i smell like chlorine, but

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ruffledviolet
ruffledviolet Posts: 260
in Fitness and Exercise
i swam a mile today. straight minus a pee break midway through - yes i got out and used the toilet.

i know it's not all that much and no one cares, but i'm proud.

and i couldn't really share it with anyone at home since my sister - who just got home from college - who was on her college swim team and swam hundreds of laps each day - who is going to germany in a week - accidentally threw away her passport on campus, and my obsessive compulsive disordered father exploded a little.

for those curious, a mile is 72 laps. i did 80 to make it a multiple of ten.
i had done 40 on wednesday. 40 on monday. 30 the previous friday. 30 the previous monday. 30 the friday before that. 20 for MWF the two weeks before that. and 16 every other four days before that for a few weeks.

i always do the same pattern:
a: breast stroke - arms only (keep feet together)
b: freestyle
c: backstroke
d: freestyle
repeat.

anyway it was my last day swimming for a while. i got my period. my gym membership is ending. i will be dyeing my hair. and i will be back in school and have no time for it.

so next up is to try the couch to 5k i've seen in hundreds of posts here.

Replies

  • Crystals422
    Crystals422 Posts: 382 Member
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    That is awesome!! My gym has a few locations but the one I go to does not have a pool. After seeing your post I may have to drive 20 mins to the one that does have a pool so I can do some laps. From what I hear you will love C25K,
  • mzjandiace
    mzjandiace Posts: 162
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    I love swimming, but I never knew how many laps equal a mile, thanks for sharing. I may try it out tomorrow!
  • cobracars
    cobracars Posts: 949 Member
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    Hey, lots of people care. I care. And I'm glad you got out to use the toilet :laugh:
  • anubis609
    anubis609 Posts: 3,966 Member
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    Sounds like a NSV to me. I don't think I could swim that many laps...though, I haven't swam laps in years. Good job!
  • MsLisaB
    MsLisaB Posts: 256
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    That is an awesome achievement. To be able to swim a mile more or less continuously is no small thing.
  • Xaspar
    Xaspar Posts: 726 Member
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    i swam a mile today. straight minus a pee break midway through - yes i got out and used the toilet.

    i know it's not all that much and no one cares, but i'm proud.

    and i couldn't really share it with anyone at home since my sister - who just got home from college - who was on her college swim team and swam hundreds of laps each day - who is going to germany in a week - accidentally threw away her passport on campus, and my obsessive compulsive disordered father exploded a little.

    for those curious, a mile is 72 laps. i did 80 to make it a multiple of ten.
    i had done 40 on wednesday. 40 on monday. 30 the previous friday. 30 the previous monday. 30 the friday before that. 20 for MWF the two weeks before that. and 16 every other four days before that for a few weeks.

    i always do the same pattern:
    a: breast stroke - arms only (keep feet together)
    b: freestyle
    c: backstroke
    d: freestyle
    repeat.

    anyway it was my last day swimming for a while. i got my period. my gym membership is ending. i will be dyeing my hair. and i will be back in school and have no time for it.

    so next up is to try the couch to 5k i've seen in hundreds of posts here.

    Because the information was confusing me, and someone else asked...
    I am not sure what you are counting as a lap... A lap is from one end of the pool to the other and back. A length is one end to the other.
    So, in a 25 yard pool, 40 laps is a nautical mile (2000 yards); 35.2 laps is a statute mile (1760 yards); and a swimmer's mile is just under 33 laps (1640 yards).
    Standard international race length (referred to as the 'mile' is 1500 meters (1.5k) which is also coincidentally 1640 yards


    SO... To me, that means you did more than a mile no matter which way you look at it! Way to go!
  • GvMeSmthn2Lstn2
    GvMeSmthn2Lstn2 Posts: 73
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    A few years ago, I used to swim miles all the time. It's hard but feels sooo good afterwards. I did my first mile of the summer (and after losing more weight!) Monday and did it 15 minutes faster than I did last summer. It used to take me an hour. Monday, it took me 45 minutes :) still a long time but I'll take it!

    Good Job! keep it up! I did almost that same pattern. I always get bored with the breast and back stroke though, so I'd combine them in a set of 10, then do a freestyle for a set of 10 etc etc.

    Again, Congrats!
  • rjnandjosh
    rjnandjosh Posts: 168
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    I am proud of you!
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    i swam a mile today. straight minus a pee break midway through - yes i got out and used the toilet.

    i know it's not all that much and no one cares, but i'm proud.

    and i couldn't really share it with anyone at home since my sister - who just got home from college - who was on her college swim team and swam hundreds of laps each day - who is going to germany in a week - accidentally threw away her passport on campus, and my obsessive compulsive disordered father exploded a little.

    for those curious, a mile is 72 laps. i did 80 to make it a multiple of ten.
    i had done 40 on wednesday. 40 on monday. 30 the previous friday. 30 the previous monday. 30 the friday before that. 20 for MWF the two weeks before that. and 16 every other four days before that for a few weeks.

    i always do the same pattern:
    a: breast stroke - arms only (keep feet together)
    b: freestyle
    c: backstroke
    d: freestyle
    repeat.

    anyway it was my last day swimming for a while. i got my period. my gym membership is ending. i will be dyeing my hair. and i will be back in school and have no time for it.

    so next up is to try the couch to 5k i've seen in hundreds of posts here.

    Because the information was confusing me, and someone else asked...
    I am not sure what you are counting as a lap... A lap is from one end of the pool to the other and back. A length is one end to the other.
    So, in a 25 yard pool, 40 laps is a nautical mile (2000 yards); 35.2 laps is a statute mile (1760 yards); and a swimmer's mile is just under 33 laps (1640 yards).
    Standard international race length (referred to as the 'mile' is 1500 meters (1.5k) which is also coincidentally 1640 yards


    SO... To me, that means you did more than a mile no matter which way you look at it! Way to go!

    My bad, I did lengths then, not laps.
    on the dry erase board at my pool it said 36 laps = .5 mile, 72 laps = 1 mile.
    but i don't know what a lap is apparently so never mind anything.
  • concordancia
    concordancia Posts: 5,320 Member
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    i swam a mile today. straight minus a pee break midway through - yes i got out and used the toilet.

    i know it's not all that much and no one cares, but i'm proud.

    and i couldn't really share it with anyone at home since my sister - who just got home from college - who was on her college swim team and swam hundreds of laps each day - who is going to germany in a week - accidentally threw away her passport on campus, and my obsessive compulsive disordered father exploded a little.

    for those curious, a mile is 72 laps. i did 80 to make it a multiple of ten.
    i had done 40 on wednesday. 40 on monday. 30 the previous friday. 30 the previous monday. 30 the friday before that. 20 for MWF the two weeks before that. and 16 every other four days before that for a few weeks.

    i always do the same pattern:
    a: breast stroke - arms only (keep feet together)
    b: freestyle
    c: backstroke
    d: freestyle
    repeat.

    anyway it was my last day swimming for a while. i got my period. my gym membership is ending. i will be dyeing my hair. and i will be back in school and have no time for it.

    so next up is to try the couch to 5k i've seen in hundreds of posts here.

    Because the information was confusing me, and someone else asked...
    I am not sure what you are counting as a lap... A lap is from one end of the pool to the other and back. A length is one end to the other.
    So, in a 25 yard pool, 40 laps is a nautical mile (2000 yards); 35.2 laps is a statute mile (1760 yards); and a swimmer's mile is just under 33 laps (1640 yards).
    Standard international race length (referred to as the 'mile' is 1500 meters (1.5k) which is also coincidentally 1640 yards


    SO... To me, that means you did more than a mile no matter which way you look at it! Way to go!

    Yep, I came up with 1.2 miles based on 80 lengths of a 25 meter pool - double that if you were not confusing laps and lengths. A meter is slightly longer than a yard, so going back and forth between pool lengths and miles can be tricky.
  • bcweisen
    bcweisen Posts: 118 Member
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    I am very proud of you. I've been swimming a lot too. I was a varsity swimmer in highschool, but am obviously WAY out of shape. I just started back about a month ago. I swim 1-2 x/week. I have seen such a difference in a short time. I swam 2600 yds today (104 lengths) and my new goal consists of doing my flipturns all the time instead of that exhausted huge breath open turn. I also did 100 yds of butterfly continuously for the first time in a long time. That was my big accomplisment. I vary my workouts all the time because swimming that long straight would get boring for me. Friend me if you wannapick my brain about workouts. I'd love to have a swim-buddy (even if it is long-distance).
  • jamielise2
    jamielise2 Posts: 432 Member
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    That's great! When I first started swimming I couldn't even complete one length without a break. Now in many of my strokes I can do a full lap (there and back), and am getting stronger. I've been swimming at least 1/2 a mile a day, 3 or 4 days a week. I'm up to being able to swim 20 laps in an hour - shooting for being able to complete 24 laps (2/3 mile) in an hour within a month. These NSV's are critical to continued motivation.
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    Yep, I came up with 1.2 miles based on 80 lengths of a 25 meter pool - double that if you were not confusing laps and lengths. A meter is slightly longer than a yard, so going back and forth between pool lengths and miles can be tricky.
    I think it was 80 lengths of a 25 yard pool since I live in the US. I'm not really sure... on my gym website it just says "junior olympic pool."
    It took me about an hour and a half with my short breaks and stopping to count how many laps - sorry, lengths - I did by the position of my water bottle in the tiles lol. On average it takes me a min per length. Of course it's faster with freestyle and slower with breast (arms only).
    I am very proud of you. I've been swimming a lot too. I was a varsity swimmer in highschool, but am obviously WAY out of shape. I just started back about a month ago. I swim 1-2 x/week. I have seen such a difference in a short time. I swam 2600 yds today (104 lengths) and my new goal consists of doing my flipturns all the time instead of that exhausted huge breath open turn. I also did 100 yds of butterfly continuously for the first time in a long time. That was my big accomplisment. I vary my workouts all the time because swimming that long straight would get boring for me. Friend me if you wannapick my brain about workouts. I'd love to have a swim-buddy (even if it is long-distance).
    Wow that's great! I cant do the flip turns. I don't know how and I don't want to try on my own and look stupid trying to figure it out while getting water up my nose. Since, I never intend on swimming competitively, it's not important to me anyway. I just turn around when I get to the wall.
    I am hesitant to add people because I have an eating disorder among other issues, and I don't want to drag people into my problems. I also won't be much of a swim buddy since that was my last time swimming for quite a bit! :(
    That being said, if you still want to be friends, add me and I'll accept. Just don't say I didn't warn you.
    That's great! When I first started swimming I couldn't even complete one length without a break. Now in many of my strokes I can do a full lap (there and back), and am getting stronger. I've been swimming at least 1/2 a mile a day, 3 or 4 days a week. I'm up to being able to swim 20 laps in an hour - shooting for being able to complete 24 laps (2/3 mile) in an hour within a month. These NSV's are critical to continued motivation.
    That's excellent improvement. :D
    Do you do freestyle or what?
  • Swimgoddess
    Swimgoddess Posts: 711 Member
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    That's awesome! I was barely reaching the 1800yd mark before I traded in for maintaining bleach blonde hair and circuit weight training a couple months ago. My primary goal at the time was to swim the first 800yds free using camouflage trousers as drag (a form of torture the Marine Corps invented). Now you kinda motivated me to get back to it and attempt the whole thing & maybe swimming it slick for time.

    I need to get back to swimming again since I abhor dryland cardio (my lol excuse? I can't control my breathing when I run, but I can in the pool). I could REALLY use some MFP swim buddies if you or anyone else is interested. I swam USS regional level before having bilateral knee surgery at 14 (competitive breaststroke tears them up something fierce), did some lifeguarding gigs and finally ended up a combat water survival instructor in the Marines.
  • supersecretsquirrel1877
    supersecretsquirrel1877 Posts: 47
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    I didn't reach my goal in a pool but yesterday reached 2 miles jogging without stopping! That was huge for me but also had no one to go home and tell. Great job!
  • ruffledviolet
    ruffledviolet Posts: 260
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    That's awesome! I was barely reaching the 1800yd mark before I traded in for maintaining bleach blonde hair and circuit weight training a couple months ago. My primary goal at the time was to swim the first 800yds free using camouflage trousers as drag (a form of torture the Marine Corps invented). Now you kinda motivated me to get back to it and attempt the whole thing & maybe swimming it slick for time.

    I need to get back to swimming again since I abhor dryland cardio (my lol excuse? I can't control my breathing when I run, but I can in the pool). I could REALLY use some MFP swim buddies if you or anyone else is interested. I swam USS regional level before having bilateral knee surgery at 14 (competitive breaststroke tears them up something fierce), did some lifeguarding gigs and finally ended up a combat water survival instructor in the Marines.

    I hear you on the breathing thing!!! And sorry, but I won't be swimming for now. Going to try to work on jogging. But bcweisen was looking for a swim buddy as well!

    Oh and I swim with a one piece and shorts. that's enough for me. :D

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