Any swimmers?

Hi,

Just wondered if there were any other swimmers on here? I have started back now I have more time my son is older. Went yesterday and did 40 lengths in about 30 mins which I was really pleased with. I used to go twice a week and do 100 lengths in about 50 mins. Building up to that again.

Anyone else?

Replies

  • hey! I love swimming, it is not my number one activity but I am trying to hit the pool at least once in two weeks! two days ago I had such a great time swimming that it still makes me feel so good when I even think about it:)

    I just sometimes have a problem that I don´t have enough things to think about so I just keep watching the clock:/ how do you stay motivated and interested? any tips?
  • Tadeudz
    Tadeudz Posts: 16
    I'm a swimmer! Or at least I used to be before I got so overweight. It's my sport/exercise of choice. I can't see the appeal of running myself, but get me near water and I have to swim! I've just moved to the coast but the weather is not warm enough to swim in the sea unfortunately. I'm starting aquafit classes this week but want to get back into swimming on a regular basis.
  • kehuizenga
    kehuizenga Posts: 151
    Right now I only swim once per week and I stay in the pool for an hour without taking too many breaks. I'm not sure how long the pool is at my gym (less than 25 yards for sure), so I have no idea how many yards I am doing which is kind of annoying. I do just try to make up little sets for myself even so. For example, one day I did 20 lengths of the pool 3 times with a short break in between. Another one I really liked was doing 10 lengths of the pool, sprinting one length, then slow and easy the next. I also like to give myself little challenges such as seeing how far I can go without taking a breath or swimming 50 lengths without stopping. To the person who gets bored, try changing things up with different strokes or using a kick board or pull buoy. I am also thinking about buying paddles--I saw them in an online swim shop the other day and had completely forgotten about them. Or if you have a waterproof watch you could try swimming a certain amount of time (10, 20, 30 minutes) and see how many lengths you can get in and then try to see if you can do more each week. You could also look online for swimming workouts.
  • kspecks
    kspecks Posts: 7
    Hey hey! I'm a swimmer :)

    I agree, sometimes it's easy to get bored/lazy so I try to come up with a complete set before I leave for the pool. Sometimes it'll be something simple (e.g. 600 free, 100 breast, repeat 4 times), or sometimes it'll be something a little more technique-based. This site has some pretty good sets (I usually just do the advanced ones, but there are ones for all ability levels):

    http://www.100swimmingworkouts.com/

    Look around online, there are all sorts of ther sets too. Best of luck to you!
  • kehuizenga
    kehuizenga Posts: 151
    Thanks for posting that site kspecks! Last night I was forced to use my gym's indoor pool due to rain (why in the world they closed the outdoor one for rain alone I do not understand) and they had the workout up for a swim training class that I have been too intimidated to attend (even though I swam competitively for half my life!). I adjusted some of the interval times and cut the last set in half because I was tired and it was already 7pm, (I also added a cool down) but I LOVED having a directed workout. If anyone has any other sites they use for swimming workouts please post them!

    If you are interested, this is the workout I did (the pool is 20 yards)

    200 swim/kick/pull (600 yd)
    8x40 alternating IM on :50 (320 yd)
    fly/bk br/fr bk/br fr/fly
    3x {1x160 pull 3:00 (720 yd)
    {4x20 :30
    {1-uw kick 2-swim 3-bi-lateral 4-fast
    40 easy (40 yd)
    4x100 1:50 (400 yd)
    80 easy (80 yd)

    Total 2160 yd...holy crap
  • GuineaMother
    GuineaMother Posts: 59 Member
    Just got back from the pool! I swim every week but today was my first time since being on the MFP diet. Made it a LOT harder than usual, my body just didn't seem to want to work the way it usually did.
    Tapping in to the database showed me I'd burned 400 calories more than I'd eaten so far today, so I wonder if I should stock up on calories before I go next time?
  • I was a lifeguard/swimming instructor for over 10 years...and I grew up at the pool. It has gone to the back burner since moving around and didn't really have a pool with a schedule that fit mine. Those days are over so I am back to getting my swims back to where they were. I love it! I also run, but swimming was my first love!

    Another good site is www.swimplan.com. It allows you to put in your settings and what you want to use for equipment and what strokes you want to do and will make a 30-45min or 45-60 min workout for you based on your information. It also gives you a place to enter time trials for different distances so you can see how you progress.

    Feel free to add me, anyone. Always looking to find people with similar interests :)
  • Andrea681
    Andrea681 Posts: 178 Member
    <<<< I love swimming and do it about 3 times a week. I'm training for a triathlon and would love to be friends with other swimmers on here. Let's be fishies together!
  • Leesseebee
    Leesseebee Posts: 216
    Yup swimmer here-I go frequently-sometimes twice a day, until my shoulder gives out-I do triathlons and love them-welcome back!
  • mitch16
    mitch16 Posts: 2,113 Member
    I swam on my high school team, but have only swum (?) recreationally since then. A few years back I attempted to swim laps at the gym while my son was taking swim lessons and it almost killed me! I would like to do a triathlon next summer, so it's probably time for me to get back in the pool in earnest.

    Kudos to you for keeping with it!
  • shaynak112
    shaynak112 Posts: 751 Member
    I love swimming but I haven't been since I moved (just over a year ago). I WANT to but I'm too scared to go to the pool for some reason :(
    I miss swimming so much though!
  • shara85
    shara85 Posts: 70 Member
    I swim! I am not a pro or anything, but my building has a pool so I try to go at least 2x per week for 30mins each time. I do a few lengths, then tread water for a bit, then finish with more lengths. I swim at a fairly leisurely pace though, so I usually guesstimate that I burn around 200 cals.
    It's great to go to go the gym for an hour and then hit the pool for a bit to cool down!
  • PurpleCoyote
    PurpleCoyote Posts: 24 Member
    Yep I swim! I'm a complete newbie really, i just finished my beginner course at the end of July, so am doing half an hour, twice a week at my gym and will be doing the improver course at the end of August - so I only do ten lengths of 25m each so far, but am working on it slowly and building up my stamina and concentrating on enjoying being in the water :) I used to run, but by far prefer getting in the pool! And no need to fork out on expensive trainers :)
  • runzalot81
    runzalot81 Posts: 782 Member
    I took up swimming back in November to add to my running. I had always been a terrible, weak swimmer. So, I watched some youtube videos and jumped in :laugh: I thought I was gonna DIE. It horribly aggravated my asthma despite the inhaler but I persevered and now I love to swim once a week! I'm still slow :bigsmile:

    I really need to check out that swimplan site. I think it's time to step up my game!
  • Squidgeypaws007
    Squidgeypaws007 Posts: 1,012 Member
    I like a swim daily - although I did stop for a while due to an incident of "pool rage" :laugh:

    Back in the pool now, feel free to add me other fisheys! :bigsmile:

    Just a warning - I am approximately slower than a three-legged elephant in the pool...but I get it done ;)
  • laurenellenmarie
    laurenellenmarie Posts: 331 Member
    I was a lifeguard/swimming instructor for over 10 years...and I grew up at the pool. It has gone to the back burner since moving around and didn't really have a pool with a schedule that fit mine. Those days are over so I am back to getting my swims back to where they were. I love it! I also run, but swimming was my first love!

    ^^This. Also, I used to have an aquabeat. It's an mp3 player that hook onto your goggles. There's also waterproof ipod/iphone cases. Music helps tremendously when it comes to boredom.
  • kreuzen
    kreuzen Posts: 188 Member
    I was on a swim team most my childhood. Lived at the pool. Was also a lifeguard, water safety instructor, and now I'm back to being a swim coach for the team that I was on growing up (second time coaching). I love swimming.
  • WendyTerry420
    WendyTerry420 Posts: 13,274 Member
    Chlorine makes me wretch and gives me a headache, but i love swimming in rivers and lakes. There aren't "lap lanes" there though. :tongue:
  • tribby
    tribby Posts: 14
    I'm also a swimmer. I used to be on our local swim team as a kid. Did that for years. I started up again a couple of years ago and lost 60 lbs doing it. Then I had a horrible knee injury that had me off my feet for almost a full year. Needless to say, I gained all my weight back. I had tried running (prior to injury) because I thought it would help with weight loss. I think the wear and tear on my knees actually contributed to my knee injury. I've since been told by my specialist that running and high impact sports are out for me. That is if I want to be able to walk in the next few years, lol
    So I'm back to swimming! Great exercise and it's my "down time". The world goes away and I'm completely focused on "ME" when I'm in the pool. Silent, except the sound of my strokes.
    I'm still working up my endurance. Managed to do 40 laps today in about as many minutes. My goal is to do 50 in as much time, then re-assess.
    Nice to meet some fellow swimmers here, feel free to add me as a friend =)
  • tribby
    tribby Posts: 14
    GuineaMother- I find that I'm absolutely ravenous the days I swim. I definitely "stock up". Usually with a packet of instant oatmel. It gives me a lot more energy and I find I have a much better workout as a result.
    Hope this helps =)
  • saustin201
    saustin201 Posts: 270 Member
    I go to lap swim several times per week. Back and forth, back and forth, etc.... I was a lifeguard in my younger and thinner days.

    I also walk and bike too.
  • aqm22
    aqm22 Posts: 153 Member
    I LOVE water. Ocean, rivers, lakes, ponds, pools, streams, puddles. If it has water, I'm in it! =) When I get tired of flopping around, I float...Sunburn is the only side effect that I don't particularly like...