Swimming

fucking marvellous.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/apr/06/body-serpentine-hyde-park-lake

something nice to think about when doing my tri-swim there in a couple of weeks.

may move training to regent's canal to practice dealing with "water hazards".

also, here's a breaststroke set from alst night.

warm up (800)
4 x150 fly drills (600)
8x25 back sprints on 1 minute(200)
8x100 breast sprint (800)
with 50 easy between every other 100 (200)
2x200 free pull drills (400)
8x50 kick medley (400)

total 3,400m in 90 mintes.

Thanks to whoever recommended the Aqua Sphere Kayenne goggles - they're a million times better than the Speedo goggles I had!

Actually keep the water out without being so tight as to bruise my face!

Good luck in the swimathon peeps!

Cheers Kp ! Am just having a hearty bowl of porridge ! Woke up at 6.30am, bloody tired already !

Will report back later,.................... if I havent buggered straight off to a pub garden ! :D

good luck, I will join you in the porridge, but sadly not the swimming!

good luck nick-nack!

had a two course breakfast here. muesli and raspberries followed by boiled egg on toast.

be heading off about 12.

Hey ! Not a happy Bunny ! I basically believe I did it in 1 hour 34 mins, but someone ( yes you the person im talking about !) must have missed counted and I had an extra 10 or so.

I got to 108and he told me then i started counting, so i counted 20, then checked with him and should have been on 128 and he said no its 122 !!

Anyway, I feel like i did an extra 10 or so laps. Otherwise it was good, not really too tired, just my lower back was aching past 130 ish....

off out for more booze and possible argument now ! :(

Had a swim on Tues to get back into IM mode, and have been sick as a dog ever since - the denizens of Isle of Dogs are diseased fuckers.

Important question - has anyone here ever swum the Boat Race course or got any tips on that part of the river?

Had a swim on Tues to get back into IM mode, and have been sick as a dog ever since - the denizens of Isle of Dogs are diseased fuckers.

Important question - has anyone here ever swum the Boat Race course or got any tips on that part of the river?

I used to skipper passenger boats on the tidal Thames. Wouldn't recommend swimming at all. The tide can run at up to 7 knots and this would make swimming pretty dangerous. Also PLA doesn't permit it http://www.bluestarsurveys.co.uk/THAMES_recreational_users_guide.pdf
I don't think it's illegal as such but you would get pulled out pretty quick by the patrol boat.

Hey ! Not a happy Bunny ! I basically believe I did it in 1 hour 34 mins, but Khornight ( yes you Louis !) must have missed counted and I had an extra 10 or so.

I got to 108and he told me then i started counting, so i counted 20, then checked with him and should have been on 128 and he said no its 122 !!

Anyway, I feel like i did an extra 10 or so laps. Otherwise it was good, not really too tired, just my lower back was aching past 130 ish....

off out for more booze and possible argument now ! :(

Hey good work nickers! Don't sweat the mis-count, you know how well you did! 1:34 was my time last year. Good time. Strong time!

Did it in 1:27 and I'm pretty happy with that. Fair bit of traffic to contend with and a flagged badly around 140 lengths. Got there though.

Shattered.

At a wedding now. Pissed as a wizard. Still have goggle marks. Pow!

well done mate, and nick nack. I am impressed by you both!

I used to skipper passenger boats on the tidal Thames. Wouldn't recommend swimming at all. The tide can run at up to 7 knots and this would make swimming pretty dangerous. Also PLA doesn't permit it http://www.bluestarsurveys.co.uk/THAMES_recreational_users_guide.pdf
I don't think it's illegal as such but you would get pulled out pretty quick by the patrol boat.

Thanks for that, will probably have to do it at night to avoid the patrols then.

Thanks for that, will probably have to do it at night to avoid the patrols then.

Deathwish?

At a wedding now. Pissed as a wizard. Still have goggle marks. Pow!

Booya ! Think im still pissed - went to a friends in Borough, sat on the roof staring at the shard with my bottle of wine :)

Had a major dehydration headache all night.... anyone for a schwim ??

Wicked time Dookie ! Im glad its only once a year ! Laterzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

well done mate, and nick nack. I am impressed by you both!

Thanks adroit :)

I had 3 in my lane, one 14 year old boy, who lapped me about 20 x and a really elderly lady who was swimming with no goggles and her eyes closed ! She kept swimming on the wrong side and one time she caught me with her nails, i just remember a sharp pain on my left but carried on, luckily she left after 50 laps, then it was me and the kid doing 5k, which was nice as he pushed me !

When finished later on, noticed a 3 inch nail scratch under my right arm !! Pics to prove ??!! :)

We should all hook up in the summer months for a cycle, swim and beer picnic !

a forum ride and swim! (I don't drink!)
great idea!
Hampton court lido?
Sorry to hear about the scratch, I used to play water polo, the marks I used to come home with!
(we had our fingernails checked by the ref before the game started!)

Yay, Hampton court open air pool is awesome !

Dooks - Hows the wetsuit ? Did you do a Kick-Ass in your bedroom !?

Im off to Cornwall next week and am going to take mine down for a Dip.... hopefully ! :)

Haven't got it yet. Waiting for payday. I plan to spend wholesome evenings at home wearing it.

Make sure youre not alone ! Bastard to get in and out off, last time I had to get my 7 year old to help me out !!
Oh dear !

Jaitch - What is your main stroke ? Can you do breast stroke or front crawl ?

This is basically 40 laps of a normal 25 metre pool..... but in open water ?

only just seen this. have been putting it out my mind for the last week. can do front crawl only and im sure im not very good at that!

^ 60 x 25 for 1500

^shit the bed! 60 lengths...better get the speedos out..

/donthavespeedosorevengogglesyet!

oh and i didnt realise this but as its open water, if the temp goes below a certain temp i need a full wetsuit.

doesnt help that im nearly 16 stone. i dont float well on my legs so if i get tired i reckon ill just end up treading water and doing doggy paddle

Jaitch weight doesn't matter so much in the pool, might even help, but fitness and technique really do matter. Get swimming, go as often as you can. Swim for a few lengths stop, get your breath back and do it again, and again, go two days later, and do a bit more. Build up, 1500 metres aint too much, you have enough time to get in shape!
Try and get some advice on your stroke too.
I love hearing about people who take on an absurd challenge and work up to it, but if you don't work up to it soon you will have a bad day right from the start, but if you swim a bit now when you get in the pool you will be full of confidence, and the whole event will be more fun.

I thinks its totally more absurd seeing as I am doing this with a team from work and am the strongest cyclist but seeing as we have enough cyclist and no swimmers and im stupid enough to like a challenge I said I would give the long swim a go and let someone else cycle if there was no other option. the organiser seems to have taken that to mean i was just wanting to swap. hey ho, down to the pool we go..

....... but if you swim a bit now when you get in the pool you will be full of confidence, and the whole event will be more fun.

its not in the pool. its in the thames :-(