The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

[boyse7en]

bluelightbabe said:

boyse7en said:

New pb for the 1000m has cheered me up.
19:11s this morning, breathing threes until the final 200m, when I breathe twos.

That's it now for me until Swimathon on Saturday.

Good luck! I haven't done much training for it recently but am hoping to get a similar time to last year (1hr 44 mins).

Bit quicker than me then! I'll be chuffed if I can do it in under 2 hours. Did 3000m on saturday in 1hr 6 mins, but not sure I can keep that pace up for the next 2000m

BoRED S2upid said:

My right shoulder has suffered a bit I only breathe on my right side having read some tips on here alternating would probably help this but it's not natural for me breathing left sided.

I used to swim only breathing right (either in twos or fours) and found it was affecting my neck and shoulder.
I forced myself to swim breathing threes (so alternate sides) by doing 10 lengths to start with (then going over to twos for the rest of the swim), then gradually increasing it each time i went.
Took about 4 weeks for it to feel "natural" to breath threes so that I wasn't thinking about it all the time.

I still can't breathe two's on the left though, my legs sink terribly.

Edited by boyse7en on Wednesday 5th April 15:10

[FunkyNige]

I'm also terrible at breathing 3s, and if I breathe to the left I keep crashing into the rope as my new pool doesn't have the lines down the middle of the lanes and is really dark so I can't really see where I'm going that well...
Also doing the 5k on Sunday, last year I did 1:46 after doing the 6 mile run in the morning, I'll be shocked if I get under 2 hours as I haven't been able to swim that much in the past 6 months, that's only just changed so I could really do with the Swimathon being delayed a month!

[FunkyNige]

Well I managed the 5k in 1:48 dead according to the guy counting, 1:47.04 according to Strava and 1:45.27 according to TomTom...! Think the watch time are doing something different with the rest times.
Links to the watch times from my TomTom Spark3, the first big dip is me forgetting to pause it when having a quick rest, the second was my OH saying she had finished (the 2.5k) and was getting out.
https://www.strava.com/activities/934437784
https://mysports.tomtom.com/app/public/activity/pe...

[bluelightbabe]

I managed the 5k in 1:50:36. Slightly disappointed as it was six minutes slower than last year, although I had to stop twice towards the end due to cramp, and also did very little training.

There was a slight discrepancy with my lengths as well. I have a lap counting watch and every time I stopped for a drink I checked that they had the same count as me. All was good until 180 lengths and they said they'd got me as doing 182. My watch sometimes doesn't register a length if I don't do a long enough glide off the wall, so I'm used to it being wrong sometimes. However it seems a bit strange that I'd managed to get to 180 without any discrepancy and then all of a sudden it's two lengths out. The lap counters were swapping round though as some of them were swimming as well, so it could easily have been a mix up at their end.

Thoroughly enjoyed it though. It was only the first time my leisure centre had hosted it as they've only been there a year, but it was well organised and a good atmosphere. There was lots of encouragement from the lap counters and staff as well. A far better experience than the pool I did it at last year. There were only four people in my lane including me so there was plenty of space, and the other swimmers had good lane etiquette when it came to overtaking too.

I've seen a picture on Swimathon's Facebook page of a lady who did three 5k swims in 24 hours and it's given me the inspiration to do more than one next year if time allows. Maybe not three, but I might have a go at two!

[boyse7en]

I did the 5k in 1:59:13

Was dead in the water for the last 1k. For some reason I felt really sick, and had to stop at each end for a second or two to settle a bit.

[bluelightbabe]

FunkyNige said:

Well I managed the 5k in 1:48 dead according to the guy counting, 1:47.04 according to Strava and 1:45.27 according to TomTom...! Think the watch time are doing something different with the rest times.
Links to the watch times from my TomTom Spark3, the first big dip is me forgetting to pause it when having a quick rest, the second was my OH saying she had finished (the 2.5k) and was getting out.
https://www.strava.com/activities/934437784
https://mysports.tomtom.com/app/public/activity/pe...

Interesting you paused it during your rest periods...I kept mine running otherwise my time would have been completely different to the official time as the lap counters didn't pause when each swimmer rested...are your rest periods included in your total time, or is your total time just swimming time? I didn't rest for very long though, just enough to take a few swigs of my drink every now and then. My two longest rest periods were a maximum of two minutes whilst I sorted my cramp out.

[FunkyNige]

bluelightbabe said:

There was a slight discrepancy with my lengths as well. I have a lap counting watch and every time I stopped for a drink I checked that they had the same count as me. All was good until 180 lengths and they said they'd got me as doing 182

They were a couple out for me last year - my mum was counting from the stands and said I swam 202 but the counters at the end of the pool said I did 200, according to mum they were chatting and missed me...

bluelightbabe said:

Interesting you paused it during your rest periods...I kept mine running otherwise my time would have been completely different to the official time as the lap counters didn't pause when each swimmer rested...are your rest periods included in your total time, or is your total time just swimming time? I didn't rest for very long though, just enough to take a few swigs of my drink every now and then. My two longest rest periods were a maximum of two minutes whilst I sorted my cramp out.

My total time (1:48 by the counters) included rest time, my watch time of 1:45:27 didn't. Think it was one period of 2 mins, then a couple of 30 seconds later on to have a swig of drink and ask how far I'd done.
I only paused it so the average stroke rate, speed, etc. weren't affected by resting

[tenohfive]

Hoping I can pick the collective swimming brains of those here.

I've started doing the odd session in the local pool recently as a bit of active recovery from other stuff, and long term I'm not ruling out doing a tri so could do with some technique pointers for my front crawl - even down to the basics (how often to take a breath etc.) Could anyone offer me a few tips or point me in the right direction? I'm not worried about speed so much as efficiency/economy.

[anonymous-user]

tenohfive said:

Hoping I can pick the collective swimming brains of those here.

I've started doing the odd session in the local pool recently as a bit of active recovery from other stuff, and long term I'm not ruling out doing a tri so could do with some technique pointers for my front crawl - even down to the basics (how often to take a breath etc.) Could anyone offer me a few tips or point me in the right direction? I'm not worried about speed so much as efficiency/economy.

I started off doing what you're doing now, as a recovery from running and I found that my swimming really took off when I started being coached. My advice would be to get straight in with a coaching session and see how it goes?

[Rich_W]

tenohfive said:

Hoping I can pick the collective swimming brains of those here.

I've started doing the odd session in the local pool recently as a bit of active recovery from other stuff, and long term I'm not ruling out doing a tri so could do with some technique pointers for my front crawl - even down to the basics (how often to take a breath etc.) Could anyone offer me a few tips or point me in the right direction? I'm not worried about speed so much as efficiency/economy.

Have a read of

http://www.swimsmooth.com/#beginner


Then if you can talk to one of their reps in the UK. It's an Aussie based company run by Brit ex Pats, but they have several coaches in the Uk.

[dirty boy]

Did my first 'beginner' OW session at Fritton Lake last night...

holy st it was cold!

After a while, I couldn't feel my right hand, was such a weird sensation pulling through the water but not actually feeling it, then getting out at the end, my feet were in pieces!! No idea how i'd get on cycling straight after!!!

Really enjoyed it otherwise though...

We did a little session whereby you close your eyes and swim 40 strokes between two buoys....first bloke goes off, like an arrow, straight between them...

..second one, we all had a giggle as he swam straight into the buoy....

I go off...in my mind...like an arrow, smooth, controlled..I look up and i'm about 15 yards OUTSIDE the buoys lol!!! Slight imbalance in my stroke

[Rich_W]

dirty boy said:

No idea how i'd get on cycling straight after!!!

You'll be OK on race day. The adrenalin will keep you warm.

dirty boy said:

I go off...in my mind...like an arrow, smooth, controlled..I look up and i'm about 15 yards OUTSIDE the buoys lol!!! Slight imbalance in my stroke

Honestly, you're unlikely to be able to sort this unless you swim 5 times a week. Just focus on learning to sight. Sight every 5-7 strokes.

[Otispunkmeyer]

tenohfive said:

Hoping I can pick the collective swimming brains of those here.

I've started doing the odd session in the local pool recently as a bit of active recovery from other stuff, and long term I'm not ruling out doing a tri so could do with some technique pointers for my front crawl - even down to the basics (how often to take a breath etc.) Could anyone offer me a few tips or point me in the right direction? I'm not worried about speed so much as efficiency/economy.

Have a search around on YT and the web... For starters "The Race Club" and GoSwim are decent places. The Former actually has a few videos on OW swimming and plenty of technique videos that are useful (even if it is a place where elite level swimmers go to train, the basics are the basics).

I can give you a couple of things to think about though...For economy you want to reduce drag as much as possible so...

toes... pointed, but also relaxed in the ankle

head.... you want your head down, you want to be looking nearly straight down to the bottom or ever so slightly forward looking. If you have your head up too high, your hips will sink and it will become hard work.

legs...kicking, small, tight kicking motion initiated from the hips, do not bend a lot at the knee, do not have big swinging kicks that take the feet outside of the body outline. Keep the feet just under the surface. I would probably learn to do the 2-beat kick, which is really only enough kicking to keep your feet up and keep the body rotation in check. Legs are big muscles, you don't want them using all your O2 on a big swim.

arms.... for pulling, from being outstretched, you want to pull with a bend at the elbow. Keep the elbow high and the hand perpendicular to the surface and you want to perform a kind of shallow "S" or "keyhole" motion as you pull through. Extend hand all the way back, past the hips. Bring the arm back over with a bent arm recovery.

Body.... whilst doing the pulling you want to have a rotation in there as well. Rotating helps you reach forward a bit more and then helps you put a bit more weight into the pull as the hand comes back. For distance swimming, its more hip driven so you're initiating/engaging the roll from the hips not leading with the shoulders (though your whole core should rotate as one nearly).

Breathing.... bi-lateral (i.e. 3's) is good practice as it gets you breathing on both sides. The more you breath the more drag you create but for distance you often want to make sure you're just getting in plenty of air as it will be more beneficial in the long run. So you can breath 2's for instance, but just make sure to swap which side you breath every few laps.

And for taking the breath, you shouldn't really need to turn the head excessively. If you are rolling the body right and breathing to the side as the arm comes over for recovery it should only be a small turn, just so your mouth is just above the surface.


Depending how good you already are, I suggest not attempting to take all that in at once. Swimming has a lot of finicky detail to it so just concentrate on one or two things at once.

For me I would start with the head.... just make sure you're head is down and make sure you can keep it still (unless breathing). If your head is wobbling about, then your body will follow.

Then I would concentrate on the arms. Don't cross over the body center line, reach forward, bend at the elbow for the pull keeping the elbow high and the hand perpendicular to the surface.

Edited by Otispunkmeyer on Thursday 18th May 09:50

[tenohfive]

That should give me something to work on - thanks.

[Rich_W]

Anybody been doing the Great Swim series?


Did London today as a very late sign up. (2 weeks and 8 swims ) Disappointed not to crack 30mins. Was over 35m too! Have to say it's very well run so if anyones looking at them in the future, I recommend

Royal Victoria Dock never tastes good does it!

[Otispunkmeyer]

Swimming world champs is on for those interested

The Diving has been and gone with Tom Daley smashing it to get gold in the 10m and silver in the mixed pairs.

Exceptional diving from him as the Chinese dude was really winding up the perfect dives at the end.


On to the swimming.... its been good already. Some stonking swims in relays by the boys from the USA and Brazil, edge of the seat stuff at the finish. But highlights are Sarah Sjostrom from Sweden leading off the womens 4x100 free relay and bursting the WR by 0.3 of a second and first lady under 52 seconds for the 100. They secretly planned this as she decided trying to go for the WR and the gold in the individual later was putting too much pressure on her; after all she first and foremost wants to win the gold and by the champion. Adding the WR could put that in jeopardy if it came back to bite her in the final 15 meters.

Of course the main event for us... Peaty. Breezed the heat and put in a very strong semi; nearly a second clear of the next best. 57.75 his time and still the only person to have gone 57 ever. He now locks out the top-ten best times ever swum in that event; which is just insane. There is talk of "Project 56" for tonight. 56 seconds for a 100 breaststroke from a flat start.

I do hope he does it, but I suspect he may just be short. He went 57.13 at the Olympics in Rio and followed that with a 56.6 relay split in the mens IM relay. But I just think the Olympics has that something extra, that buzz in the atmosphere. He seems to be someone who feeds off that and it boosts him along. We'll see, but hopefully it hasn't been too hyped and he hasn't put too much pressure on himself. As I say, I think he'll fall short this time, but he'll get there before 2020.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Didn't manage it. Glide into the wall on the turn, glide into the wall on the finish, stroke timing just off. But still a master class... 57.47, 1.3 ahead of the next guy and nearly broke the 50 m sprint WR on the way out!!

Such a beast, but there is time to take out of that swim for sure.

[Otispunkmeyer]

fk me Peaty 26.1 in the heats for the 50 br

And just watched Guy and Scott bin it on the 200 free final. Went out way to excited and got overhauled by Sun Yang and the american at the end.... poor show really after the mature way they swam it last night.

[Highway Star]

Otispunkmeyer said:

fk me Peaty 26.1 in the heats for the 50 br

And just watched Guy and Scott bin it on the 200 free final. Went out way to excited and got overhauled by Sun Yang and the american at the end.... poor show really after the mature way they swam it last night.

25.9 in the semi. Wow.

Really hope Laszlo Cseh wins the 200 fly tomorrow - one of my favourite all-time swimmers.

[Otispunkmeyer]

Gutted for Cseh

Always the bridesmaid

Cannot believe Chad. He's like a little kid but fk me he pulled that off. I mean in the semi's he did the same thing; bombed it from the start and faded like a cheap suit on the last 50. But somehow he managed to go out even quicker in the final, he had clear water! and he managed to hang on for grim death on the last length when Cseh was coming back for him.