The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

[Scabutz]

Richieboy3008 said:

I've been swimming about 3 times per week for the last 5 weeks after a 10 year gap.

I usually swim 2500m freestyle in about 43-44mins and have managed 5000m in 1hr 27m. But I've seemed to hit a wall.

I should probably start doing a few drills and speed work to build my stamina.

Does anyone have a good training Plan?

Have a look on Swim Smooth website at the CSS sets. You do a CSS test (all out 400m / 200m) and that gets your threshold pace. You then do sets based around that. Info is all on their website. You will need a tempo trainer for pacing, about £25 from Amazon. Do 1 maybe 2 CSS sessions a week. Some speed sessions are good. 50x50m with small rest. You can mix that up with some slower/faster sets, paddles etc. Throw in the occasional VO2 max session to build top end speed. These are done at 100% max with long rest. Keep the sets low (25/50/100m)

Drills are good for refining technique. But you need to know what's wrong with your technique that needs improving. 1-2-1 coaching is best or video analysis as I mentioned to someone else about above. 1:27 for a 5k is a respectable pace so you probably have a fairly good technique already, it just needs refining slightly. The rest is fitness.

[Richieboy3008]

Scabutz said:

Have a look on Swim Smooth website at the CSS sets. You do a CSS test (all out 400m / 200m) and that gets your threshold pace. You then do sets based around that. Info is all on their website. You will need a tempo trainer for pacing, about £25 from Amazon. Do 1 maybe 2 CSS sessions a week. Some speed sessions are good. 50x50m with small rest. You can mix that up with some slower/faster sets, paddles etc. Throw in the occasional VO2 max session to build top end speed. These are done at 100% max with long rest. Keep the sets low (25/50/100m)

Drills are good for refining technique. But you need to know what's wrong with your technique that needs improving. 1-2-1 coaching is best or video analysis as I mentioned to someone else about above. 1:27 for a 5k is a respectable pace so you probably have a fairly good technique already, it just needs refining slightly. The rest is fitness.

Thanks, I'll check out swim smooth. I think my technique is OK, I used to swim competitively in my teens, but that was 20 years ago and I've lost all my speed.

It's hard to keep the pace up when you're swimming solo. Back in the day we were 4 or 5 to a lane with some bloke shouting at us constantly, made it fairly easy to keep the speed up.

Edited by Richieboy3008 on Saturday 25th August 20:49

[Juanco20]

I'm looking at getting back in to swimming and joining local masters club. Swimming on holiday has brought the bug back

I was rapid when I was younger, won lots at county level but haven't done anything for 18 years

What sort of times would be winning 50m free at a masters comp for 30-40 age group?

[jfire]

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions. These kids of course go on to be adult swimmers but every new gym opening round here is one of those budget ones which only have weights and machines so I find it hard to see where the increased number of swimmers are being accommodated. Perhaps in fact the increase is why the adult lanes are dangerously overcrowded and I have given up!

And while the lanes are overcrowded the management for some reason deem it a good idea to have 3 in the middle opened in to one, where people swim in a circle. I wonder if the ASA could provide guidance as to the efficient use of space.

Edited by jfire on Wednesday 5th September 16:19

[SVS]

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

[Highway Star]

Juanco20 said:

I'm looking at getting back in to swimming and joining local masters club. Swimming on holiday has brought the bug back

I was rapid when I was younger, won lots at county level but haven't done anything for 18 years

What sort of times would be winning 50m free at a masters comp for 30-40 age group?

Masters age groups are 5 year bands, so 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 etc., but at all except Nationals, you swim based on time, not age groups, though you are classified by age group.

Some Masters competitions can be variable in quality, but at the bigger ones including Nationals, you obviously get the better swimmers turning up. 50 free in the 30-34 at Nationals last year was won in 23 flat, as was the 35-39 age group. 40-44 was won in 24 flat. 25s and 26s will get you medals at many meets in those age groups.

I'm 41 now, was a national age group winner as a kid, but 15 years off (between the ages of 17 and 32) meant I lost much of my pure sprinting ability and I can't get below a 26 for 50 free now. I'm now more of a middle distance swimmer, I need at least 200m to wind it up! Lack of consistent training and life getting in the way doesn't help.

ETA - I see from your profile you are in Yorkshire. If you are near East Leeds SC, they are the fantastic Masters club with a great array of sprinters, several of which are national, European or World record holders.

Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 5th September 23:59

Edited by Highway Star on Thursday 6th September 00:01

[Juanco20]

Highway Star said:

Masters age groups are 5 year bands, so 30-34, 35-39, 40-44 etc., but at all except Nationals, you swim based on time, not age groups, though you are classified by age group.

Some Masters competitions can be variable in quality, but at the bigger ones including Nationals, you obviously get the better swimmers turning up. 50 free in the 30-34 at Nationals last year was won in 23 flat, as was the 35-39 age group. 40-44 was won in 24 flat. 25s and 26s will get you medals at many meets in those age groups.

I'm 41 now, was a national age group winner as a kid, but 15 years off (between the ages of 17 and 32) meant I lost much of my pure sprinting ability and I can't get below a 26 for 50 free now. I'm now more of a middle distance swimmer, I need at least 200m to wind it up! Lack of consistent training and life getting in the way doesn't help.

ETA - I see from your profile you are in Yorkshire. If you are near East Leeds SC, they are the fantastic Masters club with a great array of sprinters, several of which are national, European or World record holders.

Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 5th September 23:59

Edited by Highway Star on Thursday 6th September 00:01

Thanks. Initially I'll just be doing it to get some fitness back but eventually I'm sure I'll enter some meets

I doubt I'll get anywhere near to winning anything even at local level given the time off but it'll be interesting to see what level I can get back to with training 3 to 4 times a week

Just had a look back at when I did the Great Manchester Mile swim in 2013 with hardly any training. Did it in 24 minutes and that was with a good minute lost from going the wrong way and almost drowning. I'll be looking at doing it again next year so it will be interesting to see how much difference 9 months of training a few times a week can make

Edited by Juanco20 on Thursday 6th September 12:42

[Juanco20]

What sort of time frame would you say it will take for full swimming fitness to come back for someone who hasn't done any for 15 years. I was a good swimmer when younger and an excellent cross country runner and they say that lung capacity/aerobic fitness is always there once you've developed it as a child and it's just a case of building it back up

I'll be training with a masters team 4 times a week, sometimes 5. I'm hoping in 3 months time I'll have made good progress

[BoRED S2upid]

Juanco20 said:

What sort of time frame would you say it will take for full swimming fitness to come back for someone who hasn't done any for 15 years. I was a good swimmer when younger and an excellent cross country runner and they say that lung capacity/aerobic fitness is always there once you've developed it as a child and it's just a case of building it back up

I'll be training with a masters team 4 times a week, sometimes 5. I'm hoping in 3 months time I'll have made good progress

That would all depend what you have been doing for 15 years. Eating pies and putting on 5 stone and you will be looking at a while longer. But yes if you’ve kept active 3 months will pay dividends you don’t forget how to swim technique comes back quickly.

[Juanco20]

BoRED S2upid said:

That would all depend what you have been doing for 15 years. Eating pies and putting on 5 stone and you will be looking at a while longer. But yes if you’ve kept active 3 months will pay dividends you don’t forget how to swim technique comes back quickly.

No I'm still in decent shape so there's no weight to lose. Its purely just getting that aerobic capacity back and muscular endurance (my calves cramped up half way through the other night for example)

[Scabutz]

Juanco20 said:

No I'm still in decent shape so there's no weight to lose. Its purely just getting that aerobic capacity back and muscular endurance (my calves cramped up half way through the other night for example)

Fat is buoyant anyway. :-)

[Juanco20]

Any advice on how I can stop getting calf cramps when pushing off the wall?

I've only been back swimming 3 weeks so assuming it will get better in time but I can't do proper turns yet as it just causes an onset of cramp as soon as push off, especially later in the session.

Feeling better fitness wise already, 10 x 100s on 1.45 interval last night was a tester to finish the session. Another 3 months and I'd like to think I'll be closer 1.30 interval especially with proper turns instead of stopping and turning around

[Scabutz]

Juanco20 said:

Any advice on how I can stop getting calf cramps when pushing off the wall?

I've only been back swimming 3 weeks so assuming it will get better in time but I can't do proper turns yet as it just causes an onset of cramp as soon as push off, especially later in the session.

Are you just swimming or do you run as well? I get calf cramps swimming when my legs are tired from running.

Stretching your calves may help. When swimming you feet are in an unnatural position.

[Highway Star]

Juanco20 said:

Any advice on how I can stop getting calf cramps when pushing off the wall?

I've only been back swimming 3 weeks so assuming it will get better in time but I can't do proper turns yet as it just causes an onset of cramp as soon as push off, especially later in the session.

Feeling better fitness wise already, 10 x 100s on 1.45 interval last night was a tester to finish the session. Another 3 months and I'd like to think I'll be closer 1.30 interval especially with proper turns instead of stopping and turning around

Hope everyone swimming is off to a good New Year. An unwelcome set tonight, as after the main set our coach wrote up 5x100 off 1.30, 5x100 off 1.25 and 5x100 off 1.20....

Juanco, did you go along to East Leeds? A clubmate of mine joined up with some friends he has up there for their 100x100 session on Christmas Eve, sounded brutal!

[RobM77]

SVS said:

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

This has always wound me up. I even wrote to my then local pool about it, who have another problem, which is private hire for clubs, schools etc. The amount of time the public have for swimming is small, and lane swimming tiny.

[Jambo85]

RobM77 said:

SVS said:

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

This has always wound me up. I even wrote to my then local pool about it, who have another problem, which is private hire for clubs, schools etc. The amount of time the public have for swimming is small, and lane swimming tiny.

A bit like my local new shiny 50 m pool which has the lane ropes across it (25 m) 90% of the time.

[BoRED S2upid]

Juanco20 said:

Any advice on how I can stop getting calf cramps when pushing off the wall?

I've only been back swimming 3 weeks so assuming it will get better in time but I can't do proper turns yet as it just causes an onset of cramp as soon as push off, especially later in the session.

Feeling better fitness wise already, 10 x 100s on 1.45 interval last night was a tester to finish the session. Another 3 months and I'd like to think I'll be closer 1.30 interval especially with proper turns instead of stopping and turning around

Don’t push off so hard? I was the same when I started back from years of cycling and a reduced push sorted if you don’t notice much in time IMO.

[jfire]

Jambo85 said:

RobM77 said:

SVS said:

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

This has always wound me up. I even wrote to my then local pool about it, who have another problem, which is private hire for clubs, schools etc. The amount of time the public have for swimming is small, and lane swimming tiny.

A bit like my local new shiny 50 m pool which has the lane ropes across it (25 m) 90% of the time.

Worse still every (weekend?) morning my pool even converts to 2 pools, by means of a rising floor which creates another shallow pool for kids. Impressive technology but there's already a 0.8m kids pool.

[RobM77]

jfire said:

Jambo85 said:

RobM77 said:

SVS said:

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

This has always wound me up. I even wrote to my then local pool about it, who have another problem, which is private hire for clubs, schools etc. The amount of time the public have for swimming is small, and lane swimming tiny.

A bit like my local new shiny 50 m pool which has the lane ropes across it (25 m) 90% of the time.

Worse still every (weekend?) morning my pool even converts to 2 pools, by means of a rising floor which creates another shallow pool for kids. Impressive technology but there's already a 0.8m kids pool.

My guess is that adults generally don't exercise much and that we're a small minority in doing so. I love trying new sports and activities, and for every one I do it's astonishing how many kids clubs and holidays, weekends etc there are, but relatively little for adults. Most adults that I know either do nothing or go to the gym occasionally and watch TV whilst lifting weights or pedalling on a stationary bike. Just a guess...

[dirty boy]

RobM77 said:

jfire said:

Jambo85 said:

RobM77 said:

SVS said:

jfire said:

I find participation figures surprising as 75% of the lane hours in my (council) pool are taken up by kids lessons or splash-about or sessions.

^ this is a real problem.

Some pool timetables seem designed to prevent adults from swimming!

This has always wound me up. I even wrote to my then local pool about it, who have another problem, which is private hire for clubs, schools etc. The amount of time the public have for swimming is small, and lane swimming tiny.

A bit like my local new shiny 50 m pool which has the lane ropes across it (25 m) 90% of the time.

Worse still every (weekend?) morning my pool even converts to 2 pools, by means of a rising floor which creates another shallow pool for kids. Impressive technology but there's already a 0.8m kids pool.

My guess is that adults generally don't exercise much and that we're a small minority in doing so. I love trying new sports and activities, and for every one I do it's astonishing how many kids clubs and holidays, weekends etc there are, but relatively little for adults. Most adults that I know either do nothing or go to the gym occasionally and watch TV whilst lifting weights or pedalling on a stationary bike. Just a guess...

What bugs me more...

I pay £34 a month and can use the gym 7 days a week, various spin classes, yoga etc and do masters swimming 3 times a week (coached) or generall public swimming.

However, I pay £47 for my kids to swim (each!) for around say 10 hours a week with a coach who is voluntary!!

Effectively we're paying £47 for 13 or 14 hours access to pool time, but £34 gets you in the gym from 6am to 9pm plus the other options...that's why the pools are so keen to hire out to clubs.

We (the club) pay over £50k in pool hire a year.