Poolside Chat: parents of competitive swimmers

[2ducksandI]

Seems I managed to fill the other thread with talk of taking fridges to away galas! And I didnt even mean a fridge I meant an electric cool box So I've started another thread. Hope you all find it.

Haha @itsgettingweird no parent can resist the hoodies 😅 I've just realised DS doesn't actually own a jumper which is not a swimming hoodie 🙈 Regionals is more than likely going to be the pinnacle of his swimming career and he is unlikely to medal so the least I can do to reward his hard work is buy the hoodie. I'm planning on getting them all made into a big blanket/throw when he retires from swimming.

What a brilliant idea for college/Uni! I'm kicking myself for binning (recycling) some of DD's older ones now. In case anybody is interested, I found a tutorial here:
www.google.com/search?q=hoodies+made+into+a+blanket&oq=hoodies+made+into+a+blanket&aqs=chrome..69i57j33i160.7344j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_SgRoYuCdOqOx8gLo6IvQBQ40

With winter/SC counties and regionals that’s potentially 4 hoodies a year. As well as the club one we’re told to wear to all galas. It’s ridiculous!

Despite me saying ds has a club one - he doesn't yet but they've only just set up kit with this new company and he's only been FT with this club since new year (he was duel ref before that and so wore his home club kit to meets)

I said I'd order him one. (So I counted it as owned!)

This morning he asked me if instead of club hoody he could have regionals one instead because he'll wear that as general clothing - he did literally only wear his old club hoody to meets (never there as it's too hot!) he gave the same reason I'd already said here I would get him one - it's his first regionals.

Actually does make sense so I'm joining you all in meet hoody queue at the weekend 🤣🤣🤣🤦🏼‍♀️

I'll also get him British or home nations one if he qualifies for summer too. However - as yet - they've still not decided on the qualification standards for para swimmers 🙄

@itsgettingweird - you saw sense eventually!!!

Well - we didn't make training this evening and doubt half the swimmers did!

After travelling towards the motorway and traffic being very slow and hardly moving through the lights I told ds to check map on his phone - red. We looked as we went over the bridge to join and it was at a standstill towards the city (the way we were heading) and back for as far as the eye could see. Then the air ambulance land car came past.

So we went around and back home!

So so proud of ds when he said it was a shame because the run up to regionals is important training time but at least he is safe and not in an accident and he'll just have to not let if affect his head.

It would seem so 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Or hoodwinked (pun intended) as usual 🤦‍♀️🤣

Regionals this weekend (no spectators).

Premier Inn is full of swimmers!

Keeping our fingers crossed that it takes us less than 3 1/2 hours to get home.

We also have regionals this weekend, unfortunately with spectators🤪

Good luck everyone at regionals, a weekend off regionals for us before going back for the second weekend next weekend. Instead we have junior league which will be loud!

Regionals here too.

With spectators. However I will literally go in and watch ds events only! (Plus a few others with swimmers from his club in but they're generally in the same events!)

Good luck everyone! Can't wait to hear how everyone's getting on

Weekend #1 for us!

Well day 1 of regionals complete! 100m back he pulled off a 3 sec pb and his 50m free he pulled off another pb to do his first sub 28 in 27.6.

He's chuffed and buzzing.

Back tomorrow for 100m free and 200m IM!

And I can confirm hoody is well and truly purchased 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🥳

Brilliant well done mini weird 👍

How was day 2 for everyone?

Ds smashed his 100m free by 1.4 secs and is nearly at that sun 1 minute mark (60.4 🤦‍♀️🤣).

Wheels feel off a bit for his 200im but he managed a good swim 2 seconds off his pb.

Somehow he's got to get through 100 fly and 400 free tomorrow 🤷‍♀️🤣🤣🤣🤣

Junior League for DS today, I think the faced paced nature was a bit of a shock to the system following last weekends endless sitting around his medley relay team nearly started without him which would have ben interesting as he was the backstroke leg 🙈🤣

DS back at regionals next weekend and has a similar schedule of 400 Free, 100 Fly then 50 back having never swam 400 free or 100 fly in a long course pool before and 50 back being his best event. Sometimes I think the schedulers are out to get him 🤣

Well done mini weird on the PBs 💪

@itsgettingweird sooo close to that sub by 60, it will come LC soon but it will be on a converted SC

Hoody purchased here and fleeced for new race stuff as expected. First lot of racing tomorrow with the favoured event 3rd on the list so should be warmed up and ready to go. He's only raced this once before LC

Our regionals hoody went on a merry journey in Post Office vans this week, but the sorting office was open today (on a Sunday!) and DD loves it.

We were never going to medal, but I am glad DD swam. She was happy enough, anyway

Lots of "new" swimmers at the famous boarding schools (but I suppose that might have happened at 13+ despite lockdown/no public pools open).

Awwww mad you're SW? Quite a few para swimmers ds competes against are same region. Glad you finally found the hoody!!!!

Hello. Both types of events teach good skills both for swimming and racing. It's great to back to back for the learning of racing when bone tired! And the hanging around for hours during the bigger events seems to teach them to entertain themselves and communicate with others (but with phones still 🤷‍♀️🤣🤣).

Ah he's, I didn't think of that! His para national junior comp in June is SC so that'll give him something to aim for. His SC 100 time is (was) about the same as his LC!!! Mind you his LC 50m free is now quicker than his SC on paper 🤣🤣🤣🤦‍♀️

What brand of race stuff do you buy? We currently buy arena and I think it seems quite good quality and fairly normal price range (except it's all expensive 🤦‍♀️🙈).

I have told ds if he makes summer champs I'd happily buy him a higher quality race suit (he has the 2.0 boys racing jammers) so I'd be interested to hear others recommendations. But NOT for a £200 pair!!!!

He has Speedo Valor, they fit better than the corresponding Arenas and he doesn't need the super expensive compression ones as he is too young / doesn't have fully developed muscles for them yet (thank goodness!!).

Thanks. Other parents recommended looking at Speedo too today so it seems it's worth investigating.

We are unsure if ds would benefit from more or less compression due to the spasticity in his muscles.

We had a massive giggle yesterday. Their S and C coach had a massage vibrator thing and the swimmers were trying it. It sent Ds muscles into a massive twitch (they do this anyway) but I'm not sure any of us expected the reaction to be quite as big as it was even though we knew it may not have the effect on him as it's meant to have 🤣🤣🤣🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

I find Arena race suits better quality and longer lasting than Speedo.

It has been years since we bought Speedo so if things have changed wrt to quality, would be interested to hear reviews / feedback.

I know there's a massive Speedo push at the mo with them sponsoring Peaty.

The Arena Carbon Air is the less compressive one (vs flex / core etc), better for IMs and longer distance. The newer Glide is meant to be like the Air but not hearing great things about it either.

I think the carbon air arena is what we looked at. Around £130? so not the cheapest but much cheaper than some 😳🙈

My DD likes that best - she says it's easier to put on and very comfortable.