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.

[TriSkiRun99]

I had a mini breakthrough on last nights swim yah! I asked my DD to watch me swim a length of FC trying to breathe alt sides as I’ve neen struggling on my left side. She spotted straight away my hand entry wasn’t quite right so I tweaked that and suddenly it was easier then on the last 5mins I slightly changed the arm bend under the water and I was Yah that felt faster I just need to go try again to check I’ve remembered it correctly as I’m still really having to think about it. I can swim FC just breathing on my RHS without really thinking about it now so I know with practice it will come. Just really good after a winter of not really making much progress to have something click!

[tizwozliz]

Breathing on the left has never come naturally to me. I still avoid it wherever possible

[bruffin]

The ASA were bringing back one sided breathing. I do find it easier to breath on the right.

[TriSkiRun99]

First sea swim of the year yesterday was bracing even in a wetsuit but I braved a bit of FC but got ice cream headache 🥶. Loved it and the buzz afterwards though I’m aiming to do a lot more of it this year. Im lucky as there are quite a few ladies locally who seaswim all year and happy to give newbies advice/support.

[MinnieMountain]

That sounds amazing TriSkiRun99. How do you deal with a big swell?

I celebrated my iron tablets kicking in by swimming 3.5km this morning. It felt great to be able to push myself.

[tizwozliz]

Do you wear ear plugs TriSkiRun99 - I find wearing them prevents ice cream headaches. Do you know what temp the water was?

I'm looking at what open water events to do this year and whether to do some non-wetsuit events. I did some no wetsuit swims last year but the temps were rather unusual for the UK.

[TriSkiRun99]

I only go in the sea when it’s millpond and no swell as I’m not super confident I had ear plugs in and swim hat on but it was very cold. My feet were fine in booties but I could have done with gloves as my hands really struggled to acclimatise.

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

Hello, can I join in? I try to swim at least 1km three times per week. I'm fairly slow, takes me 45mins to 1600m but I love plodding along in the slow lane. I recently got myself a clicker to keep track of my counting and a waterproof watch so I can time myself so I hope I'll challenge myself a bit more to improve in the next few months. That said I enjoy my swimming as is, so if I don't improve it's not the end of the world. I'm almost 40 and have decided that enjoying swimming slowly is better for me than hating jogging!

Interesting that there are so many one sided breathers here. I just can't manage breathing to the left (any time I've tried I've ended up with a water logged and achey ear for days after).

On the suits, I recently invested in a zoggs one which I really like, but I'm short and euphemistically curvy so not sure how it would work for someone tall.

[ahtellthee]

I did my first swim in almost a decade today. 500m, 25 mins. Breaststroke mainly. Felt wonderful. Hoping to build it up to 1k in two weeks, does that sound feasible to you more experienced swimmers?

[TheOrigRightsofwomen]

ahtellthee I recognise your username from another thread.

Well done for getting back in the pool! You've obviously not lost your ability in those 10 years. How often can you get down for a swim each week?

I did my 1K leg of the swimathon on Saturday. One of my team mates videoed me swimming so I could see my technique. OMG!!! I was shocked. My legs are a disgrace - really spread out (this is FC). Being a runner I've always focussed on my upper body and arms when I swim, thinking my legs are just going to follow along behind, but gosh they are holding me back. I am really going to work on my legs now. I'm so inefficient!

There was a teenage girl in the lane next to me who had been swimming for about 90 mins when I got in. She was doing breast stroke and swimming faster than me doing FC. Says it all really!

[sproutsandparsnips]

May I join? I have swum all my life but often just tootle along as I'm quite lazy. My pool has a swim class once a week which I go to when shifts allow and this has helped me improve my technique and ensures I push myself. Having other swimmers with me makes it more interesting as I find it can be tedious - that's why I don't swim as far as I could I think.

[ahtellthee]

@TheOrigRightsofwomen have you got someone who can help you? I used to keep my legs super straight.

I went again tonight, and really pushed myself. 1.4 kilomètres in 30 mins.

Am all floppy on the couch now though

Will try to go at least four times a week...

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

I was a bit late into the pool tonight but I managed 1850m (74 x 25m) in about 55mins. It was my longest ever swim! I'm going to aim for 2km on Thursday.

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

Oh, actually, can I ask an odd question? My lane mate of the last year+ told me tonight he's moving to a different pool next week. All I know about him is that he's training for a 3km sea swim and that the flailers who drop in on top of us annoy him too. Would it be weird to get him a small "goodbye" present? I was thinking a funky hat or something? Any ideas?

[8FencingWire]

How about a cap?

[TheOrigRightsofwomen]

@ahtellthee I have lots of friends who are good swimmers and are willing to give me some tips, but we are all so busy it's nigh on impossible to find a mutually suitable time.
I do sometimes bump into people I know in the pool and they'll help, but we're all usually limited for time and want to get our swim in.

What would be good is a mirrored floor of the pool!

[sproutsandparsnips]

MotherForkinShirtBalls I swam 2k last night for almost the first time in about an hour and it was very satisfying but I was knackered, not helped by coming off nights!

[ahtellthee]

I managed 15 mins tonight as I had a meeting, but even though it was short, I am pleased that I still went.

Watch ran out of battery half way through though.

[ahtellthee]

Oh no, my legs and shoulders ache today!!! Enforced rest day

[MotherForkinShirtBalls]

ahtell, that's serious commitment to get in for 15 mins! Hope the aches have worn off.

I did my 2km tonight! It took me 57:37 but it's the furthest I've ever swum so I was delighted. Felt OK after it too, other than a shoulder niggle that I thought had gone away.

[8FencingWire]

I’ve signed up for an Aquathlon! 400 m swim and 5km run.
I’ll go today and give it all my might to gauge roughly how long it’ll take me and then start trying to shave time off. At the moment I think I can do 400 m in 9-10 minutes? I’m not sure, never timed it, I estimate this by looking at my whole session.
Exciting, never done anything like this before!

[tizwozliz]

So 50km swum so far this year - a long way below where i should be to reach my target of 300km this year, but it should still be achievable. Getting to the time of year where I find it a lot easier to get to the pool so one extra session a week and i'll be back on track in a couple of months.

[missmartini]

Hi all, I posted a couple of times on the previous thread only just seen this one.

How is everyone? Last I spoke there was a few people training for a triathlon and someone was preparing to do an open water swim? Sorry I can't remember user names to tag! Is training going well for you all?

Went for a swim today...had one of those ones that I just couldn't find my rhythm...water babies was on (never usually is at the time I go), few folk I hadn't seen before that were milling around as well standing having a gab in the water so felt like I never got a proper swim in dodging in and out and sharing a lane. Managed 1mile and then sat in the steam room mad at myself for not doing as well as I had planned.

Heading back early tomorrow in the hope I can make up for today!

[mumtosnchild]

I've just started back at swimming, as need to lose weight and get fitter. I did 30 lengths the first time I went which made my back ache for days afterwards! I did 20 lengths last week which felt more manageable and will try to increase by 2 lengths each time.

I just wondered if anyone used the Swim.com app and whether they would recommend it for tracking swimming? I was going to buy a fitbit but am now wondering about the Samsung Galaxy Active watch which has this app.

[MegBusset]

Hi all swimmers, mind if I join you? Swimming is the only form of exercise I actively enjoy, have joined my local gym a few weeks ago and been swimming 1k two or three times a week in a kind of wonky breaststroke which would probably make a swimming instructor cry!

I have a bit of a personal problem though in the last couple of weeks I've been feeling rather sore in the undercarriage. Yesterday went to swim in a private pool which was very chemical and have been burning since! So I suspect I'm sensitive to chlorine down there. I really don't want to stop swimming, anyone had this and got any tips? I was thinking about trying vaseline as a barrier?