Swimming

Got to the pool for the first time in over a year last night. Lane etiquette is non-existent, but can't really complain about people who really ought to be in the slow lane moving into other lanes to keep spaced.

Was surprised I could manage 1500m, even if it was very ploddy, and had wee rests at 400 and 1250. Have another session booked for tomorrow before work.

wee rests at 400 and 1250

Ah, the warm fuzzy feeling of a wee rest at the end of the lane.

I prefer OW swimming where you can just wee on the go.

Had my second swim back today - managed 1500m without any wee stops (just pissed on the fly). Post the long-COVID issues, I was worried about endurance, but I'm happy with that.

Was a bit weird to be in the fast lane, and the second fastest swimmer in the pool, but the only other swimmer under 20 stone was charging up and down like she's prepping for the Olympics, and I just spent most of my time staying out of her way. Lovely to see the less fit people making a good effort, but wonder why the regular good swimmers aren't coming back yet.

First swim in ages today = arms weak and technique lacking. Lungs felt ok and tumble turns still worked so positives to build on.

Larking around after a short set (me & partner do 50/50 proper swim / kid swim) chasing daughter I always swim Fly for the splash effect... think I've torn some chest muscles, had to stand at pool wall for last 10 mins so whilst daughter practiced handstands. Running & MTB double tomorrow could be interesting.

Just on 20 Kms so far this month ( mostly in the pool ) aiming for 40 kms by the end of the month. Average pace is 2 mins per 100 m. All very low intensity. 30 mins per day.

wonder why the regular good swimmers aren't coming back yet

just pissed on the fly

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Good work.

I can't wait until I can just turn up at my local pool without having to book 2 weeks in advance, and also being able to swim for more than 45 minutes at a time - I miss the 4k swims.

Another 2k today, but the Garmin 945 shat itself at the beginning and only recorded a single 25m length and just 13 strokes during the first 350m. Power cycling the watch brought it back to proper life. First time in coming up a year that the 945 has had any noticeable problems.

Friday's session will be more technical, need to sort out my breathing on my left hand side (I favour my right way way too much).

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Nice, I can't complain about our local pool. Double width lanes and the most I've had to share a lane with is 4 others, and generally we all know how to share a lane properly. Most of the time it is just me and one or two others in the lane.

Each session has ~30 people booked but there are a 4 lanes, and the slower lanes tend to have more people in them, then the general area has another 15 people in just pottering or older people doing exercises in the water.

(It's a L shaped pool. https://www.leisureopportunities.co.uk/images/777814_194261.gif and the lanes that go sideways into the diving area being 25m, if they're the other orientation then they're 33+1/3m. The pic there shows the 4 double width 25m lanes into the diving area.)

So, spent last weekend camping in Devon on a Ruckraft retreat. Not ideal camping conditions, but great fun swim-hiking, doing 2-3 swims a day with beautiful trudges through the bluebell woods and along the cliffs in between. Chips and pub stops at the end of the day. Campfire and beers.

Longest swim was about 1.5km - I think longer would be better, but most people aren't that swim-fit right now, so wasn't an issue. Wetsuits were imposed as the sea hasn't warmed up yet, but wouldn't be needed in decent summer weather.

https://www.abovebelow.sc/

Definitely need to be doing more of this - despite 7hr drives both ways, I was vibed on Monday at just having been out and spending a whole weekend splashing around.

That sounds ace!

I'm too slow to join in :(

I bought a Filson rucksack for doing similar. It floats and is roll top so should stay waterproof.
I currently have three problems with it. One is that it’s not very streamlined so you can feel it dragging. Second is the roll top isn’t that good so stuff gets a bit wet. A bin liner sorts that out.
Third though is that my dog won’t get in. So I have to go back to wherever I’ve left her. (She’s fine sitting and waiting seemingly any length of time, half an hour at least) or I find somewhere to swim where she can run along the bank. That’s not great as I’ll have limited control over her, and she’s huge and a bit intimidating.
I really want to do some swimming trips that don’t involve coming back to where I got in. And I always have my dog. I wonder if she’d sit in a little dinghy that I could tow......

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So, spent last weekend camping in Devon on a Ruckraft retreat.

Did one of those last summer, one of the trial ones. At Nigel's woods I assume for camping? We Did some excellent swims around Burgh island (spelling) and up a river. Highlights for me were the farm shop, and the fire.

Friend I went with ended up buying a ruckraft. Keep meaning to borrow it for a swim hike up the river Fowey from my parents, and swimming along a load of the esturys and hiking the woods.

Really getting stuck in to the swimming now. Always get in the pool and think I'm going to get bored and give up part way but never get to that point. Enjoying bashing out ~2k a session three times a week.

Times are slowly coming down too, did a 6:57 400m of pull as a warm up today, a sub 7m 400m was one of my initial targets when I got back into swimming a few years ago and now it's my warm up pull pace.

I spent last week on an extended-family holiday just over a mile from the River Wye. Didn't have much time to myself but managed to get in the river 4 times. Each dip was different and amazing. Water felt warm and silky smooth. Playing with the currents where the depth changes and you get little eddies was loads of fun.

Quite hard to find places to get in and out though. Might go back and spend some money on a swim guide.

Swim Run wetsuit arrived today, to get ready for first race in September. Can't wait to get out in it!

Where are you racing?

I quite like the idea of swim run apart from the hurry bit.

Oxford Lock to Lock it's called. Doing the full length pairs version. Looking forward to it.

Seems people can get pretty keen with paddles and stuff. Will see how I go.

The annual Padstow to Rock swim has been on my list for years, never quite coincided with it on our holidays down there (in-laws live nearby so we go down there quite often).

Just checked this year and it is the day after I arrive down there on this years holiday.

Long since missed the ballot for the non-elite entries but there are still spaces in the elite group (30 minute cut-off for the 1 mile swim) so I've snuck in with a late entry. I could scrape by in ~28 minutes now but I'll hope to bring that down to ~25 minutes by August.

Anyone interested in a Zone 3 Advance wetsuit? Size MT, well worn, handful of areas damages from mass swim starts etc, but still good for general use.

Free, just cover postage.

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Yes, it was at Nigel's place which, fortunately, does not flood when it rains solidly for a number of weeks. Farm shop was indeed excellent, as were many beers by the fire - that's something you really appreciate when the weather isn't too friendly.

We couldn't do the round-island swim due to the weather, but did some lovely estuary swimming. My mate has also bough a RR, I'm tempted if we can get a route and a plan.

The RR doesn't drag at all - I was aware it was there, as it would bump into your heels when the wind blew it, but didn't feel like it impeded the swimming in any way. It's also very waterproof; there were about 20 of us on the trip, and no-one got any wet belongings. Not quite so sure about convincing the dog to get on board tho.

Could also go in the wild swimming thread, I suppose:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/jul/04/in-the-dock-bristol-wild-swimmers-flout-harbour-ban-in-fight-for-city-lido

I really like swimming but seem to get really blocked ears afterwards. Are there any ear plugs that people could recommend?