Cr@p Swimmers R Us - Page 8 - Triathlon

Sarzyb

21/09/2004 at 12:32

With regard to goggles I really rate the Aquasphere ones. I bought these after getting really fed up with having to empty my others after every length. There are few things more uncomfortable than feeling your googles filling up as you swim along. The Aquasphere ones look more like a snorkel mask. You do feel a bit of a plonker emerging from the changing room in them, but to be honest once I have my swimming hat and noseclip on, I'm not winning any beauty contests anyway. I usually just hope no-one actually recognises me.

Fishbone

22/09/2004 at 19:05

This website might be of interest?

http://www.gerbenonline.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Swimming&file=video

One of the better video clips to study is the 'Hackett Thorpe catch up style' clip which is 9th from the top

regards

Dave F.

XFR Bear

22/09/2004 at 21:31

I can't get any of these to download - they seem to slow down then grind to a halt. I don't have broadband but can normally download files like this no probs

quimby

23/09/2004 at 08:26

It did the same for me via a browser download, but I plugged the URL into GetRight and set off 4 segments going, and I managed to download the file Dave F recommends.

I don't look like the video when I do crawl ;-)

XFR Bear

23/09/2004 at 10:08

What's GetRight and where can I get it from please?

quimby

23/09/2004 at 11:11

www.getright.com - it's a download manager. Paste an URL into it, then you can configure it to pull a file in more than one session from the server - a bonus when the bottleneck appears to be at the server end, not your end.

XFR Bear

26/09/2004 at 10:12

Flip!

Just back from the pool - I swam a mile :oS

Ok - I stopped for breathers every few lengths, so I'd never do it in an open water swim, but it was a mile nonetheless :o)

quimby

29/09/2004 at 15:15

Did my first swim since running a half on Sunday, did my usual mile with 20 breast to warm up, then 1 breast/1 crawl up to 42 lengths, then 8 whole lengths of crawl, 2 breast, then 12 (twelve!) whole lengths of crawl without stopping. That's the furthest I've ever done of crawl - 300 metres.

Well done on the mile crawling, Bear, I've a way to go before I manage that!

XFR Bear

29/09/2004 at 22:22

yeah, but you've done a lot more lengths without a break - I did six yesterday which is 200m, but I've never done 300m without a major breather.

64 lengths of a 25m pool (which is what you did if 12 lengths is 300m) works out to be a mile :o) Nice one Quimby!

quimby

30/09/2004 at 08:17

Ah, but, Bear, my thing is, I know I can do a mile of pure breast stroke fairly easily, it's the crawl that's the major problem. (In fact, if I have time, I can happily breast stroke for 1.5 or 2 miles without knackering myself. Not very fast, mind, but I can keep going.) Even a very slow crawl leaves me so much more tired than breast stroke. It's like 7 minute miling compared to 11 minute miling! I'm sure it's poor technique mixed with feeble arm muscles, and I am getting better with practice, but I still have a way to go.

XFR Bear

30/09/2004 at 10:50

Yes, I think you're in a similar situation to me.

I think it's a bit like starting a 10k as if it's a one mile run - I can do 6 minute mile pace for a mile, maybe two, but after that I run out of steam completely. The tricky is to slow down to 7:15 pace. I think I need to do the same for swimming, plus probably develop stronger arm muscles. I'm going again tonight so I'll report back. Think we're doing kicking drills.

quimby

30/09/2004 at 16:59

Make sure you wear your steel-capped boots for kicking drills. Black & Decker make them quite tough nowadays, you could break a toe. ;-)

XFR Bear

30/09/2004 at 22:57

Realised tonight just how carp my kicking was - got absolutely nowhere holding a float and just kicking. I have trouble pointing my toes too.

On the plus side, I managed to do a 40 second length (33m) feeling really really easy, and a hard length in 27 seconds :o) If my legs aren't contributing anything, I should be pretty fast if I can sort them out!

Suffolk Punch pirate

pirate

01/10/2004 at 09:34

Cool! A thread for me! I hereby declare myself the carpiest swimmer of them all!

'twas only three or four weeks ago that I actually went into the deep end of a pool for the very first time! I will be a force to be reckoned with when I take to tri next year!

quimby

04/10/2004 at 14:41

Am very proud to announce another milestone: a whole half mile of front crawl this lunchtime! Obviously this isn't *quite* continuous in a 25m pool, I touch the end of the pool then push off, but didn't actually stop to rest.

Going back a few pages in the thread now to look up that recommended day course in Walsall!

XFR Bear

04/10/2004 at 14:57

Fabbo Quimby - well done :o)

04/10/2004 at 16:56

Suffolk Punch - Do you think we should start another thread for Cr@p swimmers who can't do 100 yards? I can get in the deep end but can't swim very far. On reflection, the deep end part is a bit of a guess as I use a pool that's a constant depth of about 4ft. I will try and email you the enlightening article from our club newsletter.

quimby

04/10/2004 at 17:22

K2 & Suffolk Punch - I couldn't do 100 yards of crawl a few months back, don't worry, there is hope!

Checked out the day course in Walsall, the web site says "next course - 3rd Oct". Drat.

dan dan

04/10/2004 at 19:42

Keep going guys! As I am always keen to mention,(not in a boasting way, but in a very,very proud-of-self way) I went from not being able to swim so much as half a length to swimming a hearty 10km for Swimathon in the space of 18 months.

And I was a rubbish swimmer.So if I can do it, you sure as heck can do too!

Get going!

quimby

04/10/2004 at 19:47

I think you do get better, faster, with swimming, than you do with running. The only problem can be confidence in the water, I am a very confident breast stroker (fnar) but it took me a good while to get decent breathing sorted out for crawl (still don't have it quite right). Try to go for quieter times in the pool where you can splosh about unhindered. My half mile today was helped vastly by the fact that I was the only person in the lane.