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.

Wow that’s some set of distances corrigan good luck!

Went to ladies swim fit last night, I did go abit early so had done a gentle 24L before we started and then we were doing 50m sprints so ended up with 64L in the end the furthest I’ve swam for weeks in one session. Shoulders bit sore today but it felt good. One of our ladies is doing a 6k river swim for charity I couldn’t imagine swimming non-stop for 2.5hrs & no fuel? How do you fuel on something like that surely you would need it. Hats off to her.

You’d certainly think about fuel in a 6k. I’ve done 5k without anything, but it depends on how fast you swim. She may have to have a support kayak/paddler, and they can then feed you as you go. That’s what happens for the longer ocean and river swims here.

Yes CorrigansDoorKnob I’d think she’ll need fuel, it’s her first long distance event so I hope she considers it. Quick sea dip today, I’d hesitate to call it a “swim” more a float up n down abit as I can’t swim in swell very well. Others were ploughing up n down further out to sea but I’ve not built up the confidence to do that ...yet great news I have wetsuit that fits Yah! I was struggling as very few to do big chest with curves but short! Someone said try Blue Seventy and bingo they do a short, fat women’s suit and it fitted! Despite both DH & I looking at it going hmmmm that’s SO not gonna fit but it did

Hope the meet went well, CorrigansDoorKnob

The meet was great fun tizwoz. I’d thoroughly recommend it to anyone. There was a big spread of abilities and the 95 year old was an absolute legend. I managed PB’s for all my swims, which wasn’t hard as I haven’t been to many pool meets before. I also had the added bonus of DH coming with the kids for an hour or so, without me having to ask. I’ve put my name down for Nationals in Sydney next year. It’s short course (25m) so I will need to sharpen up my turns!

Hi all, can I join please? I haven't swam in >20yrs and even then it was only doggy paddle.

I'm now 18 stones and need to find a low impact exercise so am going to give swimming a go. Aim is to become good enough at a couple of strokes to do laps and get fit/lose weight.
I've got my first one-to-one lesson tomorrow night and am already a bundle of excitement and nerves! Any tips?! I don't really know what to expect.

I'm really excited but I also worry that I'm expecting the impossible and that I'll find it as hard or harder than other exercises I've tried. Never really been a sporty person but I need to become healthier.

Has anyone else here been a very large non-swimmer and managed to become "a swimmer?"

Back too it today after a 2 week break with work and half term getting in the way. Felt good managed to do 40 lengths but will probably feel it tomorrow.

@TheHullouminati I am a larger lady and whilst not a non swimmer I hadn't swam for over 10 years properly when I got back into it. I now manage around 40 lengths, just take it at your own pace.

Welcome TheHallouminati I’ve only taken up swimming properly - well taught myself front crawl - in the last couple of years (I’m mid-40s 2st overweight) . I find it kinder than breastroke on my lower back.

Missing the pool not been in 2 weeks due to a nasty virus followed by D&V bug, but finally brighter today so hopefully I can get back in the pool on Monday.

Can I ask you lovely swimming folk what level of cleanliness I can reasonably expect in a swimming pool changing room. If the floor was muddy how quickly would you expect it to be cleaned. I am trying to understand if my expectations are too high. For context my local pool had very muddy floors when I went swimming. When I returned about an hour later still not clean. When I spoke to staff I was told that this can happen when they have a busy morning. They seemed to be saying what can you expect. I am looking for alternative pool but wonder if my expectations are too high.

Our pool has a "no shoes" policy in the changing rooms. Not everyone adheres to it, but it does help.
What I have more of an issue with is smelly loos. General smell of wee at times. Or nappy bins that haven't been emptied.

Regardless of the centre cleaning schedule I'd expect staff to respond ie get it cleaned, if a member of public complained. Their response to you sounds quite dismissive.

The changing room at our local pool was re-done two years ago to all unisex changing room cubicles with a no shoes policy and they removed the “foot bath” thing. At the end of school swim lessons or a busy Saturday morn it can get a bit rank but they do clean normally hourly. I’d agree complain in writing if staff aren’t responding to verbal complaints. The staff at our pool normally respond to issues raised.

I complained in writing and got a response along the lines of - sorry it was muddy but we are short staffed and an that they had recently recruited and hoped I would see improvement. They used to have a dedicated cleaner during the day but not anymore. Thing is it is not the first time but definitely the worst time. Thought it might be more sensible to vote with my feet but find it so disappointing especially as hygiene in pools is so important.

I use a busy council pool and, currently, a council lido. Even the lido is never muddy.

Halloumiati I am quite large too. I took some improvers lessons lessons about 10 years ago which were fantastic for getting me started.

I’ve swum regularly on and off since then, more off than on in the last few years. I started again about 2 months ago and I’m up to 1400m. I started with 15 lengths. The first 10 lengths are the hardest.

Back in the water after a long break and hoping to get into a regular routine of 2-3 times a week. Started with 750m today but was tight on time. Anyone using training schedules to follow? Thinking of signing up to next years swimathon...

Does your pool do swimfit Whattodowithaminute? They have laminated cards on the pool side with suggested routines & session times with a teacher on poolside to give tips / advice with a couple of lanes set aside for it. It’s informal adult coaching which has proved popular over last couple of years at our local council pool. To be honest just mix up your strokes and pace if you want to build more. Eg warm up 8L FC, 2L kicking, 2L pull buoy, 2L breaststroke then say 100m sprints with a 30sec rest of FC that sort of thing. I go to ladies swim fit this is sort of things we do. Everyone work to own pace but we have Fast Med, slow lanes.

Woo hoo! I saw 4km this morning.

I'm afraid my training plan for my 4km sea swim this August consists of gradually increasing my distance and swimming outside as much a possible. Now I've hit the magic distance I'll swim 3.5/4km once a week and 2km once a week.

Jewel'68: how muddy is muddy? Find a pic online to show us how bad it was is what I want to know b4 I can comment. Something like this wouldn't phase me if not cleaned up after 60 minutes.

And how busy is busy?

I can't see your photo for some reason. I have had a look online and can't find anything similar - either too muddy or not muddy enough. Busy = schools swim lessons. So I imagine a couple of schools in the morning which would be pretty busy.

Thanks whoever gave me the tip about washing up liquid to stop goggles steaming up. Worked a treat. Finally back in the pool after illness and intense work period. It was lovely apart from the mild panic about which lane was fast. No glasses and a very slow swimmer in the middle lane confused matters.

I am back in the pool after a long break with a bad ear infection. My local lido does seem to cause me problems - I don't know if it's filthy or if I am just susceptible. I am swimming with ear plugs in now so hopefully will prevent another attack.

Yah back in the pool tonight first proper swim for a couple of weeks, had to drag myself there but boy it felt good just to plough up and down for 50mins.

Swimming is the best.
I've got my lido tan back too

Nipped to pool for a quick half hr, got a lane to myself so just ploughed up n down and jumped out. Did me good hoping to sea swim tomorrow if it’s not choppy...