Swimming for fitness (part 5). The pools are open again. Dust off your goggles and dive in!

[TheOrigRights]

We're so busy counting laps we didn't see part 4 fill up!

Everyone is welcome here.

Thanks TriSeaSwim99 I looked at the YouTube channels that you mentioned but couldn't see anything for beginners.

@sandwiches77 Try asking at your local pool for adult swimming lessons or swim fit that maybe the best way to get started. Just a couple of 1:1 lessons can make a lot of difference.

You may have more luck googling Freestyle as front crawl is often called.

Drat it. Struggling to get my next session booked around other commitments - all the ones that work for me are booked up already! So frustrating but the week DH is on call is always a mess! Hopefully next week will work better.

Still no luck for the kids either!

Does your pool have any sort of waiting list system @randomsabreuse ?

I managed to get into a session this morning after being on the waitlist all week.

We're on holiday in a week and I'm actually looking forward to not having to check the app this week for next week's sessions

There's an "email for a space" button which hasn't been successful as yet.

The "family swim" sessions are like gold dust as there's only 6 tickets a day (1 session) in the shallow training pool. Slightly easier with the normal lane sessions where there's more sessions a day plus 8 people are allowed although the late evening and early morning ones do book up. Monday night is usually a safe bet but have had to bump my long run from the weekend to Monday which has thrown everything else off.

No swimming for me this week, not sure about swimming with sciatica as I can only do breast stroke.

I'm one of the breast stroke head up swimmers, unacceptable perhaps? I swim for an hour and do 50 or so lengths but I haven't swum for four years. I'm the fastest in the slow lane but won't go in the middle lane.

@fattygoesswimming

I'm one of the breast stroke head up swimmers, unacceptable perhaps? I swim for an hour and do 50 or so lengths but I haven't swum for four years. I'm the fastest in the slow lane but won't go in the middle lane.

Of course it's not unacceptable! I don't care how people swim as long as they follow the etiquette of the pool.

@fattygoesswimming I’d agree with rights, it’s not about how you swim but everyone being aware of lane etiquette so everyone can swim, last week I swam in middle lane because the fast lane had super fast folk. Today I swam in the fast lane because that was better suited. I always check whose in which lane rather than just assume that I just go in the ‘usual’ one. I taught myself head in breaststroke after struggling with back issues including sciatic as it’s much better for you to be streamlined on the kick, back stroke helped as well with the pelvis inverted the other way. Hope it eases for you soon as it’s a miserable pain to live with.

Had a good swim at lunchtime today.

I also moved from the fast to the medium today as the session was nearly full so there was little leeway for people to swim a little slower without giving the super speedy swimmers the rage.

As I was doing timed drills I thought it best to move to the medium lane, which was also crowded but everyone was being polite and letting faster people ahead.

Today my drills were quite straight forward: 24 x 50m with 30 secs recovery - the aim being to put into practice all the body awareness and core engagement we've been learning.

I usually go in the middle lane and find that's usually the best for me. One of my evening sessions tends to have a lot more slower swimmers, and those lanes have been full up so I have headed into the fast but always give way. Personally, I am happier following someone faster doing my own pace, rather than getting out of breath and knackering myself feeling that I have to keep up to their pace. Although sometimes I have stopped to allow someone by and found out that they were using my pace to help them!

It is definitely lane etiquette that gets me, not allowing someone to pass, or waiting until someone coming down the lane has touched the wall before they then set off.

I have observed though, that for the women swimmers in my pool, a fast lady is more likely to be in the medium than a fast man. I do wonder if there is a bit of hesitation in believing in themselves (which I also get, when I have had to use the fast lane).

You know, it's kind of good to be moaning about lane etiquette again!

When I book there is a notice that you should use the lane you booked, so maybe that puts some people off moving even if they are too slow/fast for those around them?

The middle lane varies so much doesn't it. I am a middle-laner and sometimes it's mainly people doing breaststroke, but last time I went it was mainly front crawl and quite fast as well. I normally do a mix of breaststroke and FC depending on who is around me and how fast I need to go...had to stick to FC the whole time last time.

I do stop at the end at times, mainly to sort out my hat!! But always go right to the edge so I'm not in the way. It's frustrating when people stop at the ends and chat. One time I went and there was no wall space at all at one end of the pool as people were either chatting or just stopped there.

I hope I do, I never stop at the end of a length until I've finished my swim and I keep to clockwise.I do feel conscious of doing breaststroke not a serious stroke but as I'm scared of the water I will not wear goggles and put my face in, doing breast stroke means I can pretend it's not really deep underneath me!

I'm probably the obnoxious one since I don't have many lane etiquette issues. I keep out of way of faster people, I create room for others to overtake me, splashing is fine. Some people waste a lot of time turning around at the ends, but I can't complain much since they are probably faster at swimming than me.

If I have a moan it's wide slow breast-strokers who leave no room for overtakers & maybe have sharp finger-nails. Breast-strokers are the most likely people to actually kick me. I guess i'm not thrilled with shallow end wall huggers who don't give me room to approach & push off, too. I can usually cope with it all, though.

I'm so looking forward to club swimming resuming in two weeks. A lane full of people who all swim the same speed - magic

I'm really enjoying my swimming at the moment but can't find any goggles that don't let water in or mist up. I wear them pretty tight so I'm not sure what the problem is. Anyone care to recommend a good pair?

These are my favourite. I've had the same style for years now

www.amazon.co.uk/Zoggs-Unisexs-Fusion-Swimming-Goggles/dp/B07L3L6ZPN/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?dchild=1&c=ts&s=sports&ts_id=324233011&keywords=Swimming+Goggles&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&qid=1620683277&refinements=p_89%3AZoggs&sr=1-4

Lane etiquette. Why don't people realise they are in the wrong lane. I see people with really poor technique in the medium lane when they would struggle in the slow lane. I mean what is going on in their heads. And do you get the people in the slow lane doing some type of exercise (not swimming) that means others can't really swim properly.

I alternate between fast, medium and slow. I think I am probably a medium fast swimmer but some days the stars align and I swim fast, other days not so much and I struggle.

Someone asked earlier about hair. Best trick is to wet your hair thoroughly before you swim (wear a hat too). Something about chlorine not being able to easily penetrate already wet hair. And then a swim shampoo. I used to love boots own brand but now discontinued. Apparently and shampoo with vitamin C addresses chlorine.

@blue1000

I'm really enjoying my swimming at the moment but can't find any goggles that don't let water in or mist up. I wear them pretty tight so I'm not sure what the problem is. Anyone care to recommend a good pair?

I love my Aqua Sphere Women's Kaiman Lady Swimming Goggles but I think it's really down to what works for you.

We get a woman who stops half way down the lane and treads water in the middle.

I have to do that at times as there is a strict no overtaking rule and one of the regulars is so very slow. I'm not confident or fast enough for the middle lane. We have 1 slow regular who is a very large lady and she's trying so hard to swim and is so apologetic, we all try to encourage her but there is one man who stops at the end of the lane for ages then pushes off when he sees another swimmer coming and is a nuisance. He's the one we end up treading water behind, he needs to go in the beginners pool.