Swimming for fitness (part 4). Everyone welcome.

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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.

[sends Tri some goosefat]

Do you have means of warming up quickly when you get out? That's been something I've had to learn!

I cycle down it’s about 3m and 2m uphill on the way back that warms me up. I take a woolly hat and flask of hot chocolate. The game changer has been a neoprene beanie hat I wear under my regular swim hat keeps my head toastie and today I left that on under my cycle helmet for the 1st time and it was brill keeping me warm getting home. I’ve also bought in the last month neoprene booties and gloves. I love it so far brill for mental health but I swim in the pool for fitness more. The days I’ve driven to the beach I’ve been colder as I’ve not had that warm up cycle to get there or the leg pumping cycle home after.

Yes very much still sea swimming here and will do all winter. Just in skins. I think I actually prefer it to summer swimming, in a way.
I love the cold water buzz.

It doesn’t get freezing here though, maybe 7 or 8?

But it helps to keep acclimatization going for the start of the season, so can just get going for longer swims in May time & qualifiers that need to be done in June before the water gets too warm. I’ve swum the Channel and did my 6 hour qualifier in 13 degrees which was very tough!

In terms of warming up, it is important to get dressed really quickly in lots of layers. Stand on something to stop the cold from coming up and keep your hat on or put a wooly hat on top of your swim hat. Have a warm drink available. I like to wrap my towel around a hot water bottle so it’s a bit toasty. Be aware of the dangers of the afterdrop as cooled blood circulates, hence the need to get dressed quickly. If you feel warm in the water, it’s a sign you need to get out straight away. Also, best not to drive home in a very warm car (although I do!) and definitely don’t have have a hot shower or bath until you have warmed naturally.

Hope that helps anyone looking to stay in the water over the winter.

I’m back pool training now and I have to say I really like our new booking in system and 40 minute swim slots. Generally, not a lover of the chlorine but I’m enjoying it at the moment & grateful pools are open!

Hi new swimmer here! I am recently getting back into swimming after years off and have realised my technique is awful. Has anyone done adult swim lessons? There's some starting locally next week but I'm a bit nervous about joining as not sure what to expect! I can move around the pool and currently doing around 800m-1km a couple of times a week (slowly!) any tips very welcome

I think it depends how you learn. I have learnt a lot from watching the really good swimmers in the pool. I have also watched lots of video online with various coaches talking through techniques.

Things I have learnt is relax, relax, relax. My technique is hugely better when I relax.

Thank you! Yes that's true, i have tried to learn by copying so far. Main issue is not having the breathing sorted so keeping my head up out of the water which is hurting my neck and making me slower. I'd never really noticed before but now I'm trying to do continuous laps it's more noticeable. Tempted to do the lessons to try and get better technique as I want to keep at it!

@cocoshnitzel yes breathing is key. Lessons will help. In the meantime try backstroke - many of the advantages of swimming without the faff of breathing technique to remember.

The Effortless swimming videos on you tube helped me with technique. I had one of those Aha moment’s when I was teaching myself front crawl breathing that you don’t “lift” you head out of the water as such you need to time the arm pull and body rotation right then the head will naturally rotate out of the water. It was just a fraction of a second in the pull / breathe pattern that I tweaked. So do really slow it down, relax, use a pull buoy to take your legs out of the equation and really play with the pull/catch in the water tweaking the angle to see what works for you. You will get there but you may feel like your swimming slower to start with which can feel frustrating if for example your a fast breaststroker which is strong legs v front crawl strong arm pull. I taught myself a couple of years ago in my mid-40s so you can do it.

@TriSeaSwim99

The Effortless swimming videos on you tube helped me with technique. I had one of those Aha moment’s when I was teaching myself front crawl breathing that you don’t “lift” you head out of the water as such you need to time the arm pull and body rotation right then the head will naturally rotate out of the water. It was just a fraction of a second in the pull / breathe pattern that I tweaked. So do really slow it down, relax, use a pull buoy to take your legs out of the equation and really play with the pull/catch in the water tweaking the angle to see what works for you. You will get there but you may feel like your swimming slower to start with which can feel frustrating if for example your a fast breaststroker which is strong legs v front crawl strong arm pull. I taught myself a couple of years ago in my mid-40s so you can do it.

Thank you! I will definitely check that out.

I'm busy trying to see how many sessions i can squeeze in before Thursday.

Gutted to be know I'll be losing all my swimming fitness again. It's so much harder to do anything instead outdoors at this time of year it's going to be much harder than back in April/May

I am also hoping to swim daily until the pool shuts. :)
I ran into one of the 'regulars' yesterday who said it was only his 2nd time back in 7 months. We talked about how much stamina & pace we lacked first few times we got back in pool, even though we had been busy doing lots other exercise all time we were away.

Two swim sessions booked for next week.
Thank heavens I can still run and bike and whileI don't like stepping out in the rain, I don't mind running in it. I also don't mind cycling in the rain, I just get a bit scaredy!

Oh dear, daily swimming & only air drying means my usual suits were still wet... so I dug out my "for best" suit. Yes really I have such a stupidity, a slightly expensive Tyr suit I probably bought 10 yrs ago & have saved it to only wear for... I dunno. Aquathons? (I never have done an Aquathon). I'm sure there was some logic, originally.

Naturally my boobs tried to escape as soon as I was in the water and it felt too small on the bum, too. Quite funny, really. Tied it up a bit to keep everything feeling more contained & proceeded with #T-4 swim (today). I suspect Tyr suit goes in the charity bag on Thursday.

Anyone else have a "for best" suit. How many suits will you have languishing unused during Lockdown#2? I'll be down to a mere 3 + the Tyr.

Have you all signed this?

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/555079

I was worried about losing technique last lockdown but I was ok when I got back in the pool. I have an elliptical trainer at home which was great but so boring compared to swimming. I can't do high impact due to back problems so am limited in what I can do. I like walking but it isn't swimming and not particularly good for fitness.

I have:
Lands End tankini
Sports direct boy leg
Speedo thing which is low cut on the leg and makes me look odd
Zoggs emergency purchase from sports centre when I forgot swimsuit. I like it.
A sampler a friend sent me to try. It has factory numbers on it.

Flamingo bikini
Flowery bikini
Strictly for Mediterranean holidays!

I have a zoggs swimsuit which has a very good built in boob holder, and then a tankini and bikini set which is more for beach posturing. I am the owner of 2 new silicone swim hats, as my cheapie decathlon latex ripped last week. I ended up using a headband to keep the hair out of my face. They do feel a bit too tight though, and I've a lot of hair to fit in it.

Wow, that's a lot of suits. I don't have any pretty ones... I can't choose.
Petition signed, thanks for link.

@lljkk

Wow, that's a lot of suits. I don't have any pretty ones... I can't choose. Petition signed, thanks for link.

I do seem to have a lot. Apart from the Lands End one (new) and the Sports Direct one (they perish really quickly) they are all a few years old.

The flamingo bikini HAD to happen otherwise I would have been on the Med in my one piece sporty things. I ordered loads of sizes and cuts online and went for it.

You should see how much running stuff I own....it's shameful!

I have two training suits and one for competitions. I can wear Speedo age 15-16 which are considerably cheaper than women's which is good as they don't last all that long.

Oh and I have a tri suit which a friend gave me. And a wet suit.

Honestly, for someone who came late to a love of swimming I'm not doing badly for the gear!

The pool was BUSY! All the desperate people. But everyone was good humoured about it, apart from big guy who liked to think he was faster than me, but wasn't.

And for some bizarre reason they opened the showers for these last few days. Good.

I'm another one braving the scrum for a last few sad swims; everyone very friendly, but I've never seen the lanes so crowded.

I will fold my speedo boy-leg away. It's the only one I really use for pool swimming rather than beach-sitting, though I have a fair few others (mostly decorative / ruched / gathered / 'flattering' - and impossible to get out of without a third arm). Ideally I'd like a boy-leg suit that also has some kind of double-layer or support around the bob area, but I guess it wouldn't then dry as fast.

@tizwozliz

I have two training suits and one for competitions. I can wear Speedo age 15-16 which are considerably cheaper than women's which is good as they don't last all that long.

I've never considered kids' costumes. I'd be OK for the width, but I am 5'8" so maybe they'd be too short.

I'm only 5 foot 4 and short body so kids is fine for me, they're equivalent to 34 inch I think.

Nearly got to swim on TV this evening, Look North were filming at Hathersage outdoor pool regarding the petition to stay open. I ended up getting out just before they started though.