Swimming lesson #1

Since retiring I've been swimming regularly but, despite an attempt to plan sessions to build pace and endurance, I consider that my performance has plateaued. Admittedly (like everyone) I'm aging but I feel I could do better. A few weeks ago I signed up with Swim Now and my first session was this morning. I discussed objectives with the coach, suggesting that I'd like to achieve a 2 minute 100m. I thought this might need less than 10% improvement but actually I need more like 12% as I have been judging myself in a 25 yard pool.

In today's session I was given a few tips, mostly to reduce drag:

• Keep arms closer to my head when reaching, especially on the left
• Keep legs closer to each other - note a bonus when toes touch
• Aim for a slightly faster kick
• Don't rush reach, make an effort to pause whilst arms ahead
• Be more snappy with turns to save time

During today's session I managed to take a few seconds off and achieved 2:09min/100m twice. The hotel pool is only 18m long so there is a potential advantage over a 25m pool if turns are fast and powerful. I suspect that a high proportion of today's gains came from more timely turns.

My practice will be to  try some intense 100m sets and then close with 'steady' longer sets for endurance. I'm also going to aim to improve flexibility around  my neck and shoulders with the goal of being able to improve my streamlining, if only marginally. I've downloaded a video from Siska Systems and will see if that helps me at all. 

After yesterday's circuit class my arms feel quite heavily worked with a swim and stretch.

Winter swim review

I've not written for a few weeks and no significant event has occurred. The weather has been a bit cooler and the roads icy, both of which have reduced my enthusiasm for staying for a swim after work or driving to Hatfield. There have also been a couple of Christmas 'dos' after work to limit time even more. All of this suggests that I've not been especially dedicated.

I'm trying to be positive in my outlook and so although I've not gone to Hatfield I have been to Heeley Baths and tried to focus on technique, including bilateral breathing. Since October I've been working on a more symmetrical stroke and roll so that there is more space for my left arm to leave the water, and hopefully reduce the risk of impingement. That approach may be effective as the slight pain I was aware of seems to be fading away. Today, when I did a few sprint lengths I became aware of my shoulder for the first time in quite a few weeks.

Over the summer I've very much lost speed with my swimming, both with and without the pull buoy. I think training for the Big Walk and thinking about the Costa Brava swim put me in a long and slow mode, exacerbated by the appearance of a minor shoulder injury. Today, in a 25 yard pool I managed 2:02min/100m as my best length; and that's my best in ages! Without the pull buoy my legs have become an anchor, apparently as much as ever they were. On my 200m 'warm-up' I was working towards the 5:00min 'barrier' but now I'm back to below 5:30 minutes with it feeling tough.

I have booked with a recently established local SwimSmooth coach in the hope that I can rescue my technique a little. I have been thinking about roll, high elbows and front quadrant techniques but so far I haven't had a gain, except perhaps the resolution of the pain. That's important though.

Looking after shoulder

Today's weather forecast was for blustery to become gale force and so I walked to the pool rather than driving to Hatfield. Ultimately the forecast was worse than reality and the really strong winds hadn't arrived some hours later.

Anyway the pool offers the opportunity for drills and practice in a more comfortable situation than in the middle of a lake. So, with my left arm being on the brink of problems it seemed a good time to focus on rotation to lift my left side more. Naturally this leads into breathing on that side too. After the usual 200m-with-legs warm-up I did 3 sets with favoured right side breathing, bilateral breathing and finally alternate lengths with left and right breathing. Naturally I was using the pull buoy to ease the load on my arms and retain good posture. Significantly I went at the same pace for both right-sided and bilateral breathing although I needed a single strike more per length. For the final set I was tiring (so out of practice) and so the slow pace for left-sided breathing is not conclusive.

In terms of technique I was aware of a falling right leading arm with left breaths, especially when working that side. My perception was also that I had an untidy body twist in that direction rather than a nice neat roll from the hips.

Over the time I was aware of my shoulder abut it didn't become troublesome, or indeed painful, so this intensity and volume doesn't seem to be a problem.

Ellerton Park

We're away in Pickering for a few days and an online search revealed Ellerton Park to be a relatively nearby open water venue. Sure, Gomire Lake at the base of Sutton Bank was closer but the reviews aren't all that favourable. Ellerton is actually quite a drive from Pickering and not open road so not suitable for nipping back and forth to!

The venue isn't very well signed but following 'lakeside parking' was the right thing to do. The opening times online are basically all day which imply little safety cover and that seems to be the case. The owner, Mr Thompson was in the car park in his pickup collecting the fee and checking for comings and goings. He had binoculars but I suspect they were to monitor the carpark from afar rather than mount a rescue, although I'm sure he'd help if he spotted a problem!

There's a smallish changing block with showers in the carpark. There were 4 of us arriving at a similar time and so there was some company in the water. Three buoys mark out a 500m loop but when the numbers are low there's no compulsion to do a particular loop, although I chose to follow around anti-clockwise to avoid impacts! I was told that some sunny days there have been 100 swimmers, which would be fine in the water, but might make the land-based facilities a bit crowded.

The lake is claimed to be clean and clear, subjectively it was although I can't vouch for it's quality. Naturally there are weeds around the edge and a few trailing branches if you get too close to the bank. Entry and exit is via a wooden jetty and this didn't give me much opportunity to acclimatise as a kayak group were needing to use the steps too. I was told that that water is typically around 16 degrees in the summer.

Swimming is restricted to the eastern offshoot of the lake usually

I swam a leisurely 3 loops to complete around 1 mile. One of the 4 initial swimmers was still in the water as I left, keeping up a good pace.

The casual, open-ended timing is the lake's greatest asset that I can see, so long as you don't need close supervision. To that end, wetsuits are compulsory which reduces the risk somewhat.

First open water swim

I was already booked on an introductory open water swimming session in July, but the promotion of the Great North Swim and ongoing mild weather made me itch to have a go. Luckily a local organisation, SwimYourSwim, had a session today and I was able to get time off work to leave early.

The traffic to Doncaster was terrible, to my inexperienced eye, and made the journey rather stressful. At least this confirmed to me why I live within walking distance of work. There was a bit of a delay in starting the session even after we'd filled in the usual forms and disclaimers. This made sense as  it enabled the regular swimmers to get in the water as quickly as possible but really there was no need to arrive 30minutes early, as advertised.

Alistair got us to think about his 'pool' and how it differed from the local tiled, chlorinated swimming spot. This useful exercise highlighted the dangers and opportunities as well as the chance to relish the deceptively rural location of this 24m deep gravel path. After instructions on the wetsuits we were told about cold water immersion and how to acclimatise to the water. Actually, at just below 20°C the water was pretty mild.

Initially I certainly felt the reflex and could appreciate the danger but the process (and wet suit) were effective and eventually submerging my face didn't seem so bad. Gradually we made our way into the water with a few easy strokes to a buoy and then the next until I felt confident enough to get a good rhythm of freestyle. We'd been told to try lying on our backs, using the buoyancy of the wetsuit, to have a rest, or call for help if need be, and I was surprised at how easily I floated.

The water was reasonably clear and certainly in the shallows it was possible to see pond weed and the sandy floor of that part of the lake. Naturally along the way I had a mouthful and although I endeavoured to spit it out it tasted fine.

After completing 1 lap of the 200m course in sections we set off to do a second lap. Straightaway I went face-in for freestyle and only stopped at the halfway point whilst we regrouped. Sighting was a bit of an effort as it broke my rhythm. It wasn't clear that my unilateral breathing made me veer off in any particular direction as sometimes I was tending to the left, others to the right.

The session came to an end all too soon, really I could have gone around again, and that's a great way for a training session to end. Far better than to feel you've been pushed too much. Alistair and the club swimmers were very supportive and made us newcomers feel at home. I'd recommend the course but do remember to take some flip-flops along.

Paddling for Session 6-ish

Today I wanted to use the Cofield's new policy permitting fins, paddles and snorkels but as I only had the paddles in my bag I had to base my session around those. That fitted pretty well with the third session in my programme.

TYR paddles recommended by Julian Nagi

I'd struggled to use these effectively during my assessment session a few weeks ago but I think I was getting tired. Today they seemed far easier to use effectively and gave good feedback on the catch phase. I was surprised that I needed to go in the fast lane so as not to catch up with other swimmers but I think the 'mediums' were being slow today! It does make sense that I'd be faster with these on but it also makes sense that each length was more tiring. Indeed I couldn't do the programmed 100m sets and made do with 66m length pairs. The paddles clearly gave me feedback on clean entry and a well angled catch but I found the recovery rather awkward.

I suspect that I may have tired shoulders tomorrow...

Training aids for swimming

Over the last week I have exchanged a number of emails with senior staff at the Goodwin centre about the use of training aids in the pool. It seemed that I was pushing at an open door as they quite readily agreed that it would be reasonable to allow fins, paddles and snorkels in some lanes for some of the time.

I was told that new signage would appear once team briefings has taken place. Well, when I went for today's swim gold stars had been placed on the Medium and Fast lane boards stating that aids were allowed. Since I wasn't sure when this permission would occur I'd not taken anything along but now I can do next time. Perhaps the faster 2 lanes are not ideal for me as certainly initially I know I'll be slow with the hand paddles as they are quite distracting to use. Fins do speed me up however.

During the students' vacation period the pool isn't too busy so perhaps this will be a test period for the  pool and a time for me to get my act together in the effective use of the aids.

Swim session 4

I missed swim session 3 two weeks ago due to a lack of days in the week and sessions 4 and 5 didn't happen early this week due to me having a cold and feeling a great need for rest and recovery. So feeling ready for action I decided to skip the integration of session 3 and return to kicks.

Overall I don't think that I can say that the drill went very well nor have I shown any signs of speeding up. However the total distance was over 1600m which is probably the most I've ever swum in a single session (I don't think I did a 2000m badge or such when I was a child).

Fins!

What a contentious issue. I've looked online and the prohibition of training aids is widespread and often ridiculed. It seems there are genuine concerns about injury but also many coaches advising their use!

I have contacted the manager of the Goodwin centre at Sheffield and he is willing to discuss the matter with his colleagues. That might be a step forwards. I have found that Birmingham University are far more reasonable.

You can't bring those in here!

Today was the first session of my 8 week programme from Julian and I managed to fit an hour in between two work commitments. I had a problem in that the Cofield pool at the University doesn't allow either fins or hard paddles.

Soft, glove-style paddles are allowed. Julian had told me that council-operated pools usually didn't permit stroke training aids due to 'Health and Safety' concerns but we'd both hoped the University would be more up-to-date in its thinking.

I also enquired at King Edward's pool that is run by a private Trust and they don't allow anything except floats. I'm still waiting to hear from Hathersage, supposedly a triathlon club trains there...

By the way, I did ask before attempting to use the things so I was spared of the embarrassment suggested in the title!

It is widespread panic!

The crazy thing is that such training aids are sold widely often with 'professional' endorsements.

Aiming for continuous lengths ... again

I've got a swimming lesson booked for next Sunday so thought I needed to keep up my poor technique! Also I'd read that the ability to do continuous lengths takes practice and a will to push on. So after work that was my plan. I did a dozen warm-up lengths at a mediocre pace and then set out to do joined-up-lengths.

I agreed with myself that I'd let form slip a bit to focus on not taking a break. Naturally I didn't aim for 1000m non-stop, I started with 2 lengths, that's 66m. I paused my timer whilst resting between pairs to get an idea of my pace. Or that was the theory, indeed I did pause the timer but hadn't realised that a pause didn't make a length mark as well. So really I've little idea of how many I did, I'd say at least 10 of these. After that I did 3 sets of 3 lengths (a whole 100m!). The 3rd lengths were rather scrappy but the main thing is that they happened. Moreover I felt myself regulating breathing during the 3 lengths, sometimes more exhaling, sometimes less; almost as if I was adjusting to to the load. Perhaps with single lengths your body can't get a clear idea of what it needs to do?