The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

Author
Discussion

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Du1point8 said:
I do breast stoke (4km a week) as it gives the most exercise to my ankle and stops it freezing up (shatter leg and dislocated ankle) however Im a head above water guy as I can't see crap with my glasses off (-3 and -3.25).

Can someone recommend me a set of prescription googles and nose clips so I can move on and stop this not being able to put my head under?
After about 2 weeks when the anti-fog wears off you can't see jack anyway! I just go by shapes and stroke count.

I am not sure, but I think I have a friend who got some prescription goggles once so I will hit him up for you and ask where he got them. Have you tried contacts with normal goggles? appreciate getting them properly wet in chlorinated water might not be any good.

as for nose clip


http://www.wiggle.co.uk/speedo-competition-nose-cl...


for example.

They're dirt cheap so just look up some of the major swimming brands like Speedo, Arena, TYR, Maru, Finis and just try a few out until you find one you are comfortable with.

Water won't go up your nose on any forward facing strokes mind, so maybe just try without first once you get goggles you can see out of!


Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Friday 27th February 10:00

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

134 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
My wife uses the AquaSphere Eagles http://www.amazon.co.uk/Aqua-Sphere-Eagle-Intercha... which are a bit pricey as you have to buy the goggles + 2 lenses and works out about nearly £40 but they last ages, don't leak and the optics are great.

Du1point8

21,604 posts

191 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
cheers will look them up, I have a face mask that I use for scuba diving, but don't really want to turn up to the pool and use that.

Never thought to do stroke count, it takes as long as it takes with me.

944fan

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

184 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Du1point8 said:
I do breast stoke (4km a week) as it gives the most exercise to my ankle and stops it freezing up (shatter leg and dislocated ankle) however Im a head above water guy as I can't see crap with my glasses off (-3 and -3.25).

Can someone recommend me a set of prescription googles and nose clips so I can move on and stop this not being able to put my head under?
I wear contacts with googles. You need a decent pair of goggles otherwise if they leak you contacts go wonky and usually fall out.

Best goggles I have ever had are Speedo Fastskin3 Elite. They are a bit more expensive than most but the don't fog as bad as most, even after weeks of use, and they don't leak. They also don't have to be on head crushingly tight to not leak either.

Sarkmeister

1,664 posts

217 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Thought it'd be worth posting an update after my continuous pool coaching session earlier this week.... (see my earlier post)

The pool itself was a bit intimidating at first for some reason, but I quickly got used to it. The coach watched me swim for a couple of minutes and made notes. We then worked through all the areas I need to work on using individual drills. Each drill was review on a huge TV screen and from various angles to help me understand what was right/wrong.

The 90 mins went fairly quick and I came away with a video (with commentary) of the my drills and some ideas for what I need to work on. Finally got round to swimming this morning and whilst there hasn't been a massive improvement yet, I now feel like I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and therefore focussed on one aspect of this per length.

I think the biggest benefit is that I now seem to have mastered bi-lateral breathing, which is something I've never been able to do before. This alone has made me feel more balanced, and faster.

Anyway, I'll keep at it and see how I progress, then go back in a month or so.


anonymous-user

53 months

Friday 27th February 2015
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I'm finding I have a real love/hate relationship with swimming. Hate going swimming and love it when it is over.

I think the issues are (a) I don't really enjoy the idea of swimming (although I don't mind actually swimming that much); (b) aside from the endurance sets, every set I am given fills me with a sense that I am about to be waterboarded. If it's not endurance, it's a VO2 max set or an anaerobic set. <sob>

My coach makes me use a Tempo Trainer. fk me, that's a nasty bd piece of kit. You set it to (say) 22.50 seconds. And it bleeps in your ear every 22.5 seconds. That's your pace. Push off the wall on the bleep. Every turn. Lovely. Whereas I can get down to 2.54 or so for 200m (and outrunning it is *very* satisfying), I can't seem to crack 6.08 for 400m, and this little bd thing lets me know, every time. The idea is to hold the bleep - pace yourself completely evenly over the distance. But I tend to pull out 2-3 secs on it over the first half of a 400, then have it relentlessly catching me up and overtaking me, usually with 75-50m to go. Depressing? Yes, you could say that.

Anyone else find their fingernails developing cracks (across, rather than lengthways)? Also pissing me off.


944fan

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

184 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Don't have cracking fingertips but I itch like I've been bathing in itching powder.

I use the Tempo Trainer too. I find it quite good, although it is disheartening when you can't keep up with it. I also struggle to stay on the beeps. My pool has a marker half way up the lane so I set it to beep twice per length. I can then adjust my pace before the length is over and that helps me stay on pace.

TheAllSeeingPie

865 posts

134 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
944fan said:
I wear contacts with googles. You need a decent pair of goggles otherwise if they leak you contacts go wonky and usually fall out.

Best goggles I have ever had are Speedo Fastskin3 Elite. They are a bit more expensive than most but the don't fog as bad as most, even after weeks of use, and they don't leak. They also don't have to be on head crushingly tight to not leak either.
Never ever wear contacts when swimming: http://www.allaboutvision.com/contacts/faq/swim-in...https://www.bcla.org.uk/public/top-faqs-about-cont...https://www.specsavers.co.uk/ask-the-optician/wear...

TLDR?: Swimming with contacts can potentially make you blind.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
944fan said:
Du1point8 said:
I do breast stoke (4km a week) as it gives the most exercise to my ankle and stops it freezing up (shatter leg and dislocated ankle) however Im a head above water guy as I can't see crap with my glasses off (-3 and -3.25).

Can someone recommend me a set of prescription googles and nose clips so I can move on and stop this not being able to put my head under?
I wear contacts with googles. You need a decent pair of goggles otherwise if they leak you contacts go wonky and usually fall out.

Best goggles I have ever had are Speedo Fastskin3 Elite. They are a bit more expensive than most but the don't fog as bad as most, even after weeks of use, and they don't leak. They also don't have to be on head crushingly tight to not leak either.
Still rocking the venerable speed-socket here, another great goggle from speedo. Not as much peripheral vision as the FastSkin ones though. But only £12-15 in price. I have the strap pretty much as loose as it will go...they do not even hint at coming off or leaking. Aqua-sockets are a good pair also and they come in orange.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Sarkmeister said:
Thought it'd be worth posting an update after my continuous pool coaching session earlier this week.... (see my earlier post)

The pool itself was a bit intimidating at first for some reason, but I quickly got used to it. The coach watched me swim for a couple of minutes and made notes. We then worked through all the areas I need to work on using individual drills. Each drill was review on a huge TV screen and from various angles to help me understand what was right/wrong.

The 90 mins went fairly quick and I came away with a video (with commentary) of the my drills and some ideas for what I need to work on. Finally got round to swimming this morning and whilst there hasn't been a massive improvement yet, I now feel like I know what I'm supposed to be doing, and therefore focussed on one aspect of this per length.

I think the biggest benefit is that I now seem to have mastered bi-lateral breathing, which is something I've never been able to do before. This alone has made me feel more balanced, and faster.

Anyway, I'll keep at it and see how I progress, then go back in a month or so.
Sounds great! Where did you do this btw? sounds like good fun. I guess its just like a treadmill for swimmers and there are windows or cameras for the coaches to watch you?

And yes, it can be quite easy for coaches to point out the flaws, but correcting them, especially on your own is difficult because you don't have the visual line of sight to see what you are doing most of the time. You just have to go by feel and feel for the water is something that does not come over night... it can take years.

Even I have this problem on backstroke... I think my arms are going in either side of the center line, I think I have a good bend in the elbow and that I am not pulling too deeply. Often I am wrong. It takes a lot of concentration to deliberately overcome my muscle memory in order to re-program my arms to do something slightly different.

Also keep in mind, prescribed technique, whilst it could be theoretically correct (and even then there isnt a lot of experimental study to prove a specific hand position, hand motion is best) might not be best for you. I think swimming is quite individual and often what feels right and what feels comfortable is often best.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Friday 27th February 2015
quotequote all
Greg66 said:
I'm finding I have a real love/hate relationship with swimming. Hate going swimming and love it when it is over.

I think the issues are (a) I don't really enjoy the idea of swimming (although I don't mind actually swimming that much); (b) aside from the endurance sets, every set I am given fills me with a sense that I am about to be waterboarded. If it's not endurance, it's a VO2 max set or an anaerobic set. <sob>

My coach makes me use a Tempo Trainer. fk me, that's a nasty bd piece of kit. You set it to (say) 22.50 seconds. And it bleeps in your ear every 22.5 seconds. That's your pace. Push off the wall on the bleep. Every turn. Lovely. Whereas I can get down to 2.54 or so for 200m (and outrunning it is *very* satisfying), I can't seem to crack 6.08 for 400m, and this little bd thing lets me know, every time. The idea is to hold the bleep - pace yourself completely evenly over the distance. But I tend to pull out 2-3 secs on it over the first half of a 400, then have it relentlessly catching me up and overtaking me, usually with 75-50m to go. Depressing? Yes, you could say that.

Anyone else find their fingernails developing cracks (across, rather than lengthways)? Also pissing me off.
Would hate a tempo trainer! Though the clock in our pool is easily sighted so you can check with a cheeky glance what you're up to. In the Uni pool they have a gigantic billboard style clock so you can't help but see what your pace is. After a while though its innate, you just know how much effort is required to go a certain time.

Everyone has the problem of going off too fast, you feel great for the first 2 lengths but then it slowly creeps in and you start to slow. A good way to try swim these things is with negative split... for the first half deliberately swim slow. In fact I would try to be just behind the tempo beep. Then in the second half your goal is to catch the beep.

Its easier to chase than be chased.


944fan

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

184 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
quotequote all
TheAllSeeingPie said:
st, thanks for this. I had no idea. Reading those links I think the risk is fairly low for me as I always wear goggles and they never leak and I wear daily disposables but still will stop wearing them. In the pool I can probably do with out them. I use a swim watch rather than the clock and I'm only -2.0 in both eyes so will still be able to see the black line.

Need to do something for the lakes and river swimming though. Guess I need to get some prescription lenses.

madbadger

11,555 posts

243 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
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I have got the eagle aquaspheres too. They are relatively cheap being mix an match and seem to work pretty well.

anonymous-user

53 months

Saturday 28th February 2015
quotequote all
Otispunkmeyer said:
Would hate a tempo trainer! Though the clock in our pool is easily sighted so you can check with a cheeky glance what you're up to. In the Uni pool they have a gigantic billboard style clock so you can't help but see what your pace is. After a while though its innate, you just know how much effort is required to go a certain time.

Everyone has the problem of going off too fast, you feel great for the first 2 lengths but then it slowly creeps in and you start to slow. A good way to try swim these things is with negative split... for the first half deliberately swim slow. In fact I would try to be just behind the tempo beep. Then in the second half your goal is to catch the beep.

Its easier to chase than be chased.
The tempo is very good for curing my default "greyhound of the gate and then tie up" approach

But I much prefer having 1-2s buffer than chasing. Chasing as I tire usually results in my stroke going to st.

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Monday 2nd March 2015
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Quite horrible session yesterday, but enjoyed it in the end. We had a coached session for a change and this is what we did:

W/up

4 x (100 free, 100 back) (Target times 1.20 and 1.27, 20 rest)

Main

8 x (50 Breast, 100 Back, 25 Fly, 75 Free) (Target times 52, 1.20, 19, 55, 20 rest in between each).

That was rather hard due to the rest interval. I think this was A3 training, or Aerobic Threshold...possibly. The times themselves are quite doable with some strong but not hard effort, but 4th set in the short rest starts to get you.

4 x 75 fly kick with fins, 6 kicks front, 6 side, 6 back, 6 side... repeat on 1.30
6 x 50 kick, no board, no fins, progress 1-3 steady, medium, fast (twice)

Then some sprints
2 x steady to 17.5m, flip turn and sprint to 7.5m, flip turn sprint to end
2 x kicking at wall, head under for 10 seconds, flip turn sprint to 12.5 m no breathing
2 x dive start, 15 m UW fly kick and aggressive break out windmilling the first 2-3 strokes.

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Monday 2nd March 09:30

944fan

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

184 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
I've got another cold and don't feel like I will get much benefit from swimming. On a recovery week anyway so will have a couple of days rest and then pick it up again end of the week.


anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
944fan said:
I've got another cold and don't feel like I will get much benefit from swimming. On a recovery week anyway so will have a couple of days rest and then pick it up again end of the week.
Ha! I got really cold riding to the pool last night and then didn't feel like swimming. So didn't. Similar, but not quite the same... wink

Otispunkmeyer

12,557 posts

154 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
Greg66 said:
944fan said:
I've got another cold and don't feel like I will get much benefit from swimming. On a recovery week anyway so will have a couple of days rest and then pick it up again end of the week.
Ha! I got really cold riding to the pool last night and then didn't feel like swimming. So didn't. Similar, but not quite the same... wink
I get intensely cold feet at times. Can't wait to get into the pool because then they actually warm up!


anonymous-user

53 months

Tuesday 3rd March 2015
quotequote all
Otispunkmeyer said:
Greg66 said:
944fan said:
I've got another cold and don't feel like I will get much benefit from swimming. On a recovery week anyway so will have a couple of days rest and then pick it up again end of the week.
Ha! I got really cold riding to the pool last night and then didn't feel like swimming. So didn't. Similar, but not quite the same... wink
I get intensely cold feet at times. Can't wait to get into the pool because then they actually warm up!
I get the cold feet thing too, but mine are from many years of cycling year round in thin cycling shoes and no socks. I think I've buggered up the circulation. Great.

But on the subject of feet: any ideas why I get cramp sometimes in the arch of my foot or my big toe whilst swimming? Or, for that matter, why sometimes my adductors give me a little crampy twinge on a push off the wall or when I get out? V weird, as it is always the same places, and they aren't (so far as I can tell) bits of me that are doing a lot while I'm swimming.

944fan

Original Poster:

4,962 posts

184 months

Wednesday 4th March 2015
quotequote all
Greg66 said:
I get the cold feet thing too, but mine are from many years of cycling year round in thin cycling shoes and no socks. I think I've buggered up the circulation. Great.

But on the subject of feet: any ideas why I get cramp sometimes in the arch of my foot or my big toe whilst swimming? Or, for that matter, why sometimes my adductors give me a little crampy twinge on a push off the wall or when I get out? V weird, as it is always the same places, and they aren't (so far as I can tell) bits of me that are doing a lot while I'm swimming.
I get the same. Particularly in right leg. I have flat feet and have always had problems with my arches (that's why I swim and not run) . For me it often comes in the middle of a long set, e.g. 5x400m. Can usually relax it and shake it off but once I had to stop and get out it hurt so much. Think it might just be down to having your ankle fully extended for a long period of time