Fair enough! I'm not actually a big fan of being in water, I think being 'taught' to surf by some friend of the family in Australia where the waves were way too big and I got battered around and ended up with a fat lip.. kinda put me off too! Doesn't sound as bad as yours though! I'm sure you'll get there.
Starting swimming, any advice?
- Thread starter Scam
- Start date
Hey, maybe if we hate being in the water so much we will swim even quicker so we can get out sooner?
Wishful thinking.Although I transformed into some kind of salmon tonight and just done 23:30 for 1k breast stroke, felt awesome!
I also had to stand up for the generic idiot in the lane as well twice, lost a good bit of time. Sub 23 easy on the cards 
Soldato
Just got back from the pool for the first time in a couple of weeks because of illness. More of the same really. I did manage to do a full 25m length in one go, just about. Main problem i have is breathing, which i found gets easier if i switch sides on every stroke but still. Used to sports where you can push yourself straight away, with this you really need to take it easy until your lungs catch up or else you push yourself into the red and panic.
Soldato
Work on your breathing and your head positioning. It's the biggest issue new swimmers have, and the main reason why people don't swim as fast as they can. Go up and look at the video I posted with Bob Bowman.
Also, get your head down, 30 to 45 degrees from looking straight down at the bottom is where your head should be. I personally like to go with the more 30 degree route. To put this in perspective. When I breathe I am barely aware of what is going on around me. This is both because of how quick the breaths are, and also, angle and such like to the water.
In terms of specific breathing, work out how breathing works for you and get it built rhythmically. As I typically breathe every three strokes, I take my first breath holding breath, breathe out continuously through the next two strokes, which means the second my mouth is out of the water I breathe in and head goes back in to breathe out. If you're breathing out any air with your head above the water you're going to be having issues.
kd
Soldato
I was trying the every three strokes thing but i just wasn't getting enough air, no matter how much i tried to relax while moving. Did the 25m length by breathing on every stroke. Just something i'm going to have to work on.
When you say 30 degrees, do you mean like, towards your feet or towards the other end of the pool?
When you say 30 degrees, do you mean like, towards your feet or towards the other end of the pool?
Soldato
Imagine if you lay parallel to the bottom of the pool. Eyes pointed straight down. That's 0 degrees. Now go 30 degrees to the other end of the pool (away from feet)
kd
Yeah breathing is definitely the hardest bit. I'm going to give it a few weeks and try to breathe every 3 strokes rather than every 2. I think my years of playing the saxophone has really helped me though, as far as lung capacity goes.
Your posts sound exactly like my experience of swimming lately!
I find I push myself a bit much and then lose what little rythm with my breathing that I have, then I'm short of breath and all over the place after a couple of 25 m lengths.
I need to forget everything else and just focus on breathing and form for now I guess.
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swim teacher here so any questions shoot away 
Couple of pointers firstly.
1:Enjoy swimming, sounds silly but if you treat swimming as a "exercise" and something that has to be done, then youll soon tire of it and swim less and less.
2: when you first start swimming you need to try aim for 3 session a week, learning as a adult takes a lot longer than when you were a kid as you've picked up bad habits or may have lost confidence. (getting into lessons a great way to start, then a fitness session/pool time session combined with either a routine given to you or a few good drills added to your normal session )
3: technique technique technique technique
Simple way to start out is by going through your BLABT order, body,legs,arms,breathing,timing.
If your body position bad will have knock on affect on everything else, same goes for legs as a wide leg kick will pull you out of alignment ect.
Ps dont ask Lgs for advice lol, thats a sure way to get them sacked (lot of centres now cracking down on lg and members of public talking to each other due to recent health and safety incidents )
Couple of pointers firstly.
1:Enjoy swimming, sounds silly but if you treat swimming as a "exercise" and something that has to be done, then youll soon tire of it and swim less and less.
2: when you first start swimming you need to try aim for 3 session a week, learning as a adult takes a lot longer than when you were a kid as you've picked up bad habits or may have lost confidence. (getting into lessons a great way to start, then a fitness session/pool time session combined with either a routine given to you or a few good drills added to your normal session )
3: technique technique technique technique
Simple way to start out is by going through your BLABT order, body,legs,arms,breathing,timing.
If your body position bad will have knock on affect on everything else, same goes for legs as a wide leg kick will pull you out of alignment ect.
Ps dont ask Lgs for advice lol, thats a sure way to get them sacked (lot of centres now cracking down on lg and members of public talking to each other due to recent health and safety incidents )
Associate
Interesting - presumably this is driven by risk assessment and incidents where distraction of the lifeguard was seen as a contributor. Would you happen to know if all pools adopt a common set of rules, or can each pool 'do their own thing'? The no talking message doesn't seem to have made it to our part of the world, at least for adult/lane sessions.
Thanks shadowcreaper, that's useful. I had a good session today.. might have done 20-30 lengths (27m) in about 40mins... I wasn't counting though so that might be way off
I found that really relaxing whilst doing front crawl helps a ridiculous amount. Trying to go fast just makes me worse... I swear I was much quicker when I relaxed. And I even beat someone in the fast lane. I did swim a fair amount at school, here's hoping it's still buried inside my head somewhere!
I found that really relaxing whilst doing front crawl helps a ridiculous amount. Trying to go fast just makes me worse... I swear I was much quicker when I relaxed. And I even beat someone in the fast lane.
I did swim a fair amount at school, here's hoping it's still buried inside my head somewhere!anyone else find it really off putting to swim when you get water in your ears? I've been swimming since I was a nipper (24 now) and I have allways worn 2 hats with silicone ear plugs in everytime I swim, unless its like surfing or water park. I avoid tumble turns and breathing both sides to minimize water ingress.
I can do roughly 1200m front crawl without stopping at the moment breathing every 2 strokes, never properly timed myself for this though. As shadowcreeper says, I also think it's very important that you actualy enjoy swimming
I can do roughly 1200m front crawl without stopping at the moment breathing every 2 strokes, never properly timed myself for this though. As shadowcreeper says, I also think it's very important that you actualy enjoy swimming
Soldato
What do people think of neoprene shorts for wetsuit "training" in the pool?
On the one hand people seem to say you can become dependent on them and use them as a crutch. On the other hand, I will be competing in a wetsuit so why not try to replicate race conditions?
On the one hand people seem to say you can become dependent on them and use them as a crutch. On the other hand, I will be competing in a wetsuit so why not try to replicate race conditions?
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Yes! I absolutely despise water in my ears, I spend a good bit of time in the shower getting them wet and rubbing them and trying to get more tolerant of that "sensation" before getting in for any swim just to try and help. When you get a bit of water/air that sticks in there, that feeling and the noise it makes inside your ear drum absolutely freaks me out and it takes ages to clear it. I am shuddering thinking about it, no idea why it annoys me THIS much
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Hay chaps.
Water in Ear.. Can be caused from bad front crawl stroke in particular the arms as they enter water close to head thus pressing water between bicep and ear.
Try not to get arm that close to head and see how things go.
Also over rotation and lifting head before slamming it back into water after breath can force water in.
Tbh I've swam sinse I was 4 and never had any issues bar cold ear , which was due to Lake swims.
Btw re Lgs and chatting to them, if they seem happy to chat then not going to go all H&S on you but just be carful as I'm sure you don't want some poor kid getting dissaplined because you asking for a swim lesson lol.
Drill of day guys. Eyes up catch up.
Looking forward so you can see hand entry throughout this drill.
Both arms extended then pull with one arm, keeping other reaching forward, as initial arm recovers and hand enters water next to extended arm ( catch). The stationary arm then pulls and so on.
Catch up. One arm at time (keep arms shoulder width apart at start)
Great drill for focusing on hand entry and pull technique
Water in Ear.. Can be caused from bad front crawl stroke in particular the arms as they enter water close to head thus pressing water between bicep and ear.
Try not to get arm that close to head and see how things go.
Also over rotation and lifting head before slamming it back into water after breath can force water in.
Tbh I've swam sinse I was 4 and never had any issues bar cold ear , which was due to Lake swims.
Btw re Lgs and chatting to them, if they seem happy to chat then not going to go all H&S on you but just be carful as I'm sure you don't want some poor kid getting dissaplined because you asking for a swim lesson lol.
Drill of day guys. Eyes up catch up.
Looking forward so you can see hand entry throughout this drill.
Both arms extended then pull with one arm, keeping other reaching forward, as initial arm recovers and hand enters water next to extended arm ( catch). The stationary arm then pulls and so on.
Catch up. One arm at time
(keep arms shoulder width apart at start) Great drill for focusing on hand entry and pull technique
Soldato
I think I've got bitten by the bug. Started going last Sunday and I've been five times since despite having to take a few days off after pulling a muscle in my leg.
Even in 5 sessions I've noticed my stamina improve quite a lot. Pace wise I'm actually not doing too badly. My local pool has 3 lanes, and I'm actually quicker then most of the people using the slow lane. Stroke wise I've only really got breaststroke worked out (and I think my kicking is still completely wrong). I'm not really sure where to go next with it.
Sooo.... if I carry on doing 3 (or maybe 4) sessions a week would being able to swim a mile by July.
Cos this really appeals.
http://www.greatrun.org/great-swim/great-london-swim
Even in 5 sessions I've noticed my stamina improve quite a lot. Pace wise I'm actually not doing too badly. My local pool has 3 lanes, and I'm actually quicker then most of the people using the slow lane. Stroke wise I've only really got breaststroke worked out (and I think my kicking is still completely wrong). I'm not really sure where to go next with it.
Sooo.... if I carry on doing 3 (or maybe 4) sessions a week would being able to swim a mile by July.
Cos this really appeals.
http://www.greatrun.org/great-swim/great-london-swim
Good work KC. I guess you need to start working on front crawl, really?
After the first few weeks of my stamina improving somewhat, I still seem to be in the same position. I think I'm probably not pushing myself enough, I hate getting 'almost' too out of breath when going for another length.. everything just goes to pot.
I also managed to completely embarrass myself last week. I went on my usual Wed lunchtime and then decided to go after work on Thurs. My body must have felt it, because right when I was about to give up I got halfway through a length and got the most almighty cramp in both feet. And I was in the middle lane. Cue a very ungainly doggy paddle across lanes to hang onto the steps for 10mins attempting to stretch out. I couldn't get rid of it either so must have looked like a right nutter in the changing rooms too
After the first few weeks of my stamina improving somewhat, I still seem to be in the same position. I think I'm probably not pushing myself enough, I hate getting 'almost' too out of breath when going for another length.. everything just goes to pot.
I also managed to completely embarrass myself last week. I went on my usual Wed lunchtime and then decided to go after work on Thurs. My body must have felt it, because right when I was about to give up I got halfway through a length and got the most almighty cramp in both feet. And I was in the middle lane. Cue a very ungainly doggy paddle across lanes to hang onto the steps for 10mins attempting to stretch out. I couldn't get rid of it either so must have looked like a right nutter in the changing rooms too
Anyone get cold flu type symptoms after swimming? I can feel it in the back of my throat and snivelling after swimming.
It's a chlorinated Nuffield pool.
It's a chlorinated Nuffield pool.
Associate
Until I went to uni some 7 years ago I swam 4 times a week and always had this. Mainly an itch at the back of my throat. I won't be of much use in telling you I don't know what it is but it never got worse at least.
I suspect we're not meant to ingest chlorine.