The Swimming Thread - Pool/OW

[Merp]

Im back into masters swimming since August last year 2021. The last time I "swam" was at Nationals in 2008, then decided that I was done, no time for 20h weeks especially with work & other distractions at the time.

Thankfully here in Cheltenham we have a 50m outdoor lido, which we use every Saturday morning.
I swam intercounties in November last year, and was only 0.5s off my 50free PB that I set when i was 17/18ish.
So not too bad.

What i realise now is that im old.. my body doesnt want to swim like an 18yr old, and my shoulders are pinching pretty badly if im not ontop of my stretching!

3-4h a week in the water is enough for me, and the masters have a pretty decent setup, with our lane off 1:30 100m pace (swim and rest)

My son watching saturday morning, with me contemplating whether or not I really want him swimming 20h a week (and killing my social life )

[Antony Moxey]

Merp: what age group are you, what sort of times are you doing and how does that compare with other competitors?

[Salted_Peanut]

20 hours a week of swimming! I guess it’s necessary for elite sports, but no wonder kids burn out.

[Antony Moxey]

Salted_Peanut said:

20 hours a week of swimming! I guess it’s necessary for elite sports, but no wonder kids burn out.

Yep, when I swam competitively from about nine to early twenties I used to be in the pool every day for an hour before school then a couple of hours on weekend mornings plus an hour or two four nights a week. The fifth night wasn’t a night off unfortunately, that was circuit training. All of that to reach no further than County standard

You find at places like Millfield and Kelly College (where Andrew Jameson and Sharron Davies honed their skills) they also add lunchtime sessions too so three sessions a day.

[PomBstard]

That all sounds much more intense that PB Jnr2 is doing right now. She’s now 12 and has 5x1hr squad sessions per week plus stretching every day plus 1x30min physio every week. First national comp is in August.

Her friends in the next squad up are doing perhaps double that, so maybe 10 hours a week - many are swimming at State level. However those that are on State/National Dev Squads are doing more, but they’re all mid-teens and older.

Having said that, her aim is the Paralympic Squad, and we’ve just been watching how Irish swimmer Ellen Keane is doing 40km a week…

[Highway Star]

Merp said:

Gloucester Masters? I seem to remember that they swim at the Lido, I looked at joining a few years ago when living over that way, but it was too far so I stayed with the club I was with at the time. I've done the Gloucester Masters meet at the GL2 a few times, I really like that pool.

I think I'm probably a bit older than you, but I am really noticing how creaky my body is getting since turning 40 a few years ago. As I'm almost 45 now, stretching is something I need to incorporate into my training regime. I swim 4 times a week, for 4.5 hours in total. 20 hours a week is a lot, even for back in the day; though when I look back to the training I did as a kid, I really question the amount of garbage yardage we did and how much time I must have wasted looking at a black lane line doing 10x400s in the morning session and then 40x100s in the evening. As a 12 year old I was doing 20k a week, and all the races at the National Age Groups were 100m, except for just the 200IM and a 400 free!

I was talking about this with my clubmates recently - one is in the 30-34 age group currently and was a really top Junior swimmer with Northampton and then Loughborough Uni. He did ridiculous training, but now is doing just 4 hours a week in the pool and a bit of gym and is still holding some really good times - he narrowly missed the GB age group record in 400 free last year - just shows how much training methods even at a Masters club level have come on.

Another recalled swimming a 4000IM (yes, 4000IM) in training once!

[Merp]

Antony Moxey said:

Merp: what age group are you, what sort of times are you doing and how does that compare with other competitors?

Difficult to tell at this stage, as ive only competed at intercounties last year, which were just 50s.
I swam 24.2 in the individual 50free SC. My PB being 23.8 (24.2 long course)
50Fly was a bit off where I used to be, as i split a low 27 in the relay.

Ill probably swim the 50/100free, 50/100back, 50fly & 100IM at the masters meet in the summer.

Ive just turned 34, but the last time i trained was in 2008 when i was 20, so ive had a bit of time off.

[Merp]

Highway Star said:

Merp said:

Gloucester Masters? I seem to remember that they swim at the Lido, I looked at joining a few years ago when living over that way, but it was too far so I stayed with the club I was with at the time. I've done the Gloucester Masters meet at the GL2 a few times, I really like that pool.

I think I'm probably a bit older than you, but I am really noticing how creaky my body is getting since turning 40 a few years ago. As I'm almost 45 now, stretching is something I need to incorporate into my training regime. I swim 4 times a week, for 4.5 hours in total. 20 hours a week is a lot, even for back in the day; though when I look back to the training I did as a kid, I really question the amount of garbage yardage we did and how much time I must have wasted looking at a black lane line doing 10x400s in the morning session and then 40x100s in the evening. As a 12 year old I was doing 20k a week, and all the races at the National Age Groups were 100m, except for just the 200IM and a 400 free!

I was talking about this with my clubmates recently - one is in the 30-34 age group currently and was a really top Junior swimmer with Northampton and then Loughborough Uni. He did ridiculous training, but now is doing just 4 hours a week in the pool and a bit of gym and is still holding some really good times - he narrowly missed the GB age group record in 400 free last year - just shows how much training methods even at a Masters club level have come on.

Another recalled swimming a 4000IM (yes, 4000IM) in training once!

Yes im with Glos masters, GL1 is a great pool, in fact we use 2 pools down there on our tues/thurs sessions. Then Cheltenham Lido sat morning.
They also offer a sunday session, so total you could swim 5-6hrs a week with the club based on available sessions.

I swam for Northampton from 12-20, so I probably know him well enough. We had a fairly decent squad back then, but its improved massively in the last 5+ years. Alot more kids on GB selection & performance programs.

[Merp]

PomBstard said:

That all sounds much more intense that PB Jnr2 is doing right now. She’s now 12 and has 5x1hr squad sessions per week plus stretching every day plus 1x30min physio every week. First national comp is in August.

Her friends in the next squad up are doing perhaps double that, so maybe 10 hours a week - many are swimming at State level. However those that are on State/National Dev Squads are doing more, but they’re all mid-teens and older.

Having said that, her aim is the Paralympic Squad, and we’ve just been watching how Irish swimmer Ellen Keane is doing 40km a week…

My 20h a week were from the age of 16-18 at my peak, this was aswell as gym work.
What destroyed most of us at that age is school/exams (in my case working/apprenticeships), aswell as being 18yrs old and wanting to do other things.

When i was 12-14 at my local club, i was swimming 6h a week, then gradually stepped up those hours when joining Northampton.

Eventually
Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri mornings 5:15-7:30am & 5-7:30pm
Sat mornings 8-10:30am

Wednesday & Sunday Off

Thinking back, it was fairly brutal on my mum & her Mondeo playing taxi, plus travelling across the country almost every weekend for a meet.

[Highway Star]

Merp said:

Yes im with Glos masters, GL1 is a great pool, in fact we use 2 pools down there on our tues/thurs sessions. Then Cheltenham Lido sat morning.
They also offer a sunday session, so total you could swim 5-6hrs a week with the club based on available sessions.

I swam for Northampton from 12-20, so I probably know him well enough. We had a fairly decent squad back then, but its improved massively in the last 5+ years. Alot more kids on GB selection & performance programs.

Hah, small world, you probably do know him very well then, I think he's 32 or 33 this year. I'm sure he swam for Northampton as a kid.

If you swam Intercounties, that swim will have got you included in the rankings: https://www.swimmingresults.org/masterseventrankin... .

Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 11th May 15:58

[Salted_Peanut]

Does anyone do ankle flexibility exercises? Google revealed numerous options, but is there a gold-standard stretch or mobility exercise for swimmers' ankles?

[Merp]

Highway Star said:

Merp said:

Yes im with Glos masters, GL1 is a great pool, in fact we use 2 pools down there on our tues/thurs sessions. Then Cheltenham Lido sat morning.
They also offer a sunday session, so total you could swim 5-6hrs a week with the club based on available sessions.

I swam for Northampton from 12-20, so I probably know him well enough. We had a fairly decent squad back then, but its improved massively in the last 5+ years. Alot more kids on GB selection & performance programs.

Hah, small world, you probably do know him very well then, I think he's 32 or 33 this year. I'm sure he swam for Northampton as a kid.

If you swam Intercounties, that swim will have got you included in the rankings: https://www.swimmingresults.org/masterseventrankin... .

Edited by Highway Star on Wednesday 11th May 15:58

Thanks! Looks like im fairly competitive in my age range then!

[McAndy]

Hello. Looking for a bit of advice. My wife is pushing me to join our local ASC, but I am a competitive soul, so I’d want to be able to perform. I’ve never had formal swim training, but completed a few Swimathons pre-COVID.

At that time I could swim a 54 second 100 m pace, sustained over 50 m, short course with a touch turn. (Sorry for odd measurements: looking back at historic Garmin data!)

I am now 37; is that competitive for age group? I’m currently enjoying tri/duathlons, but if there’s a chance I could compete well I’d consider switching focus and getting proper coaching.

Thanks in advance! If that’s really slow, please break it to me gently!

[Highway Star]

McAndy said:

At that time I could swim a 54 second 100 m pace, sustained over 50 m, short course with a touch turn. (Sorry for odd measurements: looking back at historic Garmin data!)

54 seconds for 100 is certainly competitive! Even over 50m, i.e. 27 seconds, with a touch turn is very quick and would certainly be competitive in the 35-39 age group.

Where are you based? Get down to a good local Masters club.

[McAndy]

Highway Star said:

54 seconds for 100 is certainly competitive! Even over 50m, i.e. 27 seconds, with a touch turn is very quick and would certainly be competitive in the 35-39 age group.

Where are you based? Get down to a good local Masters club.

Thanks HS. Good to know! I'm in Wiltshire, and my daughter is at the local ASC. They have a Masters team, so I'll get back in the pool to get a little fitness improvement in and then request a trial swim

[dirty boy]

54/100is shifting! At 27 seconds for a 50 your local Masters team would snap you up fairly sharpish I would think.

Our best Masters swimmer is 46 and I suspect he'd struggle to do a 27 without a good block of training. We have a couple in their early thirties who'd just about do 26/27, so yeah....get yourself to a club sharpish!

[Antony Moxey]

McAndy said:

Hello. Looking for a bit of advice. My wife is pushing me to join our local ASC, but I am a competitive soul, so I’d want to be able to perform. I’ve never had formal swim training, but completed a few Swimathons pre-COVID.

At that time I could swim a 54 second 100 m pace, sustained over 50 m, short course with a touch turn. (Sorry for odd measurements: looking back at historic Garmin data!)

I am now 37; is that competitive for age group? I’m currently enjoying tri/duathlons, but if there’s a chance I could compete well I’d consider switching focus and getting proper coaching.

Thanks in advance! If that’s really slow, please break it to me gently!

How on earth were you that quick with no training? I would have genuinely thought it impossible to be that fast without proper coaching and being a member of a club, I can’t see how you could do that through simple natural talent and DIY training - how’d you learn technique for instance?

Anyways, as others have said, that’s properly quick so get yourself signed up!

[McAndy]

Antony Moxey said:

How on earth were you that quick with no training? I would have genuinely thought it impossible to be that fast without proper coaching and being a member of a club, I can’t see how you could do that through simple natural talent and DIY training - how’d you learn technique for instance?

Anyways, as others have said, that’s properly quick so get yourself signed up!

Thanks All.

I was training myself for doing the Swimathon triple 5k events, at ~30 km per month in the pool, but haven't had technique instruction. My wife had swim coaching when she was younger, so critiqued me from afar and suggested form changes, but that's about it. I have also watched videos and am very "self-aware" when it comes to body positioning (I "coached" myself to school tennis champion when I was 18 by watching the pros and pick-and-mixing strokes that worked for me).

I haven't been back in a pool with purpose for nearly three years, so I'm not convinced I'll hit that pace again. Her summary is that I have a "swimmer's physique" and, with a bit of focused weight training, some good upper body strength. I'll start to gently re-acclimatise to the pool myself over the next few months and perhaps join the Masters over the winter when tri-/duathlon season tails off.

[PomBstard]

Proud Dad Moment Alert…

PB Jnr2 bagged herself a proper NSW State Record today - U13 SB8 SC 50m Breaststroke. It’s stood since 2011, and looking at the list of other record holders, she’s amongst some top quality. Her time puts her within about 1.5s of the U15 record, though the Open Record will keep her occupied for a while

Her reaction: Yeah, was a good swim… Can we get chips now?

[McAndy]

Well done PB Jnr2!

More importantly: ketchup or mayo with the chips?