Cr@p Swimmers R Us - Page 12 - Triathlon

Ex Pudsey Bear

22/10/2004 at 07:27

Thanks for the advice people,

I'll give it a go.

beders oldtimer 1

22/10/2004 at 08:37

Hi Folks

It's nice to find a thread for cr@pswimmers like me. Did my first Tri in september, Ilkley Tri, and although I do a bit of running, FLM for the last 4 years , I found the swimmer a real pain. Took 13.15 to swim 500 m and was whacked, was going to do crawl but ended up doing 3 crawl, 1 breaststroke all the way with gasp breaks inbetween. I've read the TI book and have tried the drills but tend to find it's just an easier way of drowning for me, I'm probably doing it wrong, although I have managed to get my stroke count down to 19 for 25 m which is a bit better even if i still get out of breath. The book pushes the point that it's pointless practicing cr@p technique , you just get better at cr@p swimming, so I've given up until the 4th Nov when I've booked in a TI coaching session. This is in manchester as the nearest coach to Leeds where I live, does anyone know any coaches nearer ? Also has anyone had some TI coaching and benefited from it ? would like to hear some encouragement to keep me going, at the moment swimming front crawl for 1.5 km for an olympic distance tri is like the far side of the moon to me.

Anyway that's my first swimming rant/moan out of the way, I'm off for a nice 6 mile run through the woods and over the moors in Ilkley where i work to cheer me up. Wonder if I'll ever get the same buzz and good feeling from swimming that I get from running ??

XFR Bear

24/10/2004 at 14:19

Just back from the pool - another 2km and it's getting easier - did it in chunks of 200m (6 lengths) today rather than 4 lengths. I'mworking up to doing it without a break.

Ye Olde Dragon pirate

pirate

24/10/2004 at 15:46

Do you know if there is a gadget that can help you to keep count of lengths completed?

I find a great deal of trouble keeping count as my mind wanders so much.

Well swimming up and down a pool is not the most mind stimulating activity is it?

Oh well done that Bear!

I had a swimming lesson a few weeks ago - could not do half a length front crawl without drowning. Last Tuesday I did 32!

Gavo

24/10/2004 at 16:04

Wish I'd read these posts about pull buoys before I'd been to Decathlon but ya live & learn.

Had another swim Fri eve but only did 350m before my calf started to hurt. Pool was a bit busy (I'd take about 4 people out, including myself if I tried a tumble turn) & there's no chance I'm going in 1/2 term week. Lessons start in Jan.

I know my limits - I'm only looking to be confident enough to do sprint tris next year. No metallic tri stuff for me.

As for counting lengths, I do groups of 4 (25m pool, even I can work that out), take a breather and then just know how many series I've done. I usually aim for about 400 - 500 before my legs start to cramp.

XFR Bear

24/10/2004 at 16:47

Yeah, I think my mind'll wander as soon as I stop doing short groups.

Haven't heard of a gadget, I'm going to decathlon this week so I'll have a look.

Gavo - if you want me to pick you one up just let me know which one and I can bring it to the social on the Friday :o) Since we're back at Doggett's you could even have a practice with it ;o)

dan dan

24/10/2004 at 16:51

There is a gadget , devilishly hard to get hold of though.Try speedo america for it.

dan dan

24/10/2004 at 16:53

Bear, can I give you a challenge? End of March is the Swimathon.Give the 5km one a try.Its really challenging but just soooooo satisfying when you can do it.

From everything I have heard, you are ready for it!

DJ's Papa

24/10/2004 at 18:07

Dan Dan,

I haven't posted on this thread for some time now.

But just to update you; my learning to swim efforts are beginning to show some reward now. I can now swim 2 lengths (40 metres) non-stop. Things have really moved on for me since your advice (01/09/04 on Page 3) that,

" Its ironic though: the more effort you make, the slower you'll go, perversely.
Dont try too hard!"

it's something that I've taken a lot of notice of during each lesson, & it's really helped. Thank you.

I still haven't mastered "treading water" yet though!
So, I'm still reluctant to go into a deep pool, especially as I almost drowned in the deep end of a pool as a child.

Is there an easy way to practise "treading water" without going out of my depth.

TTT.

dan dan

24/10/2004 at 18:20

Congratulations TTT!

Am glad I was of some help! Take the deep water slowly: sounds a nightmare for you.As I can remember only too well myself, its an overwhelming feeling.Once you master it though, you'll never look back.There's not much of a way around it, just go to where you are JUST out of your depth, so you can always get back to safety if need be.

You can also take two floats, one in each arm, held out to your sides, down to the deep end and practice your legs.Try both normal cycling legs and also frog legs/breast stroke legs to see which you prefer.Once you can stay there and not feel too worried, then use just one float, pressed to your chest whilst doing the legs.

Then , progress onto holding it with one arm, whilst the other scoops water.Change arms regularly.

Just make sure you dont 'overdo ' it, as you'll bob under and that'll freak you out.

Nice and gently does it!!

Sounds like you are doing brilliantly, so keep up the good work. I went from the two-length stage you are at to doing a kilometer non-stop fairly quickly.You've done all the hard work!!!

Again: congratulations!

Dan.

DJ's Papa

24/10/2004 at 18:37

Dan,

Many thanks for all your continued support. I shall try the two floats idea soon (once I've summoned up the courage)!

I don't mean that to sound like some kind of cop out, but I want to be a little more competent in all I've learned so far first.

You can be sure that there certainly won't be any turning back for me now, not since I've come this far.

Thanks again,

TTT.

XFR Bear

24/10/2004 at 18:40

Tell me more Dan - what's the swimathon and what do I have to do?

dan dan

24/10/2004 at 18:50

Its a charity swim(though you can do it without raising any money at all).Comes in all shapes and sizes.You can do a 1500m swim.Or a 2500m swim.Do the 'main event' 5000m and you get a medal!

2 years ago I'd say I was at the same stage you are at now.Come March I did this main event.

Was undoubtedly the proudest moment of my life, having gone from non-swimmer to that within about 9 months.

Then things went crazy and I did the 'endurance' version earlier this year: 10km.

Now that has supplanted the previous year's effort as my proudest moment.Only a few hundred people in UK did it(almost exclusively club swimmers, unsurprisingly), and I bet none of them had taught themselves to swim just 18 months before it!!

I heartily recommend it to you, Bear.

XFR Bear

24/10/2004 at 19:00

So what do I have to do to enter? Are there events at local abths and stuff.

It sounds interesting.

Anyone else up for this?

dan dan

24/10/2004 at 19:06

Many local baths-but certainly not all- will have specified times and sessions. They dont advertise it till usually New Year time, as its in March.

There are no restrictions as to style, cominations, or indeed how many times you can stop.

Most people do the 1500 or 2500. Some great swimmers take part, as well as a whole mix of ages and abilities.Times for the main event(5km) range from an hour dead for near international class swimmers to 4 hours for the rest of civilisation.

Thankfully you'll be put in a lane suitable for your estimated speed, so you dont feel overawed and so you enjoy it.

www.swimathon.org is the usual address.

All/any monies raised go to Macmillans cancer charity, you'll get a medal if you do the 5km one, and if you raise x amount of money you get prezzies like drinking bottles, t-shirts, wallets, bags etc.

Its great and you'd feel a world beater if you took it on.

Go for it Bear and everyone else!!

JRM

24/10/2004 at 21:10

Hi there fellow cr@p swimmers

I know the answer to your prayers - get a pair of fins. With hardly any effort at all you can power along like an Olympian!

You can slow down the arms - feel the water (which we all know is very important even if we don't know what on earth it means) - and even better see that water rushing past your face when you turn to breath. Fantastic. Who cares you are still cr@p when you take them off - at least experienced what it feels like to be a fish.

UKiwi

25/10/2004 at 09:39

I've done the swimathon a few times, first time was breast stroke, next time I'll be able to do it front crawl all the way! The good thing about it is you can do it as a team, and share the lengths as you want. One year the wife and I did it (she's an exellent swimmer) and came in the top 5% in our pool! The last time she did it she was about 8 months pregnant and still managed to beat most people there! She's a good example of swimming being all about technique.

On the subject of keeping count of lengths, I find this difficult too. A friend who swims to a high standard was going on about counting leg kicks per length, I haven't got a clue how you would keep track of all this stuff!!

Arm strokes per breath...leg kicks per length, number of lengths, impossible!!

Gavo

25/10/2004 at 11:14

XFR - cheers, but I get to Decathlon every few weeks so there's no probs. And I'm not going to the social anyway.

Fastest Fat Man

25/10/2004 at 20:31

Wish I had found this thread earlier this year.

I started from scratch in January so that I could compete in a Tri. Am now up to 400m in 10 mins, after which I can just about get out of the pool. Still can't do the whole thing front crawl or without stopping.

Am hoping to do two open water Tri's next year: one in a river and one in the sea.

Oh and hello XFR. I've seen you swim and you're not crap at all.

Lindi - Livin' the dream :-) pirate

pirate

25/10/2004 at 20:56

Hello peeps, I'm owning up to being a cr@p, but hopefully improving, swimmer :-)
Going through that frustrating stage of adjusting from being able to go a long way very badly to going not very far but at least looking a little more graceful!

Swimmathon sounds a good plan to aim for.

Fruity - sounds like you are improving in leaps and bounds, well done mate.

TTT - have you thought about going to a pool which has the deep end in the middle? In my pool there is only about 4m in the middle where the guys can't touch the bottom and the taller ones can bounce off the bottom quite easily.