Swimming

[kit_kat]

I just wondered if there were any swimmers out there? Anyone training for anything or just swimming to keep fit? I though we could share some hints and tips.

I'm currently training for a relay Channel swim in 5 weeks time. I'm quite a good swimmer in the pool but I haven't done any sea or lake swimming before (excluding my current training)!

[996 sps]

Hi Ya Kit Kat,

Yep me and 1 other lad have been increasing our swimming training for a charity event which was due to happen Thu, 26 May 11, cancelled due to the weather gutted as we where there ready to go but the safety boats and Cowes Harbour Master said conditions were to poor.

We are swimming to the Isle of Wight from Lepe Beach cycling round and swimming back to Lepe Beach near Calshot, we are now doing it at the first window of opportunity next week, mainly due to safety boats.

Tommorrow morning we are off to Bosworth Water Activity Centre for 07:30 (open 07:00 till 09:30), its along the A5 about 30 mins from Lichfield. I have not completed many outdoor swims but great feeling compared to swimming pools I find.

Maybe see you tommorrow if not its also open on a Thu, check the consent forms on there website, they are not that fussy ref health and safety or if you belong to a tri-club.

Edited to add the channel relay swim will be good fun i'd imagine, how did you enter that?

[kit_kat]

I was talking to someone I work with about swimming and I mentioned that I always wanted to swim the Channel. He told me that he knew a group of people doing it and that they wanted an extra person!

[NoelWatson]

kit_kat said:

I just wondered if there were any swimmers out there? Anyone training for anything or just swimming to keep fit? I though we could share some hints and tips.

I'm currently training for a relay Channel swim in 5 weeks time. I'm quite a good swimmer in the pool but I haven't done any sea or lake swimming before (excluding my current training)!

I am doing this

http://www.henleyswim.com/classic.asp

and am still pondering whether to attempt front crawl or stick with breaststroke. We did our first open water swim yesterday, and doing front crawl was trickier than in the pool I couldn't seem to stay in a straight line without picking my head up every few strokes. I'm hoping if I practice breaststroke enough, it will be sufficient.

[996 sps]

NoelWatson said:

I am doing this

http://www.henleyswim.com/classic.asp

and am still pondering whether to attempt front crawl or stick with breaststroke. We did our first open water swim yesterday, and doing front crawl was trickier than in the pool I couldn't seem to stay in a straight line without picking my head up every few strokes. I'm hoping if I practice breaststroke enough, it will be sufficient.

Keep practicing crawl it will come, just pick a reference and pop your head above the surface line now and again.

[Highway Star]

996 sps said:

Edited to add the channel relay swim will be good fun i'd imagine, how did you enter that?

AFAIK, Channel slots are booked up for up to 3 years in advance now, at least for solo crossings. With the boom in OW swimming, that's likely to increase.

I swim, competitively in the pool mainly, but do a few OW swims over the summer.

[omgus]

Compared to you lot i'm barely doing anything, but i'm now swimming to get fit again, i had a brief half-hearted attempt at it last year but am now in the pool 3-4 times a week.

Tend to average about 3-4k a week breast stroke but and seem to be getting my form back. When i first started about 8 weeks ago it was 4 lengths at a time and struggling to do 500m, now it is 20 lengths and doing 1k each time. Small improvements i know but i'm still pretty happy with it. Whats getting me now is the time constraints of working long hours and trying to fit more pool time in.

I also know that i need to start doing front crawl soon to really improve my fitness, but i keep putting it off. It is partly the nervousness of looking rubbish when i stop half way down a length because i am spluttering, knackered and unable to keep in a straight line, and partly my hatred of getting water in my nose. I know that is not a decent reason to avoid doing it but i am building up the courage



Although i do have an iphone app that i'm tracking my swims with, and because you can set little challenges (like the distance across the channel) it is inspiring me to get on with it. Currently I am 37% of the way from Alcatraz to the Golden Gate Bridge.

[MuffDaddy]

I'm trying to get back into swimming. I tried running and got up to 13km before I popped a disc and required a micro discetomy. Now back in the pool and can do 1.25km (50 lengths) breast stroke without much effort. Next is to alternate the freestyle in maybe every fifth length for now and increase over time. I also need to upp the times I swim to nearer 4 times a week.

[Parsnip]

NoelWatson said:

I am doing this

http://www.henleyswim.com/classic.asp

and am still pondering whether to attempt front crawl or stick with breaststroke. We did our first open water swim yesterday, and doing front crawl was trickier than in the pool I couldn't seem to stay in a straight line without picking my head up every few strokes. I'm hoping if I practice breaststroke enough, it will be sufficient.

Crawl all the way. There is nothing worse than the guy who swims breaststroke in a busy OW swim and spends the whole race kicking various people.

Practice sighting in the pool - no need to stop and get your bearings, just kind of look ahead when breathing - watch a vid of a ITU tri swim to get what I mean. Not a massive modification to your stroke, but it does feel a bit awkward if you haven't practiced.

Have personally given up swimming in any sort of structured way, but still like to get in the pool at least once a week to loosen out the running legs - it does help that the pool in Stavanger is awesome - super cold, people who understand how to swim laps and no real concessions to kids/families in the main pool.

[NoelWatson]

Parsnip said:

There is nothing worse than the guy who swims breaststroke in a busy OW swim and spends the whole race kicking various people.

Don't worry, I will be last, so no one behind to kick.

[kit_kat]

Parsnip said:

Have personally given up swimming in any sort of structured way, but still like to get in the pool at least once a week to loosen out the running legs - it does help that the pool in Stavanger is awesome - super cold, people who understand how to swim laps and no real concessions to kids/families in the main pool.

I use the pool at work as we have it booked out for us to train in. I get quite frustrated at the local swimming pool when people swim in the fast lane doing breast stroke and start chatting about the weather!

I'm hoping to get into the sea at the weekend for some OW training. Just managed to do 2970m in 50mins in the pool, I'm aiming for 3630m in the hour.

[996 sps]

kit_kat said:

Parsnip said:

Have personally given up swimming in any sort of structured way, but still like to get in the pool at least once a week to loosen out the running legs - it does help that the pool in Stavanger is awesome - super cold, people who understand how to swim laps and no real concessions to kids/families in the main pool.

I use the pool at work as we have it booked out for us to train in. I get quite frustrated at the local swimming pool when people swim in the fast lane doing breast stroke and start chatting about the weather!

I'm hoping to get into the sea at the weekend for some OW training. Just managed to do 2970m in 50mins in the pool, I'm aiming for 3630m in the hour.

Where are you off to for your OW swim at the weekend? Bosworth s open again Thu night and Sat morning.

[kit_kat]

996 sps said:

kit_kat said:

Parsnip said:

Have personally given up swimming in any sort of structured way, but still like to get in the pool at least once a week to loosen out the running legs - it does help that the pool in Stavanger is awesome - super cold, people who understand how to swim laps and no real concessions to kids/families in the main pool.

I use the pool at work as we have it booked out for us to train in. I get quite frustrated at the local swimming pool when people swim in the fast lane doing breast stroke and start chatting about the weather!

I'm hoping to get into the sea at the weekend for some OW training. Just managed to do 2970m in 50mins in the pool, I'm aiming for 3630m in the hour.

Where are you off to for your OW swim at the weekend? Bosworth s open again Thu night and Sat morning.

I will probably go somewhere along the south coast, I'm hoping to swim from Boscombe Pier to Bournemouth Pier.

[Highway Star]

kit_kat said:

I will probably go somewhere along the south coast, I'm hoping to swim from Boscombe Pier to Bournemouth Pier.

That's just over a mile for your reference. I used to do the race between them every year as a kid (now it's a mass participation event where there is no 'winner').

Just watch out for the jetskiers.

[Highway Star]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

I don't know if you've done a lot of OW racing before or not, but if not, I might suggest a smaller race first before doing this one. It's VERY popular and although they start you in waves, it's very busy and you could well get punched/kicked.

There's loads of smaller races around these days in which you could get used to a race before taking on something where hundreds are starting at the same time.

[kit_kat]

Highway Star said:

That's just over a mile for your reference. I used to do the race between them every year as a kid (now it's a mass participation event where there is no 'winner').

Just watch out for the jetskiers.

Yeah it 1.2 miles I believe, we started our training down there last year.

Just looking at the other OW events and you are allowed to wear wetsuits. We are not allowed to wear them to swim the Channel, swimming costumes only! Brrr

[Highway Star]

kit_kat said:

Just looking at the other OW events and you are allowed to wear wetsuits. We are not allowed to wear them to swim the Channel, swimming costumes only! Brrr

If you've not swum OW without a wetsuit before, get some practice without one before the channel relay. I don't use a wetsuit, but aside from the warmth the wetsuit really changes your body position in the water.

Good luck!

[Merp]

Hi, in my teens I trained 20+hours a week in the pool alone and swam at a very high level.
Unfortunately swimming doesnt generate that much money so work soon got in the way of swimming and at the age of 19/20 I gave up racing alltogether.

I still swim a couple of times a week and frequently visit the gym just to maintain the fittness...
The worst thing though is re-adjusting your eating, I was like a food machine, I could throw down my neck anything I wanted and I still had very low % body fat.

I miss the racing, I miss that buzz of winning, its not the same training in a public pool but at the same time I cannot commit back to my old club due to the hours that they train clash with the hours that I work.

[996 sps]

Merp said:

Hi, in my teens I trained 20+hours a week in the pool alone and swam at a very high level.
Unfortunately swimming doesnt generate that much money so work soon got in the way of swimming and at the age of 19/20 I gave up racing alltogether.

I still swim a couple of times a week and frequently visit the gym just to maintain the fittness...
The worst thing though is re-adjusting your eating, I was like a food machine, I could throw down my neck anything I wanted and I still had very low % body fat.

I miss the racing, I miss that buzz of winning, its not the same training in a public pool but at the same time I cannot commit back to my old club due to the hours that they train clash with the hours that I work.

What a shame, try and get back into competitions mate, i'm not the oldest on here (not that i'd care if I was) but regret not entering and doing more events. Done a fair few but its the more you do the more you can reflect on when your older and of course tell your children etc.

Try and find the time if possible, you never know were you could get to.

[omgus]

anonymous said:

[redacted]

Because of this i have just been catching up with Duncan Goodhew who is onsite trying to convince some more of the staff to sign up. Nice chap, very friendly and i can confirm he is still bald.