheOrigRights]

Oh that's great SSwim.

You've retained your stamina. I bet that feels good.

I did my usual 1K today. I am such a creature of habit. Suits me though. Oh and I am loving my new Lands End tankini top.

[SSwimCycle21]

Whooho my first mile in a pool for over a year. We only get a 45min session and I was going to get out after 50L but realised there were only two of us left in the lane so decided to carry on to 64L. Really pleased with that as I wasn’t going super fast just steady as I’m not a fast FC I just keep going.

[tizwozliz]

Wrist based heart rate trackers can be quite unreliable especially when exercising. I'd imagine in water even more so. If I run mine tells me I've spent 30 minutes at peak which I know to be wrong. I wouldn't pay too much notice and go by how you're feeling.

[fattygoesswimming]

I went swimming the other day and did 3/4 mile and then went again yesterday and did 1 mile, using a tracking watch.

When I uploaded it the upload showed an aerobic zone of 5 which it said was overstretching, it said the same thing yesterday and apparently that can be good for cardiorespiratory fitness but is not good if my body doesn't have a break and have time to recover.

I don't really understand it I'm afraid, apart from the last 2 lengths yesterday I didn't feel that I was overworking myself though my leg muscles did ache for a few days, hardly surprising as I haven't swum in 4 years.

[tizwozliz]

Yep, rookie mistake on my part

[TheOrigRights]

@tizwozliz

Managing to get plenty of swims in, but no sign of demand reducing yet. Although I told people yesterday how the wait list works - everyone on the list gets an email when someone cancels a session a first to reply books it. Seems lots don't even try to book on when they see 10+ people on the waitlist when actually the number of people on the list doesn't really influence how likely you are to get a spot.

I totally would have kept that wait list knowledge to myself!

[tizwozliz]

Managing to get plenty of swims in, but no sign of demand reducing yet. Although I told people yesterday how the wait list works - everyone on the list gets an email when someone cancels a session a first to reply books it. Seems lots don't even try to book on when they see 10+ people on the waitlist when actually the number of people on the list doesn't really influence how likely you are to get a spot.

[SSwimCycle21]

wolf good luck with your pregnancy my last swim was 9days over i truely was a whale even the lifeguard asked if I was ok. But managed 10L of backstroke baby was eventually born 15d over. Ironically she turned out to be a water baby and loves swimming was competing at aged 8 in local swim club still swims there now a teenager.

I’ve managed to keep swimming short distances 3x a week in the sea all winter. Today the pool felt so hot! But it was nice to get into a glide face in front crawl rhythm going. The sea has been too cold since Jan to do much face in water swimming or get a numb face.

[MinnieMountain]

That’s odd. I’ve not had a problem booking swims but we do have a lido to take the weight off demand.

[tizwozliz]

Over 18 swimming clubs aren't allowed back yet, so more people going to public sessions that wouldn't normally plus less public sessions on offer. It's Easter holidays as well so that might impact. I'm sure some people may have previously been avoiding the pool but are now vaccinated too.

I've managed 4 sessions this week, although 2 via the wait list system and I've had to book 7 days in advance when they're first released. I'm expecting it to ease off.