The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW
Discussion
It is difficult with public swimming.
In the spring/summer I use an outdoor pool and go fairly early but we have people who 'reserve' their lane and will just jump in and swim straight at you until they have their lane back. Strangely enough, it is always the older people who do this while the younger ones just get on with it.
In the spring/summer I use an outdoor pool and go fairly early but we have people who 'reserve' their lane and will just jump in and swim straight at you until they have their lane back. Strangely enough, it is always the older people who do this while the younger ones just get on with it.
krallicious said:
It is difficult with public swimming.
In the spring/summer I use an outdoor pool and go fairly early but we have people who 'reserve' their lane and will just jump in and swim straight at you until they have their lane back. Strangely enough, it is always the older people who do this while the younger ones just get on with it.
Yep the oldies are tough to beat for this kind of thing. I used to lifeguard as well at the pool I trained at and on the few early starts that I did instead of training, you could see that the old men were in a proper race to hit the pool before anyone else. You'd never now they were old and arthritic if you saw them go. In the spring/summer I use an outdoor pool and go fairly early but we have people who 'reserve' their lane and will just jump in and swim straight at you until they have their lane back. Strangely enough, it is always the older people who do this while the younger ones just get on with it.
I distinctly remember one old boy who you'd see coming down into the changing rooms (if you were manning the key-band station....ha, what pool still has one of those?) and he'd literally side step out of view behind some lockers momentarily, only to step back out again in his speedos, goggles on ready to go. He must have been a stripper in a former life! Never known anyone get ready that fast.
boyse7en said:
(any tips to stop fogging, or do I need new goggles?)
We can put a man on the moon but can't stop googles from f
king fogging up. You can buy a spray to put on the inside of the lenses. Some people spit on the them.Better googles do it less but they still will a bit. I have Speedo Fastskin 3 Elites and they rarely fog up massively. Usually only when in a cold lake and really going for it. Advice given by manufacturers is to always keep them in the little pouch they come in to stop them getting scratch and damaging the anti fog coating. Not sure if that's BS but I always do.
I had a video session with the coach at the weekend. Really interesting to see yourself swimming. Looks slower than I expected. Really interesting thing picked up with my reach. My hand is going in well and good reach but my fingers are pointing up and putting the breaks on. One hand is even re-breaking the water. Need to working on spearing a bit deeper and pointing my fingers down.
Good workout this morning. Mixed drills then 4x100, 1x200, 4x100, 1x300, 4x100, 1x400 all at CSS pace. Was hard to keep up with the beeper on the 400.
Fastskin 3 elites? Fancy!
Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 13:33
Otispunkmeyer said:
Fastskin 3 elites? Fancy!
Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Yup!Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 13:33
I need to find a qualifying event though.
Im aiming for 50/100 free & 50/100fly...plus a relay if we get 4 of us together.
Feeling pretty good in the pool at the moment and training long(ish) course.
Merp said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Fastskin 3 elites? Fancy!
Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Yup!Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 13:33
I need to find a qualifying event though.
Im aiming for 50/100 free & 50/100fly...plus a relay if we get 4 of us together.
Feeling pretty good in the pool at the moment and training long(ish) course.
Do you know the cut off times? They're here:
http://euroaquatics2016.london/standard-times/
Schedule can be found here: http://euroaquatics2016.london/masters-schedule/
They're pretty generous I think!
I am probably going to enter the 50 Free, Back and Fly and do the 100 Back and 100 Free, hate swimming long course though!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 15:59
944fan said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Fastskin 3 elites? Fancy!
Worth at least 0.0001 seconds over 100mMarginal gains and all that :-)
944fan said:
boyse7en said:
(any tips to stop fogging, or do I need new goggles?)
We can put a man on the moon but can't stop googles from fking fogging up. You can buy a spray to put on the inside of the lenses. Some people spit on the them.Better googles do it less but they still will a bit. I have Speedo Fastskin 3 Elites and they rarely fog up massively. Usually only when in a cold lake and really going for it. Advice given by manufacturers is to always keep them in the little pouch they come in to stop them getting scratch and damaging the anti fog coating. Not sure if that's BS but I always do.
I had a video session with the coach at the weekend. Really interesting to see yourself swimming. Looks slower than I expected. Really interesting thing picked up with my reach. My hand is going in well and good reach but my fingers are pointing up and putting the breaks on. One hand is even re-breaking the water. Need to working on spearing a bit deeper and pointing my fingers down.
Good workout this morning. Mixed drills then 4x100, 1x200, 4x100, 1x300, 4x100, 1x400 all at CSS pace. Was hard to keep up with the beeper on the 400.
Not sure how you are doing your hand entry but I would suggest forgetting all about thumb first etc. Nice relaxed hand at the wrist and fingers pointing down. Then yeah, you're spearing the water with all fingers with a bit of a downward angle and then feeling for some front lift before initiating the pull.
Fancy getting a GoPro type camera to film our swimming. I have come across something called the Gitup Git2 pro which, having seen the reviews, seems to be better than most GoPro models and packs a 16 MP Sony Exmor sensor for < £100!
Otispunkmeyer said:
Merp said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Fastskin 3 elites? Fancy!
Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Yup!Still use the trusty speed-socket, in clear guise (better for swimming in the sea and when they fog up, you still get plenty of light in), but yeah it doesn't matter what you get, goggles will steam up and eventually they get all bashed and scratched and just muggy so you can't tell the difference between that and fog anyway!
Just one of those things, just have to live with it. Long as you can see the line on the floor and the T at the end then you don't really need to see much at all.
Anyone going to do European masters? Entries are now open!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 13:33
I need to find a qualifying event though.
Im aiming for 50/100 free & 50/100fly...plus a relay if we get 4 of us together.
Feeling pretty good in the pool at the moment and training long(ish) course.
Do you know the cut off times? They're here:
http://euroaquatics2016.london/standard-times/
Schedule can be found here: http://euroaquatics2016.london/masters-schedule/
They're pretty generous I think!
I am probably going to enter the 50 Free, Back and Fly and do the 100 Back and 100 Free, hate swimming long course though!
Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Tuesday 9th February 15:59
I would be disappointed if I didn't go sub-26 for 50fc LC. I went 30ish for 50fly at the end of a swim last week. 5-7kg lighter in may should help!
Realistically I will probably only enter the events for the Saturday. 50fly 100free 4x50free relay.
Merp said:
I saw the entry times a few weeks ago, shouldn't be an issue. Sprinted a few times in the pool recently and those are achievable.
I would be disappointed if I didn't go sub-26 for 50fc LC. I went 30ish for 50fly at the end of a swim last week. 5-7kg lighter in may should help!
Realistically I will probably only enter the events for the Saturday. 50fly 100free 4x50free relay.
Fook me, those times are generous! No wonder they've had 6,500 entries in 2 days.I would be disappointed if I didn't go sub-26 for 50fc LC. I went 30ish for 50fly at the end of a swim last week. 5-7kg lighter in may should help!
Realistically I will probably only enter the events for the Saturday. 50fly 100free 4x50free relay.
Merp said:
I saw the entry times a few weeks ago, shouldn't be an issue. Sprinted a few times in the pool recently and those are achievable.
I would be disappointed if I didn't go sub-26 for 50fc LC. I went 30ish for 50fly at the end of a swim last week. 5-7kg lighter in may should help!
Realistically I will probably only enter the events for the Saturday. 50fly 100free 4x50free relay.
Heh, If I enter I may well be in with you on the first two! Depends on your age though maybe. 50 fly is one of those I am decent at but shouldn't be! (strokes decent but I cannot keep it going for a 100 no matter what, little worried actually what a continuous 50 will feel like.). I'd gotten down to 26's in a SC pool, so I guess I'd be looking for high 27 in LC. I would be disappointed if I didn't go sub-26 for 50fc LC. I went 30ish for 50fly at the end of a swim last week. 5-7kg lighter in may should help!
Realistically I will probably only enter the events for the Saturday. 50fly 100free 4x50free relay.
I too would be disappointed if I can't do at least a 25 for the 50 free and I would be disappointed if I can't get a 55-56 for the 100. Fitness and just not being used to having to use muscles for twice as long without a micro-break in the turn might see me off! We have no real structured training really so getting in decent form for it might be difficult. We do have 1 LC session a week though so that should help.
Just not that fit anymore (by swimming standards) and I have made up for it by being stronger these days! Think the last time I did straight swim racing in a LC pool I was 18! over a decade ago now.
Have to mention one of the young lads who swims for us (though he trains with a city squad)... he's 13, about 6ft 1, built like a bean pole and yet: In the 4:20's for 400 IM, 54 for 100 free, 25 for the 50, knocking on the door of a minute for the 100 back and 100 IM. He's just colossally good. Every time he gets in the pool, times are tumbling down. Think he can average 65's or something for the 1500. He can literally do it all and do it all extremely fast! Its like fatigue, tiredness and lactic acid are just not a part of what he's doing.
Well Merp you might be out of luck (as will I). Europeans entries are now full. Only 53 hours after they went live. Bit gutted really as I have had such a busy week so far tonight was realistically the first chance I would get to sit and do the entries. Alas by the time I'd got the laptop out they were full! Our comp person at the club expected them to fill quickly, but maybe be sold out by the weekend, not today!
Perhaps the times really were too generous! Though if they haven't got a fine system in place during the event I suspect an entry cut off would be ignored by a lot of people.
Anyway the cost, I didn't realise, is immense. It's 45 euro for your first event then 25 each after that. So I'd be paying 150 euro.... Not THAT bothered if I'm honest! I think that's a bit steep.
Perhaps the times really were too generous! Though if they haven't got a fine system in place during the event I suspect an entry cut off would be ignored by a lot of people.
Anyway the cost, I didn't realise, is immense. It's 45 euro for your first event then 25 each after that. So I'd be paying 150 euro.... Not THAT bothered if I'm honest! I think that's a bit steep.
Otispunkmeyer said:
Have to mention one of the young lads who swims for us (though he trains with a city squad)... he's 13, about 6ft 1, built like a bean pole and yet: In the 4:20's for 400 IM, 54 for 100 free, 25 for the 50, knocking on the door of a minute for the 100 back and 100 IM. He's just colossally good. Every time he gets in the pool, times are tumbling down. Think he can average 65's or something for the 1500. He can literally do it all and do it all extremely fast! Its like fatigue, tiredness and lactic acid are just not a part of what he's doing.
Ridiculous isn't it. I trained in the pool with my club's senior squad the other day - the club is doing very well, placed in the top few of virtual gala for the Arena League final and is in the national final. I ended up doing some reps next to our top 18 year old - last December as a 17 year old he broke the national age record for 100 breast, went sub-60 short course, which is more than a certain Adam Peaty did. Unsurprisingly, he's a little quicker than me!Highway Star said:
Otispunkmeyer said:
Have to mention one of the young lads who swims for us (though he trains with a city squad)... he's 13, about 6ft 1, built like a bean pole and yet: In the 4:20's for 400 IM, 54 for 100 free, 25 for the 50, knocking on the door of a minute for the 100 back and 100 IM. He's just colossally good. Every time he gets in the pool, times are tumbling down. Think he can average 65's or something for the 1500. He can literally do it all and do it all extremely fast! Its like fatigue, tiredness and lactic acid are just not a part of what he's doing.
Ridiculous isn't it. I trained in the pool with my club's senior squad the other day - the club is doing very well, placed in the top few of virtual gala for the Arena League final and is in the national final. I ended up doing some reps next to our top 18 year old - last December as a 17 year old he broke the national age record for 100 breast, went sub-60 short course, which is more than a certain Adam Peaty did. Unsurprisingly, he's a little quicker than me!Whilst I have swum since 5 and trained at a club from about 10, I didn't get into the heavier training (which they seem to start at 11-12) until a couple of years later when we got a new coach. He brought some new swimmers with him who were much faster and better than we were.
People improved quickly though, as did I. But I was always playing catch up. I was eventually put into the top lane, but I suspect it wasn't out of being fast enough, more that 1) it was probably better for my motivation to be with my peers and 2) it'd make me train even harder because they were more capable.
I did all the same training; 50,60,70 k a week and managed all the same repeats (even if I did often get lapped on 400's) and I did eventually get down to 54 for 100 free. Trouble was of course my peers had then moved on to 52's and 53's.
But even bigger trouble was that when they were knocking out 55's for 100 free, they were also banging on the door of 2 minutes for the 200. Some going comfortably under. Some were also comfortably doing sub 4:20's for 400's in races and they'd be cruising 4:45-4:50 on a set like 6 x 400 on 5:30.
For me I'd be making the 400 repeats...just, by 5 seconds. My best 200 time before I just gave up completely with them was 2.08 and I only ever did 1 400 at 4:47. So whilst I could do 54 for a 100, my longer distance times were well out of whack. I could turn in maybe a 57 or so on the 200 but then come back in a 1:10+ where everyone else would come back closer to the minute. On the 400 i was hanging on for grim death by 200m just to do a time everyone else could do in training.... for a set of 6!
I've never understood why I am so terrible at distance. I don't know if its a mental block or there is something in my stroke (I have a nice long stroke that many immediately mark me out as a distance swimmer, I also used to have distance swimmer build and still do to a degree) or whether there is just something baked into my physiology that means my muscles are decent at the explosive stuff but absolutely rubbish at any sustained activity.
Today I can sprint well. I can recover from sprints quickly, but get me to do a fast 200 and I'll be blowing heavily out of my arse by 150!
It just makes you think "what gives? I have trained as much and as hard as everyone else and yet the rewards are not coming".
Merp said:
I had the entry form filled out, then swiftly closed it at the point of wanting that amount per event!
I thought it was steep back in the day when nationals were £12-15 per event.
Anyhow, I might enter a local event in early June with the other guys.
Worlds is next year... Budapest. I am going to aim for that.I thought it was steep back in the day when nationals were £12-15 per event.
Anyhow, I might enter a local event in early June with the other guys.
Have friend who I used to swim with who still trains at a high level (sub 2 min 200 fly for eg) and he and his friends (who are all equally as fast) didn't get in either! They're well pissed. So they're looking at Budapest next year too.
I think, for me, that kind of price is a little easier to stomach if you're going away to somewhere like that and you can make a holiday out of it. But 100-200 euro to go down to London, for me, doesn't mark it out as that good a value for some reason.
My OH really wants to swim in the 2012 pool, but I just told her don't worry its bricks and motar, its not going anywhere, there'll be plenty of events to swim in at that pool in the future.
boyse7en said:
Did 2000m yesterday in a relatively busy pool (four people in my lane, including one bloke doing an annoyingly wandering backstroke... grrrr!!)
Now I've got myself a watch I can get some times
First 1000m in 21:05, including a couple of goggle de-fogging stops (any tips to stop fogging, or do I need new goggles?)
Second 1000m in 22:32, but that included a quick chat with a lifeguard and a change into the next lane which must have taken at least 30 seconds if not longer
Not too bad I thought.
Did another 1000m timed session this morning.Now I've got myself a watch I can get some times
First 1000m in 21:05, including a couple of goggle de-fogging stops (any tips to stop fogging, or do I need new goggles?)
Second 1000m in 22:32, but that included a quick chat with a lifeguard and a change into the next lane which must have taken at least 30 seconds if not longer
Not too bad I thought.
20:31 so a reasonable improvement. Included a couple of passing pauses for other users, so probably 5-10 seconds longer than a clear run
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