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.

strict no overtaking rule

Is it allowed to u-turn in middle of lane? Sometimes easiest solution.

I've just got back into swimming, am enjoying it.

As for people in the wrong lane, bane if my life! At the old pool I went to, there was an old man doing the head out breaststroke super slowly,in the fast lane EVERY DAY. The lifeguards wouldn't tell him to move because he just kicked off otherwise. So frustrating.

I'm very new to swimming so I'm hoping you good people can help me improve a little bit.

I do breast stroke in the slow lane, I am normally the slowest but that doesn't bother me I apologise to everyone and give people plenty of room to over take and don't stand in the way at the wall when I'm having a small rest.

The tops of my arms ache after a short time in the pool, is this just my muscles getting used to been used again? (I should add I do very little exercise due to mobility problems but swimming is the one exercise that actually helps me rather than makes my pain worse)

As a beginner should I be aiming for more distance or quicker time? I currently do 500 meters in less than 30 minutes.

Omg so excited to go for a swim! 🙌

@AzkabanPrison

I'm very new to swimming so I'm hoping you good people can help me improve a little bit.

I do breast stroke in the slow lane, I am normally the slowest but that doesn't bother me I apologise to everyone and give people plenty of room to over take and don't stand in the way at the wall when I'm having a small rest.

The tops of my arms ache after a short time in the pool, is this just my muscles getting used to been used again? (I should add I do very little exercise due to mobility problems but swimming is the one exercise that actually helps me rather than makes my pain worse)

As a beginner should I be aiming for more distance or quicker time? I currently do 500 meters in less than 30 minutes.

Welcome Azkaban. I'm glad you've found a form of exercise that helps your mobility problems.

Personally I don't think you need to apologise for being slow in the slow lane, you are abiding by the rules and have as much right as anyone else to be there.

I think if you're aching then I wouldn't work on either distance or quicker time at this stage, but keep doing what you're doing until the aches improve. I would then try and swim for longer (if time allows). How many times a week are you able to swim? If you can manage 3 sessions of 30 mins I guarantee you'll quickly improve.

Don't ignore persistent aches though as you don't want to injure yourself.

@AzkabanPrison I'm a recent swimmer too, I don't worry about distance or speed and just swim to suit how my body feels on the day if that makes sense, sometimes I am faster and sometimes slower and sometimes I do more, sometimes less.

I think listening to your body is the most important thing.

@TheOrigRights thanks for the goggles recommendation

@tizwozliz thanks to you too

Hello, can I join please? I love swimming and I'm so pleased to be back at the pool. I swim breaststroke reasonably well but just can't do front crawl at all so the posts on how to develop the technique are really useful, thank you.

The think I have a real issue with putting my face in the water. It just goes straight up my nose and burns and makes me choke. How do people avoid this happening?!

I have aquasee googles, but mine are also prescription googles as otherwise I can't see a thing!

I have been known to do a U-turn halfway in the lane to create a bit more space between swimmers. It's a nice change to do an odd number of lengths sometimes- keeps me on my toes with the count.

I agree with swimming to how you feel on the day. My morning swims always feel harder than evening. It's a bit of a rush, because the pool opens at 7:15 and I realistically only have half an hour before I need to get out to get to work. And I think I am generally less warmed up, and there's a bit more of a bustle in the lanes.

Whereas my evening swims are much more relaxed and I seem to achieve more, either distance or drills. I still find it can take me the best part of 20 lengths before I feel into it.

I find breaststroke the easiest, in that I rarely have to think about my breathing and my heart rate is slower. I have been teaching myself front crawl and I'm not bad at that now but it's a thinking stroke for me.

I started by doing breaststroke up to about 20 metres in a lane, and then doing the front crawl for the last bit. Then I did half and half, psychologically it helped to know that the wall was only a few arms away to grab onto. Then I was able to do a full length. ATM, I tend to breaststroke/backstroke up for 1 length and FC back, which helps keep my body moving but allows me to recover. It is my aim to do 2 FC consecutively (which I think I could probably do now, if I can get over the mind wall about it).

I still watch technique videos and try to practise different bits. My main advice is to go slow, slower than you think. The slower I go, the faster I actually am, because my stroke is moving my body through the water better, and the energy is spent better in propelling. I find a few lengths on backstroke helps with my rotation.

Going back to the goggles, get your head under water and watch the other swimmers! I have learnt quite a lot this way. I saw that not everyone breathes on different sides, this was a revelation! To stop the choke, breathe in through your mouth and then out through your nose. Some people breath out in 2-3 short bursts or 1 longer one, but it's a personal choice.

From next week the leisure centre I use is going to start charging people if they don't cancel more than 3 hours in advance. So probably going to be easier to book but busier sessions. Showers back on the 21st June hopefully

@TabithaTiger I'm no expert but a friend who was once a swim coach taught me to actively breath out when face is in the water and then you're ready to breath in. I now don't need to breather so much the whole time and more just a bit before I'm about to turn for air.

You can practice this standing at the end, just dip you end under, breath out, stand up and breath in and so on till you feel more comfortable.

I just found out my gym is doing swim coaching class on a Monday night so I've booked on for next week.

Blow bubbles to breathe out in water.... it's how kids learn to do it.

Breathing face in water fear was what stopped me learning FC for years. Kids get taught lots of immersion tricks to slowly get over the fear instinct and some ‘get it’ quicker than others. My two kids were polar opposites one was a water baby just complete natural in the water. My 2nd child it took 2 years of going to the pool before she put her face properly in the water. I’m really glad I kept persisting with ‘fun’ splash and bubble games to acclimatise her as she’s a real thinking child but then raced through swim levels 1-7 in two years once it clicked. So don’t under estimate the time it takes to get your head used to breathing out a slow stream of bubbles in the water. I still get in the pool now put my goggles on and sink to sit on the bottom breath out before push and glide then into my stroke. I also regularly have to repeat a mantra in my head around the 10-20L mark of ‘breathe-relax’ or I count strokes this has the impact of slowing down my breathing rate and then my swim speeds up. The mind is a very powerful tool. It took me around two years of constant practice to crack FC in my 40s and I’m still tweaking stuff. So don’t give up if it’s something you want to achieve. I love my mind calming pool swims now and this year I swam my first winter of sea swimming too, another mental challenge for me as I don’t like being out of my depth...

Loving being back in the pool, and my body is thanking me that I can now mix up running with swimming again.

We currently have 3 lanes that are 2 lanes wide, so the issue of lane etiquette is is less. You have to book your swim via the app in advance, and choose fast medium or slow. The double width lanes make overtaking no problem. The only people in the fast lane when I go are 2 or 3 men, all of whom I swim faster than and who get out of my way at the end if necessary.

Our showers are open too, so we can shower and change at the end so all good.

This week I've had to stop counting lengths and just swim for the time allowed because of having to make u turns.

I always used to swim 1200 metres or so and then get out, 1000 metres being my target. But since I've stopped counting I've just clocked the time I get in and the time I get out and knock off two minutes for my water break and the odd wait to give someone a head start.

I swim for approx 40-45 mins and I swim 30s per length, I've realised I'm swimming a mile! (A swimmers mile) That's a significant ramp up from my km target. I'm thrilled.

I'm so jealous of all of you, Leicester council have their own roadmap for leisure facilities and have decided it isn't safe to open for lane swimming till 21st June. Feels like forever since I went swimming.

No chance of getting to a pool in Charnwood or one of the other neighbouring areas? I know pools are open in Loughborough, presume it's only the city council area where they're still closed?

Folks I'm doing a sea swim
In July, 2k, currently training the pool and getting in the sea this weekend.

Does anyone have experience to describe the maintain differences from pool to sea transition and key things I'll need to get comfortable with?

@YoBeaches I’ve been dabbling in seaswimming over the last year. My advice would be have a couple of season with a sea swimming coach. I had 3 “lessons” there were 4 of us in the group and I picked up several hints n tips well worth the small cost. There’s bound to be a face book outdoor swim group local to you I’d ask on there for recommendations. If you have a ‘swim wetsuit’ they can give a lot of bouncy at the hips so front crawl can be easier (less leg kicking needed) but breaststroke really challenging as inverts your back more. Depending on when & where you plan to swim boots and gloves maybe needed due to the cold. Factor in there’s no “push-off” from the wall distance so there’s extra swimming and be comfortable tread water or floating if you need a rest as you probably can’t touch the bottom. I use a tow float for safety visibility but it’s helpful to hang onto for a breather or to adjust your googles etc.

I use the magic seaweed app to review tides and sea state, double check before you go height of tides etc and weather wind forecast or if in doubt ask a local they are normally happy to advise. I’m amazed how many people swim where I go but haven’t checked the tides or wind strength 😬

Thanks @SSwimCycle21

I have bought a swimming wetsuit suit and been out in it twice, second time with boots and gloves as it was soooo cold... someone else recommended clear goggles for sea water swimming so looking for those at the mo. I have a tow float not used it yet.

I have found a swimming group on Facebook - good shout going to message them and see if I can join in. I swim FC and I'm fairly average but haven't done this distance before not in the sea. I'm training to distance at the moment rather than pace.

Thanks I'll check out the app.

Hello, can I join you? I swim twice a week for fitness. I'm a former club swimmer, long retired, so one of the faster ones, that is until a proper club swimmer gets in! I really missed swimming in lockdown, as I have back and hip problems.
It's really good exercise and rehab for me. @HalfShrunkMoreToGo @tizwozliz I feel your pool pain, my daughter swims for a club in Leicester, and we are desperately waiting for pools to reopen. I swim in the public sessions in Hinckley. They have a good set up if you are close enough.

Goggle recommendations? I like Arena Tracks www.allensswimwear.co.uk/tracks-mirror.html

Just catching up.

I use Kit & Caboodle shampoo. It works well.

Lane etiquette is such a minefield. I’m a fast breaststroke swimmer but the speed in the medium lane of the lido varies, so I stick to the wider slow lane so I can overtake. Yesterday there were 2 people swimming side by side in it chatting, which was taking the piss somewhat.

Leicester swimmers- is Peterborough too far?