Swimming Thread

[staffsblue]

Could be the longer slower strokes, maybe try that.

If you swim in any of the Manchester pools, I may have been one of the people overtaking you.
I tend to chose the slow lane as it's wider & has overtaking facilities. I generally find the medium lane too narrow, and I don't want to get in anyone's way, or rarely have someone slower getting in my way.
I try to be courteous when overtaking, never cutting anyone up, and not being passive aggressive!

 

[normskih]

did my first proper swim today,i always loved swimming,but having kids it was more fun in the pool,today i just swam, lost count of the number of lengths of the 25 meter pool i did,but it was lovely, wasnt really busy but people still got in the way(quite a few kids there as well), they do a lane swimming session a bit earlier in the morning which will suit me better, carrying on with my running,but will definitely add swimming into my weekly routine, gym membership is £32 a month, swimming is £4.70 a session,ill see how i get on before committing to a membership

Where’s your gym membership Spg?

 

[normskih]

I also struggle with the breathing technique with front crawl, so stick to breakstroke to avoid embarrassment. I'll give it another go at some point when there's less other people about.
I often use the "Better" app to locate capacity at pools, and when I'm in Manchester find the Aquatics Centre really quiet most of the time.

Can you explain what the ’Better’ app is please?

 

[Sir peace frog]

Where’s your gym membership Spg?

i didn't take the membership out, if i get to swim as often as i want to,then i will take out the gym membership which includes the swimming,and will work out cheaper than individual fees for swimming

 

[staffsblue]

Can you explain what the ’Better’ app is please?

It's the app for booking swimming pools & gyms under the "Better UK" charitable enterprise.
It's UK wise & includes most of the public pools in Manchester, and a number of outdoor pools in Greater London.

Better UK - Apps on Google Play

Get active, do more with the Better app, make the most of what we have to offer.

play.google.com

 

[normskih]

It's the app for booking swimming pools & gyms under the "Better UK" charitable enterprise.
It's UK wise & includes most of the public pools in Manchester, and a number of outdoor pools in Greater London.

Better UK - Apps on Google Play

Get active, do more with the Better app, make the most of what we have to offer.

play.google.com

Thanks, I’ll have a look at that. I’m looking at trying to do a bit more exercise after being a very fit woman for my age until health issues kicked in. I still have health issues but I must try and do a bit more than I have for the last five years or so.

 

[staffsblue]

Thanks, I’ll have a look at that. I’m looking at trying to do a bit more exercise after being a very fit woman for my age until health issues kicked in. I still have health issues but I must try and do a bit more than I have for the last five years or so.

The good thing about booking through the app is that you can either become a member at a specific location, or pay as you go anywhere.
There's also a good group on Facebook called the "Manfatters Swimming Gang". It was originally set up by Jason Manford when he was losing weight, but is mainly used by ladies now, with a few blokes such as myself.
It offers encouragement and tips for those looking to gain fitness or lose weight through swimming.

 

[normskih]

The good thing about booking through the app is that you can either become a member at a specific location, or pay as you go anywhere.
There's also a good group on Facebook called the "Manfatters Swimming Gang". It was originally set up by Jason Manford when he was losing weight, but is mainly used by ladies now, with a few blokes such as myself.
It offers encouragement and tips for those looking to gain fitness or lose weight through swimming.

As a woman myself, that’s good news. What I also found out from Bluemoon was if you are living within Manchester City Council area and 60+ you can swim for free at swimming baths;)

 

[staffsblue]

Just been for a swim at the outdoor pool at Nantwich Leisure Centre.
It's a bit of a peculiarity as it's a natural brine pool, being in the Cheshire salt plains and built to imperial measurements. It's 100 feet long which is 30.48m in new money.
Was a bit busy this morning given the weather, with loads of really slow FOCs getting in the way in the lengths lane.
My swim was also interrupted halfway through the session as the fire alarm went off leading to a pool evacuation.
Despite all this I managed 76 lengths which is. 2316.48m, so that's 5076.48m for the week and just short of 196km swum so far this year.

 

[dennishasdoneit]

Just been for a swim at the outdoor pool at Nantwich Leisure Centre.
It's a bit of a peculiarity as it's a natural brine pool, being in the Cheshire salt plains and built to imperial measurements. It's 100 feet long which is 30.48m in new money.
Was a bit busy this morning given the weather, with loads of really slow FOCs getting in the way in the lengths lane.
My swim was also interrupted halfway through the session as the fire alarm went off leading to a pool evacuation.
Despite all this I managed 76 lengths which is. 2316.48m, so that's 5076.48m for the week and just short of 196km swum so far this year.

That's impressive! I used to do just 20 lengths normally.,before getting bored?

Not been for years due to the after effects of the chemicals used in public baths...my eyes took days to recover. Goggles are the answer but never took to em.

A shame because for years swimming was a big part of my fitness routine,great for warding off hamstring strains and the like when playing football,as the exercises you do in water are so much easier than on dry land.

 

[lefty goldblatt]

Don't go swimming with him

 

[johnnytapia]

Following a discussion in the Running Thread, I realised there wasn't a bespoke swimming thread.
Any other aquatic Bluemooners out there?
I restarted swimming on my retirement about 2 and a half years ago as a way of losing a bit of timber and getting a bit fitter.
I try to keep things interesting as much as possible by swimming in lidos in the warmer months.
I haven't considered open water swimming as I don't like the idea of swimming in human or chicken poo or run off fertilisers & other chemicals from farmers' fields.
I'm not particularly fast, but I can keep going at a steady breaststroke for a while, and aim to swim at least 5km each week.

Swim every day. Have done for last 23 years. Mental health took a kicking in 2000 and swimming has been an invaluable friend ever since. Wherever I travel / holiday I must have access to a pool. Found great baths in Leipzig last season and an underground pool in Istanbul for the champ league final. Do between 50 and 120 lengths every day. Love it

 

[johnnytapia]

I'm definitely not averse to the cold having swum in a few unheated lidos, but don't like the pollution aspect of open air swimming, at least in this country.
Did a bit of sea swimming in Cornwall a few years back and really enjoyed it, but currently don't trust the water authorities in this country!

Flat can of coke before any open swim. I do Sale Water Park and learnt that tip the hard way after it had rained night before I swam.

 

[Sir peace frog]

Just been for a swim at the outdoor pool at Nantwich Leisure Centre.
It's a bit of a peculiarity as it's a natural brine pool, being in the Cheshire salt plains and built to imperial measurements. It's 100 feet long which is 30.48m in new money.
Was a bit busy this morning given the weather, with loads of really slow FOCs getting in the way in the lengths lane.
My swim was also interrupted halfway through the session as the fire alarm went off leading to a pool evacuation.
Despite all this I managed 76 lengths which is. 2316.48m, so that's 5076.48m for the week and just short of 196km swum so far this year.

surely being in the pool outdoors is the best place to be incase of a fire :)

 

[staffsblue]

That's impressive! I used to do just 20 lengths normally.,before getting bored?

Not been for years due to the after effects of the chemicals used in public baths...my eyes took days to recover. Goggles are the answer but never took to em.

A shame because for years swimming was a big part of my fitness routine,great for warding off hamstring strains and the like when playing football,as the exercises you do in water are so much easier than on dry land.

I get what you're saying about boredom but I use similar distraction techniques to running (singing a song in my head, thinking about what I'm having to eat later etc.).
When counting lanes I correspond the number with something else like City squad numbers or what I was doing at that age.
I always wear goggles to avoid any eye stinging issues, but I think the concentration of chlorine seems a lot less than when I was growing up.

 

[staffsblue]

surely being in the pool outdoors is the best place to be incase of a fire :)

I mentioned that to a fellow swimmer.
To be fair, the pool has surrounding buildings on three sides so if there were a genuine fire debris could fall in the pool
Gave me an unexpected sunbathing break this morning though!

 

[Sir peace frog]

went for a swim today, it was a lot quieter now the schools have gone back, for the life of me i cant keep count of the lengths i do ,but i always feel ive had a good workout , love swimming, im trying to do ,running one day swimming the next , its obviously easy on my days off 4 on 4 off, just getting the right times to swim after work,could be very busy

 

[johnnytapia]

Sale Water Park in my City swim cap

 

[staffsblue]

This morning's swim was at the outdoor pool at Oasis Sports Centre in London.
It's a bit of a hidden gem being located in the West End not far from Covent Garden. It's another weird length pool being 27.5 metres, having been converted from a water tank used by fire crews fighting Blitz fires in WW2.
Managed to complete 92 lengths which stacks up to 2530m.
And I managed to avoid the temptation to nip into the adjacent excellent Craft Beer Co. pub next door post swim!

 

[dickie davies]

I noticed a guy the other day doing about 3 times as many strokes as me doing breaststroke but was moving much slower.
I tend to take long, slow strokes, and utilise big "kick offs" and glides at the start of each length. As I said before, I'm not particularly fast, but can manage 80 x 25m lengths in about 58 minutes. 40 x 50m takes a bit longer as I need more of a breather between lengths!

My daughter was sub 10 minutes for 800m (32x 25m) when she swam competitively