OT: Swimmers?

NGale

I am a rubbish swimmer (used to be good as a child) and the only key is practice by training as often as humanly possible.

I don't feel the need to swim that often so it isn't a problem for me, if I fall overboard on the boat I wear a lifejacket and I can tread water so I am pretty ok.

If I ever feel the need to enter a triathlon, after committing myself for psychiatric assessment I would then start swimming as often as possible

iPete

Thanks LiT, will read that over a few more times before my next swim! See your in the West London area, know any good pools bigger than 25m? Swimming at my local pool is a PITA, its either a 6am morning swim or 9pm onwards & its 3 miles in the wrong direction.

I should mention that I am ill enough in the head to be contemplating the Ironman in 2012.

asprilla

iPete wrote:

Thanks LiT, will read that over a few more times before my next swim! See your in the West London area, know any good pools bigger than 25m? Swimming at my local pool is a PITA, its either a 6am morning swim or 9pm onwards & its 3 miles in the wrong direction.

I should mention that I am ill enough in the head to be contemplating the Ironman in 2012.

Most pools are 25m. Here a list of all the olympic sized pools in the UK and some 50m ones that aren't olympic sized.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ol ... ed_Kingdom

2012, eh? I'm looking at Challenge Henley either 2012 or 2013.

iPete

Thanks, looks like I'll have to wait till after the Olympics

Nice, an iron distance event basically on my doorstep! Have to admit that I'm going to be bit of a sucker for the 'official' ironman event if I can get a place but that means traveling up to Bolton!

asprilla

iPete wrote:

Thanks, looks like I'll have to wait till after the Olympics

Nice, an iron distance event basically on my doorstep! Have to admit that I'm going to be bit of a sucker for the 'official' ironman event if I can get a place but that means traveling up to Bolton!

Ironman Wales is supposed to be better and easier to get to from SW London too (although it's not actually taken place yet the course looks more interesting).

iPete

http://ironmanwales.com/
Have only been to the area once but would be a great venue from what I remember, fancy my chances of getting a 2012 place at this one or Bolton. Getting ahead of myself though, need to get an Olympic under my belt without drowning first.

attica

NGale wrote:

If I ever feel the need to enter a triathlon, after committing myself for psychiatric assessment I would then start swimming as often as possible

That's why I gave up triathlon, if you want to get good at all of the disciplines you'll need to be training 6 days a week. Sorry I digress.

Sighting strokes are seriously important . I did a big open water swim at my last triathlon, I finished the swim far quicker than a lot of guys who were way faster than me but had learnt it all in the pool and weren't sighting properly. People were heading off at all sorts of silly angles and over a 1.2 mile swim that made a big difference, the main problem I had was numpties swimming into me at 45 degrees as they over-compensated their trajectory.

Getting used to swimming in (and getting out of) a wetsuit is very useful, as is the extra buoyancy it provides. To be honest I found it easier swimming in open water, then again my stroke was dreadful.

Good luck, let us know how you get on.

lost_in_thought

Asprilla wrote:

iPete wrote:

Thanks LiT, will read that over a few more times before my next swim! See your in the West London area, know any good pools bigger than 25m? Swimming at my local pool is a PITA, its either a 6am morning swim or 9pm onwards & its 3 miles in the wrong direction.

I should mention that I am ill enough in the head to be contemplating the Ironman in 2012.

Most pools are 25m. Here a list of all the olympic sized pools in the UK and some 50m ones that aren't olympic sized.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Ol ... ed_Kingdom

2012, eh? I'm looking at Challenge Henley either 2012 or 2013.

Wot he said. Also, not sure why you're so keen on a 50m pool - it's not like you're going to be doing the swim in a pool?

iPete

true true, being lazy with all the turn arounds, figure there are none in the sea, i'll just have to work on it..

asprilla

iPete wrote:

true true, being lazy with all the turn arounds, figure there are none in the sea, i'll just have to work on it..

Actually you'll have to turn at the buoys which is a technique you'll learn in an open water session, since generally it's a 90 degree turn, not 180.

It involves planting your arm on the inside of turn straight down and using it at a pivot to then roll over sideways onto your back and then your front.

iPete

A big thanks to ya'll, the advice is really paying off!

Didn't swim in the last week due to a mtb holiday and hit the pool today; arms still aching from rocky trail abuse and somehow got into a rhythm and smashed out 40 lengths, it wasn't perfect but it was still 1km, better than my previous best of 200m :shock:

Onwards and upwards...