The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

[944fan]

boyse7en said:

Did another 1000m timed session this morning.
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

Great work. Dropping about 40 seconds of 1Km in 2 weeks is good going.

I am really struggling with motivation at the minute. Need a good clear run of a couple of weeks to really get back into it.

[FunkyNige]

Mentioned earlier in this thread that I was doing the Sport Relief 5k, well I did it in 1:48 which I'm pretty happy with as I ran 10k in the morning and haven't trained properly in a few weeks due to a cold. Plus I got cramp in my calf 3/4 of the way through which meant a few lengths with only one leg.
Reckon I can get that down to 1:45 if I learn how to do tumble turns and possibly 1:40 if I could concentrate on my stroke for the whole time but it'll be another year before I give it a go. Really need to get my arse in gear and swim more though!

[944fan]

FunkyNige said:

Mentioned earlier in this thread that I was doing the Sport Relief 5k, well I did it in 1:48 which I'm pretty happy with as I ran 10k in the morning and haven't trained properly in a few weeks due to a cold. Plus I got cramp in my calf 3/4 of the way through which meant a few lengths with only one leg.
Reckon I can get that down to 1:45 if I learn how to do tumble turns and possibly 1:40 if I could concentrate on my stroke for the whole time but it'll be another year before I give it a go. Really need to get my arse in gear and swim more though!

Well done. 1:48 for a 5K is a great effort, even more so since you had already run a 10k.

Swimming 5K in a pool must have been soul destroying though.

[bluelightbabe]

FunkyNige said:

Mentioned earlier in this thread that I was doing the Sport Relief 5k, well I did it in 1:48 which I'm pretty happy with as I ran 10k in the morning and haven't trained properly in a few weeks due to a cold. Plus I got cramp in my calf 3/4 of the way through which meant a few lengths with only one leg.
Reckon I can get that down to 1:45 if I learn how to do tumble turns and possibly 1:40 if I could concentrate on my stroke for the whole time but it'll be another year before I give it a go. Really need to get my arse in gear and swim more though!

I did the Sport Relief 5k swim too - 1:44:31. Probably could have been under 1:40 if there hadn't have been so many people in the lane!

I really wish there were more indoor swimming events. My running friends are always taking part in 5k/10k/half marathons etc. but the only organised swim event is the annual Sport Relief Swimathon. I'm not keen on open water any more but disappointed by the lack of indoor pool events.

[944fan]

If you want indoor stuff you will need to join an ASA Masters class. There a plenty of events and I think you race against people who are the same level as you, rather than be lumped in with someone the same age who has swam all their life.

The meets will be the standard pool distances though, so 50, 100, 200, 400 etc Breast/Free/Fly/Back.

Not sure if there would be a 1500m free.

Otherwise if your mates run and one has a bike there are a few sprint tris that are in pools. Usually only 400m but you could enter those as a relay team

[Otispunkmeyer]

944fan said:

If you want indoor stuff you will need to join an ASA Masters class. There a plenty of events and I think you race against people who are the same level as you, rather than be lumped in with someone the same age who has swam all their life.

The meets will be the standard pool distances though, so 50, 100, 200, 400 etc Breast/Free/Fly/Back.

Not sure if there would be a 1500m free.

Otherwise if your mates run and one has a bike there are a few sprint tris that are in pools. Usually only 400m but you could enter those as a relay team

Just had British masters champs the other weekend in sheff. 1500 and 800 m on the menu on Fridays usually.


For anyone going or interested in the European masters let me fill you in on the farce this is descending into. Initially they opened the entries and allowed 5 races per competitor. The entry times were very easy and so the whole shooting match was full up within 48 hours. This meant a lot of people, including very many talented masters swimmers, never even got chance to enter. So they re-opened the entries, allowing 3 per competitor.

Then they went back and asked those who originally entered for 5 to cut back down to 3.

Then they said they'd use the training pool as a competition pool as well so that they could run parallel races.

The latest is you will get 1 warmup opportunity per day, 6:30 to 7:30 am and the racing could go on till 10 pm. In between that time both pools will be being used to capacity so there is no chance of mid-day warm up or even a swim down. If you want those, you apparently have to go find a local pool in and around the Olympic park area.

Now that kind of crap is what you expect of a local meet where they just don't have the facilities. I am quite used to doing a non-existent warm up filled with kids stopping to do tumble turns practice (why!!! you only get 15 minutes don't waste it doing those!) and not having a swim down after races. It hurts though, much more now than it did when I was younger. Oldies need the warm up, (heck I need at least one race before I am ready to go! so often do a throw away race as part of a warm up).

But at a European level event, where I want to swim well (first time in a decade I think I will have done straight swim racing in a long course pool) and do good times to be basically told no warm ups or swim downs and go find another pool if you want them is not really on. Its embarrassing. Everyone is in the same boat of course, but thats not the point. You expect, for the money the entries cost, for it to be well run and all facilities available. More to the point, I want to swim some good times and I don't feel like I am being given the best chance of doing that if we're effectively being ask to do race without proper warmups or cool downs.


Killer set the other night though

8 x 200 at 90% of best recent time pace. Usually a bit rubbish at these because I can swim quite fast in a race but can never get close in training! Anyway I found the best I could muster 8 times was around the 2.40 mark doing backstroke and getting maybe a minutes respite before the next one. I'd gotten into it by about the 5th or 6th one though. Was absolutely flogged after because after that we had to do broken 100m sprints with fins!

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 7th April 09:28

[Merp]

Otispunkmeyer said:

944fan said:

If you want indoor stuff you will need to join an ASA Masters class. There a plenty of events and I think you race against people who are the same level as you, rather than be lumped in with someone the same age who has swam all their life.

The meets will be the standard pool distances though, so 50, 100, 200, 400 etc Breast/Free/Fly/Back.

Not sure if there would be a 1500m free.

Otherwise if your mates run and one has a bike there are a few sprint tris that are in pools. Usually only 400m but you could enter those as a relay team

Just had British masters champs the other weekend in sheff. 1500 and 800 m on the menu on Fridays usually.


For anyone going or interested in the European masters let me fill you in on the farce this is descending into. Initially they opened the entries and allowed 5 races per competitor. The entry times were very easy and so the whole shooting match was full up within 48 hours. This meant a lot of people, including very many talented masters swimmers, never even got chance to enter. So they re-opened the entries, allowing 3 per competitor.

Then they went back and asked those who originally entered for 5 to cut back down to 3.

Then they said they'd use the training pool as a competition pool as well so that they could run parallel races.

The latest is you will get 1 warmup opportunity per day, 6:30 to 7:30 am and the racing could go on till 10 pm. In between that time both pools will be being used to capacity so there is no chance of mid-day warm up or even a swim down. If you want those, you apparently have to go find a local pool in and around the Olympic park area.

Now that kind of crap is what you expect of a local meet where they just don't have the facilities. I am quite used to doing a non-existent warm up filled with kids stopping to do tumble turns practice (why!!! you only get 15 minutes don't waste it doing those!) and not having a swim down after races. It hurts though, much more now than it did when I was younger. Oldies need the warm up, (heck I need at least one race before I am ready to go! so often do a throw away race as part of a warm up).

But at a European level event, where I want to swim well (first time in a decade I think I will have done straight swim racing in a long course pool) and do good times to be basically told no warm ups or swim downs and go find another pool if you want them is not really on. Its embarrassing. Everyone is in the same boat of course, but thats not the point. You expect, for the money the entries cost, for it to be well run and all facilities available. More to the point, I want to swim some good times and I don't feel like I am being given the best chance of doing that if we're effectively being ask to do race without proper warmups or cool downs.


Killer set the other night though

8 x 200 at 90% of best recent time pace. Usually a bit rubbish at these because I can swim quite fast in a race but can never get close in training! Anyway I found the best I could muster 8 times was around the 2.40 mark doing backstroke and getting maybe a minutes respite before the next one. I'd gotten into it by about the 5th or 6th one though. Was absolutely flogged after because after that we had to do broken 100m sprints with fins!

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 7th April 09:28

This is why ive not bothered. Its a right mess.
Im going to swim in a local club meet the week after. Why pay that money to swim at a poorly managed event, where its not in the interest of the swimming or competition, its just about getting people there and money through the books. Racing in a warmdown pool, with very limited spectator area with no option for warm up or swim down...madness.

Any how, another session with the public last night, when your kick with a board is faster than a guy swimming with fins, you know you should probably join a masters team!

[Otispunkmeyer]

Merp said:

This is why ive not bothered. Its a right mess.
Im going to swim in a local club meet the week after. Why pay that money to swim at a poorly managed event, where its not in the interest of the swimming or competition, its just about getting people there and money through the books. Racing in a warmdown pool, with very limited spectator area with no option for warm up or swim down...madness.

Any how, another session with the public last night, when your kick with a board is faster than a guy swimming with fins, you know you should probably join a masters team!

I believe there will be no spectator area for the training pool. But I haven't seen it so I am not entirely sure. The other issue they have is that the main competition pool is obviously certified at 50 m long for these types of competition. The training pool is not. I would assume its been built properly but there is of course now chance that the pool won't meet the criteria and any times done won't officially count.

[Highway Star]

Chaps at my club are saying that the training pool is more like 49m.

One of them said that LEN had suggested he warm up in Ealing and then get the Tube across London to race!

[Otispunkmeyer]

Highway Star said:

Chaps at my club are saying that the training pool is more like 49m.

One of them said that LEN had suggested he warm up in Ealing and then get the Tube across London to race!

Yep thats what we heard. Though no specific pool named, just find one and warm up in it. I don't think the training pool will be 49 m. I mean I won't be surprised if its not absolutely 50 m like the competition pool, but I don't expect it to be way out. Just out of the spec for the times to count. I guess they could still hold races, it doesn't matter to the results, but there maybe the caveat that the times won't stand.

[944fan]

Otispunkmeyer said:

Yep thats what we heard. Though no specific pool named, just find one and warm up in it. I don't think the training pool will be 49 m. I mean I won't be surprised if its not absolutely 50 m like the competition pool, but I don't expect it to be way out. Just out of the spec for the times to count. I guess they could still hold races, it doesn't matter to the results, but there maybe the caveat that the times won't stand.

Not relevant but reminded me of it. In Ian Thorpe's biography he was talking about one event where he was told by an official that the lane they were in for the relay was slightly longer than the one their rivals were swimming in. Can't remember which event it was now. But he was making the point that they had to swim slightly further.

[Otispunkmeyer]

944fan said:

Otispunkmeyer said:

Yep thats what we heard. Though no specific pool named, just find one and warm up in it. I don't think the training pool will be 49 m. I mean I won't be surprised if its not absolutely 50 m like the competition pool, but I don't expect it to be way out. Just out of the spec for the times to count. I guess they could still hold races, it doesn't matter to the results, but there maybe the caveat that the times won't stand.

Not relevant but reminded me of it. In Ian Thorpe's biography he was talking about one event where he was told by an official that the lane they were in for the relay was slightly longer than the one their rivals were swimming in. Can't remember which event it was now. But he was making the point that they had to swim slightly further.

Good job his arm span is about eleventy-feet long then! (that and the flippers masquerading as feet).

[944fan]

Considering an OW race this Saturday at Box End. Bit unsure as there have been a couple of snow showers last two days and its been cold. Thinking the water might be chuffing cold.

Was going to be a wimp and just do the 750m anyway, but lake temp is likely to be 11 degrees so not sure I even want do that.

[944fan]

Did a time trial this morning. Another 5 seconds off my 400m SB. Only 18 seconds away from my all time PB.

Although its not what I am training for I would really like to finally dip under the 6 min mark this year.

[andburg]

Announced this week that swimtag to fitbit integration has now gone live!

[944fan]

Europeans start today. Anyone going to be watching? I always forgot Eurosport is free (I mean doesn't need full Sky sports), there is loads of stuff to watch on there.

I've been watching the diving over the weekend. Getting really into that. Understanding the scoring and everything now and can watch a dive and know if its good or not before the judges score it :-)

I assume the big British names are all at the Euros? Be good to she what shape Proud and Peaty are in as its only a couple of months till Rio

[Otispunkmeyer]

Only those who won Olympic berths at the British Champs last month will be there. Some of them who do have the places didn't actually make the set time (though got in on a 2% rule of a faster time or were selected by discretion) so now is there chance to prove it. Will see what happens.

After this event its actually the European Masters and I will now fill you in on additional farcical details of this event:

1st warm up is 6:30 am, though they do now have multiple warm ups throughout the day before each event. Why? because there are so many people, they can't all be in the building at once. Its one in one out. If its not your event yet, you aren't allowed in. If you're spectating, you will be allowed in to watch a specific event and then you must leave again.

They're using the swim down/training pool as a second competition pool. There is no spectating in there. If you want to watch someone swim, you must do so via screens.

The organisers have gone through and worked out rough start times of each event. For example, on saturday night the relays will get underway at 11:45 pm. Yes that is right. A quarter to mid night! We're now re-arranging relays because some of the guys chosen are swimming first thing on Sunday and will have to be in the warmup at 6:30.

finally if you are doing 400, 800 or 1500 then you will actually be swimming 2 to a lane and the event is split across both pools. So you won't know which pool you are in until the day and then you have to actually swim with another person in your lane. They'll start from opposite ends, I just hope people remember to keep to their side and swim straight!

Honestly its absolutely farcical for such a large event and the amount of money entries cost. They were 45 Euro for the first event and 25 for each event after. Scandalous.

[944fan]

Yes my coach is doing a couple of events at the masters, sounds like a right shambles.

Watching the diving it looked pretty empty in the stands. Just looked at the tickets. Plenty for sale for Friday evening session, but £55 for an adult in normal seats! Swimming aint the most popular sport, you'd think they were drop the price a bit and try and get some bums on seats.

I went to the anniversary games at the Olympic park in 2013. Big named event (Bolt, Ennis, Farrah). Tickets for the finish line were only £105 for that and plenty of tickets were £16.

[Otispunkmeyer]

944fan said:

Yes my coach is doing a couple of events at the masters, sounds like a right shambles.

Watching the diving it looked pretty empty in the stands. Just looked at the tickets. Plenty for sale for Friday evening session, but £55 for an adult in normal seats! Swimming aint the most popular sport, you'd think they were drop the price a bit and try and get some bums on seats.

I went to the anniversary games at the Olympic park in 2013. Big named event (Bolt, Ennis, Farrah). Tickets for the finish line were only £105 for that and plenty of tickets were £16.

Yeah no one in their right mind should be paying £55 to watch diving or swimming. Thats far too expensive.

[944fan]

Stands were 3/4 empty for last nights session. Between races you could hear a mouse fart.

Peaty is looking good was a second ahead of everyone else in the semi for 100m breast.

The commentary on Eurosport leaves a lot to be desired. Some Scottish chap talking utter crap and some woman who sounds a lot like Becky Adlington but was being called Jo by the other chap.

Half way through the 400m they didn't talk for about 2 mins. Was a blessed relief.