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Cr@p Swimmers R Us
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Great news on our ménage à trois too.
Ah, RC - Pool rage, I know it well, very frustrating after you've had such good progress recently, is the pool always like that? Or couldn't you make lane sessions?
I'm jealous of you Saffers - one coach to only 8-10 people
I reckon there's about 30 people at wed night session to one coach - but there are lot of lanes! I'd turned up to a technique session the club runs on saturday, and was quite excited that there were much smaller numbers than the wed night endurance session, but it was cancelled as there was no lifeguard 
However, one of the guys was very welcoming, and I said I wasn't sure about doing wednesday (tonights) session - he said he knew the coach really well and would have a chat beforehand, and that it would be fine to do 20mins on technique if I didn't want to do the timed swim.
So tonight I spoke to the helpful man & the coach at the start, and she said see how the warm-up goes and I can either be timed or just work on technique for 20mins. I put myself in the slowest lane as it was empty when I arrived, another lady joined me, and I had a fab time. I managed 38 lengths (950m) in the 20mins, which is much more than I expected
and the coach came over to me after and said my stroke entry had improved loads from last week 
but there's still room for improvement.... and once i've cracked that I'm over rotating when I breathe, but one thing at at time!!
I'm really pleased with myself for going, and even though it's not strictly technique sessions do feel their helping - sorry that's not the case for you soupy and LN
Have you tried speaking to the coach? I felt a little bit guilty as there have been other new starters who haven't had as much attention as me - but you are paying for the session, so I figure if you don't ask, or don't point out that you are struggling then their not going to know - especially if you're in a big group! (the coach is probably hoping I don't go back?!!!)
PL - are there other clubs, tri club, swim club, swimfit classes? I didn't have much luck with the instructor I had for 1:2:1 lessons last year. If you put your postcode in here it should give you a list of ASA accredited coaches
I've not given my club a proper chance and they're not a bad club, they're just a fairly fast one. I also need to remember many are in training now for IMs so it's the best time to start anyhow.
Not so sure how one coach would cope with us all!! However I do believe you can all learn from each other... It was really helpful swimming with Aitch! at the weekend and both of us just watching each others technique. Maybe if you're all down south you could have a get together? Or if anyone wants to come for a swimble in the 50m pool at sheffield I'm happy to meet
LN...looking forward to it.....just need to get hubby out there on his new bike.
Becky....brilliant, well done for going and you are right.....you're paying and if you don't ask you don't get! I cannot believe how big some of these tri clubs are.....I am obviously luck and the past few weeks we have had 2 coaches. I think one is in training to take over on the Wednesday session and he seems great.....very encouraging. The coach has said to me that people come once or twice and don't come back and he is impressed that I keep going back for more pain.
I am a glutton for punishment.
Endurance session in the 50m pool on Sunday and I am going to have a look first......they ride straight after so I will do the ride again this week.
And there's definite benefit in not giving up on the club too soon. Feck it. I'll go back tomorrow night and then come and whinge like I did last week.
LOL...get yourself there for godsake girl!!!
One of the Coaches also gets in the water to demonstrate and looks at your stroke underwater.........I am thinking I am rather lucky to have joined this club now.
Let's just hope they can actually do something with me and I don't get chucked out. 
The other issue last week was the guy in charge of our lane was really young and didn't explain some things well. That didn't help.
I shouldn't have turboed so late. I'm still awake but must go and have a shower.
BM Becky - thanks - I put my postcode in and it came up with nothing - quelle surprise. I put my pal's postcode in - she's on the border of S Glos & Bristol - again nothing. Swimfit was a joke - went to one sesh - cancelled; next sesh - no coach.
But my coach is fine and my tri club (been to one session so far) seems promising, just have to be on the ball to get booked into sessions quickly. This thread has helped so much too and I'm now happy doing my own thing in between coach and tri. But, I know adults and kids who need 1-to-1 and it's rubbish that there's nothing in this city for them. The main problem, as my coach friend said, is getting the use of pools.
Becky - are the sessions list of sets, drills etc?
Hello everyone
I'm new to this thread and I'd just like to say ......
I'm a crap swimmer.
There!! I said it! I feel much better now!
So, I have my first tri in 8 weeks on Saturday and am a little worried now! I've entered for the Sprint at the Ladies Only Tri as I thought the Novice wouldn't be enough of a challenge. That was all well and good until a week or so into my training I decided to have a bash at ice skating a mile for Sport Relief, fell over and smashed my head open
so I've spent the last 6 weeks recovering, eating and getting fat and lazy. I did a swim on Monday at which I managed to do the distance, but only as breast stroke and that was hard enough work! This morning I went again and did the distance in 15 mins 22 secs, although I alternated with one length crawl and one length breast stroke as doing the length of crawl knackered me and I needed a breast stroke length to recover, and I did stop a couple of times but only for maybe 15 seconds a time.
My plan is to gradually increase the amount of crawl I do and reduce the amount of breast stroke recovery (bit like when I learnt to run; run a bit walk a bit for 30 minutes gradually increasing the run time and reducing the walk breaks) - is this a feasable plan? I'm planning on swimming three sessions a week - just doing the distance so I know I can do it on the day. I'm happy to not worry about times or a good performance now, I just want to finish the whole event without really having to stop. I'm not putting any pressure on myself to do well (for once!), I just want to enjoy it - don't want to put myself off doing another one in the future by having too high expectations.
Any help or advice anyone can give me would be much appreciated
Oh, and is there a knack to getting those stupid swim hats on?! I kinda tie my hair up at the back and clip my fringe back before attempting to put it on, but it still seems to take me about 10 minutes to get the bloody thing on!
Any useful advice on that front?!
TST - Welcome! I've got the same attitude to triathlons - just enjoy it. I only did my first tri last weekend and quite a few people breaststroked. You could have a look at previous race results to get an idea on the times people did. Doing some sessions of drills with swimming would also be good for you. If you PM me your email address, I can send you some stuff I got from the beginnertriathlete website.
I also find it easier for my hat to go on when I've got some conditioner in my hair first, and when the hat is wet.
Welcome TST
and sorry to hear about your injury. 
Swim hat - I don't tie my hair up (it's long) - I just wrestle with the cap a bit and stuff it all in including the fringe. Takes a few seconds.
* * *
I've noticed on here that quite a few people have mentioned that they fall back on breaststroke when they find FC knackering. If I start to get tired, I just slow down the FC and find that as easy if not easier than breaststroking. Is that strange? Or is it just because I've always done front crawl and not really ever been a breaststroker?
Thanks for the welcome everyone
Ultra Ironwolf - I used to be terrible, expecting rediculous things of myself and then getting upset when it didn't happen but I'm a lot better now and I really want to enjoy the tri and have fun. I think it's a sport that will suit me well as I like all the disciplines and the fact that you are training for three different things keeps it interesting. I also do trampolining, so that helps with flexibility and core strength too, so eventually I may have the body of a Godess if I keep the tri training up!!!
Little Ninja - Am PMing my email address for that info, thank you
I guess if I do one session of drills and two sessions of length or something things should improve.
Parklife - I think the problem I have a bit is that I tend to hammer at FC as it's what I used to swim at school competition level when I was a kid and I don't seem to be able to do it at a much slower pace! Breast stroke kinda gives me the time to get my breath back as I'm really slow at it, and I'm still working on my breathing a bit at crawl. I guess general low fitness levels at the moment doesn't help with that either though!
Thanks for the hat info both of you, I hadn't thought to wet the inside of the hat first
I had tried the 'stuffing it all in' technique as suggested by Parklife, but I found that I was pulling as much out as I was stuffing in, hence the thought to tie it up a bit. I shall try both methods again over the next week and see how I get on
Hi Guys have been doing quite a bit of swimming recently and think i have improved a fair bit!
I too go for the option of alternate lengths between FC and BS while i start to build up my stamina. Got up to 50 lengths this morning in a session before work which is always quite time pressured.
Also got a session with a coach next week so will see how that goes! At least i reckon i will be able to swim the 16 lengths required without stopping!
Welcome to the thread TST and Jimmy........I'm no good with that breaststroke either....we had to do that last night at tri club and would much prefer to just stick with FC as I am even slower at breastroke, embarrassingly slow!
In the first tri event that I did, there were all standards, some doing backstroke and some just looked like they were making it up as they went along just to get to the other side of the pool.
Good luck with the coaching session Jimmy.
That's 400M in one go then Jimmy. I'm at 12 lengths at the moment - 300M. Good luck with your coach sesh.
I've messed up my swimming timetable this week.
Missed Monday because of bank holiday and having a long cycle scheduled in. Made Wednesday. Friday I've got a race so don't want to swim in the morning. Sat and Sun are taken up with more running. I've drawn myself up an A3 chart for the rest of the month to plan swim/run cycle so this doesn't happen again.
Next Friday I go to the OW place.
Jimmy - don't think you'll have any problems doing 16 without stopping if you managed 50 this morning!
Parklife - What's the OW place? *whispers, just in case I shoud know*
Ultra Ironwolf - I'll try the talc one too, although obviously not the same time as wetting it inside!
You all sound really luck having tri clubs close to you to help you out with things *sighs* My nearest one is about 15 miles away, but as I can't drive it might as well be 115