Kupla71 wrote: »

The pool in my building reopened! My first swim was 50 minutes of breaststroke. I was amazed I had the endurance after being away for so long. I tried a little front crawl. I’m only starting to learn how to breathe with that one. All around I’m happy with my swim! 😃 Feels great!!

Ain't it great? I love breaststroke. Not much beats gliding after a good whip kick and feeling the water flow over me.

We have many details to coordinate with any swimming stroke, and breathing while swimming freestyle (front crawl) doesn't come naturally to most of us. You may already know: you needn't lift your head to breathe--if you've just finished a stroke on that side, you'll be almost on your side and you can just turn your head. Finish exhaling as you're turning your head to breathe. Turn your head just enough to get your mouth out of the water. Best to still have one eye in the water while sucking in that lungful of air. Oh, yeah, if your pool doesn't have wave reducing lane lines, breathing during freestyle is twice as hard!

Lots of parts to get right, but it's fun getting there!

I swimmed! this then that. It good. then home to pick blueberries & bake sourdough. yummy

Well, since our city pools and community center (and university) gyms are closed indefinitely, my husband and I took a leap and ordered a waterrower. I've rowed on water. I've rowed on a Concept 2, but never a waterrower. One of our adult daughters lives with us, so we decided that it was worth the investment for three adults to get a workout. Apparently it's quiet enough that we can use it early in the morning and not wake each other. I really miss swimming. I miss the repetitive, rhythmic movement, the full-body sustained cardio workout, and I REALLY miss my long and restful sleeps afterward. I'm hopeful that rowing can give me back some of that.

I'll still check on you, my swimming buddies. I'm glad some of you are still able to be out there swimming

Today: 1 mile @ 50 minutes

My gym has now got a 7-9am session, and instead of 2 lanes for everyone to bimble around in, they have put a fast lane in the middle so there is always somewhere for lap swimmers to go. Was so impressed by it this morning I did 2.5km.
Prob not sensible but my shoulder only aching slightly. Vague ab and back DOMs already though! Never had those from swimming before. Crazy days getting swim fitness back, but gods I have missed being in the water!

10,000 yards today 2:47.22

Today: 1 mile @ 48 minutes

Kupla71 wrote: »

Got another 50 minute swim in today. Right now residents of my building are only allowed to book the pool once a week, so once a week it will be. Still. Great to be back in the water!

Thanks kayak4water for the front crawl breathing tip! 😃

Hi Kupla71. Once a week makes it really tough to reinforce new and better stroke mechanics. I hope that situation improves for you soon.
I neglected to mention why lifting the head is undesirable when breathing in front crawl (if you call the stroke freestyle instead, you won't swim faster, but you'll sound more hip). When we lift our heads, our feet sink, and that causes more drag, slowing us down. We'd like to pretend we're swimming in a tube--the narrower the tube, the faster we swim. While I'm more interested in technique than in speed, I still like to eliminate things that slow us down.
I strongly endorser Chloe Sutton's YouTube video on breathing: https://youtu.be/Fz5cSYbnKkc
If you work on one thing at a time and be obsessive about it, you'll get better before you know it!

Have great swims!

3 one hour swims so far this week!

Hi everyone.

Haven't posted in ages, but have still been swimming. We have been very fortunate here in New Zealand where the pools were only closed for 2 months between March and May. Although all the masters events have been cancelled for the year, I have carried on swimming 4 or 5 times a week.

This Saturday I will be doing a 8km swim to raise money for our national specialist Children's hospital - far further than I have ever swum before so feeling a tad nervous!

This was today's session.