swim regularly

Went to the big pool, so longer lengths to try the new technique, although the facilities etc are not so nice there. It’s coming along well but I do need more practice.

However the session was cut short by some old dear having an asthma attack in the pool and having to be rescued. All very scary of course but thankfully she was OK. At least I am comforted by the speed and response of the lifeguards there which was amazing.

Half a mile…but I was so achey I did well to do any I think. But I am getting better at my breathing, so my swimming will be more efficient. I tried breathing every other stroke in my breaststroke, and for the most part this went well. So I then decided to see if I could breathe every four instead of every two in crawl (I only seem to be able to breathe on the left side), and yes this was working for the most part too.

So I want to go again now and build on this.

I did 1 km, alternate breast stroke and crawl. Not so achey as I was on Monday. However I have discovered that the website where I havebeen logging my swims I have been logging lengths at 25yds when they are 25m, so I have actually swum further cumulatively than I thought!! When I get chance I must recalculate and put in the extra meterage. I might be coming up for my next badge!!!

I’m not going to achieve a mile in under 30 mins. But I want to keep a swimming goal, so I have transferred it over here.

I went swimming yesterday (the first time in a couple of months) and I did over a kilometre, alternate breast stroke and front crawl. Today I ache all over, and I slept really badly because of the aches. I’m not sure if it is due to the exercise or because I came off the pain killers (or both). However I really enjoyed the swim and I must make it a regular feature.

Polished up my strokes. I can do 2 lengths of crawl now and then am totally out of breath, but have not improved on the speed. Anyway I have now complete 16km since I came back to swimming so feel I should award myself the 10 mile badge!!

Going for a gym and spa session on Sunday so will be practising hard then.

I feel I have conquered crawl. WooHoo!! I did a length in 30 secs today, and I can do about two lengths now without stopping for a breather. So my crawl is now officially faster than my breast stroke.

I guess it is just practice now.

I can now confidently swim a length of crawl (25m that is – short lengths) but it is tiring. I did 21 lengths od alternate breast stroke and crawl before Teach arrived and then showed off my new skills.

I can do a length in 35 secs now which is a 5 sec improvement on last week…in seven weeks therefore I will be back before I’ve gone!

She says it is all practise now really to get my legs kicking better (nearer the surface and more fluently), she likes my stroke. She looked at my breast stroke and that is fine. I did some backstroke (about 4 lengths) but I still get cramp on my calves…my legs are too stiff, and I can’t seem to go straight, keep colliding with the ropes, so that needs a little work.

3 more lessons to go, I think she is struggling to think of things to suggest!! YAY!!

^{shall I ask about those fancy turns Moose does?}

I had 35 mins in the pool and was alternating lengths of breast stroke and crawl, using the breast stroke to gather my breath for the next crawl length. I did 32 lengths in total (half a mile) so I have actually slowed up, but I do feel I am exercising better, which is the main point of doing it, and I did have significant ‘standing at the side getting ready for the next length’ time, and I still had some interrupted lengths where I swallowed or inhaled water on the crawl ones. But there is an improvement, and practice will get me there I’m sure. Next lesson on Thursday.

and Teach was very pleased with me. The main problem is still my breathing, or rather the taking in of water instead of breathing, but I can on occasions manage a whole length, so that is good and a big improvement on last week. It takes me 40secs to do a 25m length in crawl and 35secs in breast stroke so my crawl is still too slow.

So I have to look up and backwards with my head turned and then breathe, and I can still only breathe to the left.

And I need to keep my legs closer to gether when I kick (keep them in my slipstream)

Hoping to get another practice session on Monday.

I did 22 lengths of crawl and it took me about half an hour, but it was done mainly in short bursts of up to half a length before I surfaced spluttering having swallowed water, and then periods of standing about recovering.

^{I’ve found all this water swallowing makes me burp hehe!}

So I know I can do it a lot quicker once I get the breathing sorted. I did manage to do a full length without stopping towards the end of my practice session. I think the trick is to keep my head flatter when I turn to breathe with my ear in the water and not lift it so much.

Next lesson is today, so hopefully I can do a bit of practice before Teach arrives.