Poolside Chat - parents of competitive swimmers continued

[Glittertwins]

Getting a bit close to the end of the previous one!

DS trains in a long course pool although he only has 1 session a week where it is set at 50m the rest of the time its split into 2 25m pools. I think the main advantage they have especially at a young age is they aren't intimidated by a 50m pool other than that I haven't really seen much difference between our swimmers and those that train exclusively at 25.

Ds physically swims quicker in a 50m pool than a SC. 🤷‍♀️🤣

He has a great swim today!

2nd fastest time he's swam at 100m free so he's pleased with that.

Not quite the qualifying time for worlds (0.7out) but made the minimum entry time.

You can enter with MET for races as long as you have 1 MQS.

So now he's aiming for the MQS for 50 free tomorrow!!!!!

Really good swim but his turn wasn't up to his usual standard. 🤦‍♀️

Oh and the MSQ for 50m free is 1.1 sec quicker than his current pb so it is a pip dream 🫣🤣

Yay, well done!

We’ve always trained LC too and think it’s a definite psychological advantage. Though when DS started (aged 8) he recently told me about how he used to have silent tears behind his goggles at the prospect of a 400m warmup 💔

The first time my daughter did backstroke 50 long course she swam 3 seconds slower than her PB 😂.

Luckily it was a pretty low level 3 sprints gala (mainly aimed at little kids who can’t turn) rather than an important one.

We train in 33 and 25 mainly.

First LC meet and I don't think anyone swims it well. I know a lot who were disheartened by their times not long after successful SC counties. Roll on another couple of practice meets and regionals and we've had PBs in every regionals event on LC and all convert down to SC PB. I genuinely don't know how, it was a surprise to us to achieve all that.

Hmm well today has been interesting a stroke that he has specifically worked on a lot recently 4 seconds added to his time. A stroke he hasn't really done much training on but has a recent time for, 12 second PB. I give up trying to work him out.

It's quite common when they work on a stroke they change it. Eventually it's becomes more efficient - however at the beginning it's not committed to muscle memory so time gets slower as they are thinking about technique rather than just going for it any old how!

Great pb though on his other race.

@itsgettingweird has explained it perfectly. Give him a little more time to get used to what he needs to do and he'll soon be off

Thank you @itsgettingweird and @Glittertwins I have told him what you have said and he seems ok with it although he never gives much away. This weekend has also seved to highlight (once again) that some kids his age are A LOT bigger than him. We have had a 'trust the process talk' and hopefully he will not give up on swimming before the longed for growth spurt occurs.

Absolutely the process is the bit that counts.

No good being big and strong if you don't have the technique. It comes back to bite you on the arse!

I had pretty much that same conversation with a parent tonight. Get the technique right before the growth

Yes, so important to get technique right as a young swimmer, because it's so much harder to correct when older or becomes a habit.

The boy is home

He's had a fab time, has a slight tan and enjoyed it all.

Don't tell the nutritionalists but we are having Chinese tonight to celebrate his return and back on his healthy swim diet tomorrow.

He's having tomorrow morning off training and then back to it tomorrow evening (although we are late Tuesdays as he has college until 5!!!)

@itsgettingweird I'm sure 1 Chinese will not ruin him the amount of swimming he has just done, enjoy it.

What a fabulous experience he has had.

Yeah it'll be fine. He has chicken chow mien so carbs and protein 🤣🤣

Never mind the lad, weird, how did you enjoy your "I can lay in bed for another 2-3 hours"? It sounds as if has found his passion and is thriving, though.

Regionals was "all about the hoody" for us and DD has announced that she wants to do Ten Tors on Dartmoor next year.

We did point out where we ought to have been able to see it, every time we drove past but she seems pretty determined.

It's definitely been an education waking up in daylight at 6/6.30am naturally and not to a 4am alarm!!!!

He's not training tomorrow morning (is doing evening) but will be back to it properly Thursday. (He doesn't train Wednesday's).

Have to admit that I was delighted when DS switched clubs and it was only 2 x 1 hr 6.30am morning sessions at a pool that was only a short drive and away from city traffic. The big pool was 15 minutes to get to at 5am with no traffic, but was 45 minutes to get home with rush hour (so past school start time).

Well, we're definitely off to British nationals in a relay even if everything else goes horribly wrong for us (but right for others!) after this coming weekend

Brilliant well done Mini Glitter

Wahoo. That's great news.

We are still hanging on for confirmation if ds wild card so he can swim relay at worlds.

But in other news he's currently ranked 10th in the world for 100m freestyle for his classification.

How the hell did that happen?! (Even if he'll likely slip down it by end of year!)

That’s brilliant! Well done 🌟

Thanks, just a case of another week to wait for confirmation of the other events.
@itsgettingweird - I'd take that ranking any day, absolutely fantastic for him