Cr@p Swimmers R Us

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  • XFR Bear - thanks for that. I think my own might be ok (don't get my face wet yet!) but will bear Zoggs in mind (wasn't meant to be a pun, honest).
  • I got some Zoggs goggles as well, took them on holiday this summer, they're great I can actually put my face under water now :-) No water leaking in at all.

    Better get down to the local pool now for further practise ....
  • I had a cra* pair of gogggles that leaked. My daughter decided to play with them, now only one side leaks, the other doesn't have a lens. Cheers mate.
  • I had lessons - loads of them. The instructor ended up giving me a pair of flippers and saying that he never wanted to see me darken his door again. He got a specialist kick coach in (this was in Australia where they have such things) to have a look and I baffled them both. He gave me a kick board and started me off a few feet from the end of the pool but I just couldn't reach it - I go backwards.
  • hum, Colin Jackson did that on superstars when Mark Foster was supposed to be training him...

    Its all down to yer ankles being too tight and not flexible enough (apparently)... Try relaxing them next time... and make them go floppy
  • That's what my instructor said - 'floppy feet' and 'relaxed kneecaps'.

    I can accept that years of x-country running have tightened up my ankles but quite how he worked out my kneecaps were tense I'm not sure.

    Now that I know I'm in the same position as Colin Jackson I don't feel so bad about it - maybe I'll swap from marathon running to 110m hurdles.
  • Hey - you lot have worked wonders already! Went to the pool, gave myself a stern talking-to, put my face in the water, pushed off and glided. Did that a few times then did one (short) length of not-very-streamlined breast-stroke with face in water when required. (Thanks for that idea, Nessie)

    Also saw while I was down there that they're are some "Swim to Fit" sessions starting - and at a time that I can make!

    Cake Man - Just don't try the "floppy feet and relaxed kneecaps" technique when you're running....

  • I want to join in.

    I decided not to enter my local village triathlon as I was scared of being embarrased - the swim was only 250 metres!

    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons
    I will take swimming lessons

    ......honest
  • GobiGobi ✭✭✭
    feel better everyone

    1hr 16 mins for 1.9k at llanberis in half ironman 2002

    wet suits do not work with breaststroke

    I have improved but am still not fast, take lessons learn freestyle
  • Martin - You should take some lessons

    ;o)
  • First lesson tomorrow - will report back :o)

    Can't be bad - works out about £4 a go, and it costs pretty much that to get into the pool for a swim!
  • XFR - please report?

    I tried to do some crawl during my lunchtime mile yesterday. Really couldn't manage 3 strokes before breathing, so tried breathing every 2 strokes. This felt very unbalanced, but I didn't inhale water too much. I did feel *very* unnatural, though, I just don't feel as though I'm flowing as well as I do with breast stroke. Don't hold out much hope from gym lessons as I got a missed call from them yesterday but they left no message :-( There are other pools in the area, but I haven't been able to find anything on the internet about lessons.
  • XFR.....you didn't drown did you?
  • Didn't start until 9:15!!

    Was great - only a short one as a group so early days, but already got some very useful tips and stuff to work on.

    Now seems to be a good time to look - new "term" and so on
  • Glad you have surfaced from the deep, XFR. I may have to enquire further afield than my gym for lessons, really want to improve as I feel such a tw*t doing crawl.
  • Went for an easy swim yesterday evening - concentrating on the technique, and it all came together - I could feel it working. Managed to do front crawl with no more effort than breaststroke. Chuffed as fk
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    I am trying to be less cr@p! I am now trying to perfect my bobbing head under whilst doing breastroke - yes I am one of those who keeps head above!
    Have I read something about amount of strokes we should be aiming for in a 25 metre pool? anyone know?
    I don't bob head as such I glide it (who am I kidding)
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • The stuff I've read says under 20 for 25metres is what you're aiming for - don't know about breaststroke. Mine for freestyle is still about 30, tho I'm getting better.
    As for the bobbing head - try and work on it, you get soooo much faster and your body gets more horizontal in the water. The glide portion with the kick also gets longer, so less effort more distance!
    I used to be one of the above headers until a mate taught me. The improvement was marked and instant.
  • Hmm, think I can do under 30 seconds for 25m at breaststroke, if I can manage a whole length of crawl this lunchtime I'll have a go to see how fast I can manage.
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    Beast you have made me happy! I did 19 strokes for 25, that explains why I am not mega mega slow (not fast though for sure) even without putting head under. I think I am quite strong upper body so that must help. Will concentrate on the glide. I do keep my chin quite close to water so I prob dont really bob that much anyway!
    Quimby, the 20 relates to strokes not seconds, never fear!
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • Oh, right, I misread! I am assuming a stroke is just one arm's worth, not two?
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    well in my case its two cos I do breastroke, but I presume 1 if front crawl.not that I am an expert, oh no, I am a cr@p swimmer!
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • I can see it now in the pool, I'm going to lose count of the number of lengths I've done as I try and count the number of strokes!
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    you know what, I think I did that this morning, probably did at least 40, oh alright not really.
    My boyfriend always asks me how many he's done, so not only do I have to count mine, I am expected to know what he's done too!
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • Tried counting strokes, average 21 for breast stroke, couldn't get it below 22 for spazzy crawl. But I did do a fair amount of crawl today, I reckon however bad I am, I'm not going to get better if I don't practice. Did 40 lengths breast, then did the rest of the mile (24 lengths) doing alternate lengths of breast/crawl, incorporating 2 triumphant episodes of 2 whole lengths of crawl. Some inhalation of water did occur, but I kept trying the technique I read in an article in Running Fitness, it said to make sure you are still breathing out when your head gets above water - that was you are sure not to have your mouth under water when you breathe in.
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    My problem is the water going up my nose and down my throat. I hate that, it makes you gasp sometimes and cough.
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
  • Me too, Wabo, I have my breathing sussed for breast stroke, so don't inhale water, but for crawl it only really comes together about 2 strokes out of 6! Plus I still have to breathe every 2 strokes, kept trying 3 and ran out of air.
  • Well, since the thread's all boinged up, I'll post something. Didn't swim today (a bit too achy after 13 mile run last night), but yesterday did another mixed breast stroke/crawl session. Managed about half of my session doing 1 length breast/1 crawl. Also managed to up my non-stop crawl attempts to 4 lengths, twice. Definitely need to try using a nose clip, though.
  • WaboWabo ✭✭✭
    Hi quimby, am off for a swim sat morning myself. Must get earplugs, now got a swim cap, don't like goggles cos I feel like they suck eyeballs out, if I get a noseclip (thinking of it) I will be like a real swimmer!
    Oh no I wont, I still be cr@p!
    on a serious note though I probably could do with goggles, any recommendations for ones that don't suck eyeballs out?
    possunt quia posse videntur - we can because we know we can 
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