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Cr@p Swimmers R Us
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Snot bubbles - no, but I do get a lot of water up there and I have to squeeze it out at the end of each length. I am debating about wearing a nose clip to see if it helps.
Water down throat - yes. I have been told to put my tongue on the roof of my mouth when I inhale. This is supposed to stop water going down the throat. Have not tried it myself so cannot vouch as to whether it works or not
I am just back from tri club myself and I can never remember exactly what we did but blinking loads.
It was 800m warm up for starters. Concentrating on the push through on the stroke and high elbow. The Coach had us out of the water and had us standing with arms straight and pushing down on his hands and then with bent elbow to see the difference in the pressure created. All seemed to make sense.
Had us back in the pool then for drill sessions and told me I must get fins and paddles....so they are the next purchase. Fingertip drills and catch ups were on the menu tonight. He put me in my own lane so that I didn't feel so pressured by the others speed. I think he was getting a tad cross with some of the Hunks in Trunks and their speedy stuff cos at one point he asked if they could go as slow as "Saffy"
who the hell is Saffy???? 
Explained the purpose of the session was technique and to slow it down.........I asked if he would like me to go slower 
and he just laughed and said not necessary!! LOL
He was very encouraging and said my technique is good....speed will come. He is suggesting I try the endurance sessions in the 50m pool
. Now that is scary but something to think about.
I love tri club.
if you have a pause on one side, it is possible that stroke is not symmetrical. Often this will be because rotation is not equal on both sides. The 6-3-6 drill mentioned some pages back is a good one for rotation.
To improve bilateral breathing I would suggest trying some 6-3-6. Then one arm drills. Then full stroke bilateral breathing with breathing . If starting out keep the drill short (doesnt have to be a length of the pool) and slow but try for perfect form. So long full stroke.
Bilateral breathing is about symmetry. Good rythym helps symmetry. One way to help rhythm is to breathe out as each hand enters the water, then in as rotate. This creates an out-out-in rhythm which helps the timings on both sides. The rhythm can be reinforced by actual saying out out in to yourself. This has been mentioned before as a help to breathe out under water - but it is also a useful way to get breathing in rhythm with stroke.
Schumks - your gym's tri club sounds like it would be perfect for me.
Soup - I'm going to nick that schedule for my morning sessions and try it out tomorrow.
final swim before my foray into the mad, bad world of triathlons tonight.
This week, I shall be mainly taking it easy
Schmunks - that club sounds fab.
but will probably go back the week after next. A lot of the club looked in their early 20's and very fit so I felt a bit out of place. I realise though this was only one session and going certainly didn't do any harm.
Well I went to my local tri club tonight and it was o-kay. I joined 'lane one' that was just focussed on drills but of the 6 others, 5 of them were pretty damn fast so I only ended up doing about half the session. I didn't learn very much but the coach was fairly young and he was naturally (and understandably) trying to help the members. He did however ask if I was going to go back. I can't next Thursday as I have a much better offer
Weirdly for the first time ever, when I started the session I had that water down the back of my throat feeling. Weird!! I wonder if it was part nerves and/or because the water was really choppy.
BUT the piece to resistance was when I went back into the locker room and my feckin lock wouldn't open. It was stucker than a stuck thing. The sessions are done at a chain of my gym so there were lots of locks that looked like mine. I was sure I had the right lock but because I was fairly nervous when I went, I was worried I had the wrong lock so I spent the next 40 mins cold and checking all the other red locks in the room, and then checking them again, and then checking the one I thought it was, and then checking the others again, and then checking the one ... well you get the drift. I didn't have my purse on me so I was bit worried about having someone else's lock cut!! However , in the end I got a cleaner to cut the lock and sure enough, it was my stuff. I now have a bright yellow (far more Piratey anyhow) lock and shall put some squiggles or something on it so it stands out even more. What a night.
And I'm just ever more grateful for the Pirates and all the support I get on here, and the friends I'm making, really really thanks.
what an anticlimax LN.
Bummer about the lock. I had to have my lock cut off once and the staff never questioned me at all - it could have been anyone's!
There was one other person at my club night at my speed. I did all the lengths which meant everyone else got a good rest in between the different sets but I had to just turn round and go back again! On one set I stood up and waited with the group to find out what came next only to be reminded that I hadn't finished and got sent off for another 2 lengths. I couldn't get out of doing the whole lot. I learned quite a lot - why not come along to Uxbridge? Its a bit further but not that bad once a week?
I've been really tired today. Planned to do a slow run but fell asleep when I got home from work. I still can't believe that I managed to swim that far. Off to see the bike whisperer again tomorrow at the local track so that's it for swimming now till the next tri session on Monday (gulp).
Anticlimax is a really good word to describe tonight. I don't want to give up on this club just yet as it'd be nice to meet more local people so will give it a bit longer and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestion though.
LN....sounds like quite a night. Well done for going along. I have the same issue with some of the speedier swimmers and am sometimes 2 lengths behind but just try not to get flustered. They all just wait for me to start the next drill set.
Stick with it lovey!
Oh I have em lapping me too.
A bit off putting at times but getting used to it....... Yesterday was a different Coach and he didn't make them wait for me which at first I didn't like.....LOL....made me fill a right plodder and then he put me in a lane on my own. 
Talk about pick out the numptey......BUT...it was good for me to have the lane to myself......he didn't want me to panic as they overtook which caused me less fluster and I relaxed more.
You just stick with it girl! You will be whooping their butts before long.
Now I hammer them.
LOL Soup at Juliet.
I used the warm-up, drills and sets you posted at my sesh this morning. Although I should probably be concentrating on technique, it was nice to mix it up and it really kept me going. That touching armpit one was interesting - I felt like a swimming baboon.
I've decided to go to the tri club session next Friday. I've read through the comments on here and I just need to bite the bullet. *Gulps*
Go for it! It really will help you.
Our coach likes that armpit drill too. she also has one where you do hand to armpit, fling hand out to the side, then to armpit again.
That would be extreme devotion to swimming Saffers for me, even entertaining the thought of moving back in with my mum.
... and I can't imagine I'm gonna love the humilation of being the newbie slowcoach.
I'll be shaking when I arrive at the pool and if there are more than 5 hunks in trunks, I may run away. It is a daytime sesh tho', so hopefully not many people will be there.