Hey, solo swimmers! :wave: Welcome to the thread for all of us who train solo. Whether you train on your own due to a lack of a Masters team in your area (or for any other reason), this is our virtual locker room. Please post training tips that you think would be helpful, or anything else you would like to share with the rest of us. Have a rant? Go ahead and vent here! :rantonoff:
I'll start with a tip:
The most frustrating thing for me training solo is not having a coach on deck to evaluate my stroke and keep me on track, so I bought a waterproof camera and enlisted the help of my husband to periodically shoot video of all four strokes. Shooting underwater video became a knee/back buster, so I bought a camera mount and attached it to PVC pipe, so my husband could stand up straight to shoot underwater video. The camera gets dunked underwater, and he twists the pipe to pan the camera as I swim by.
Today, I bought a 2-pack of 12-inch "Gear Tie" reusable rubber twist ties (available at Home Depot), so I can tie the PVC pipe to the pool ladder (located in the corner of the pool) and shoot video myself. (If I angle the camera just right and keep it on wide angle, I can video me coming and going.)
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After each video session, I upload the videos to my desktop computer and compare my stroke to my favorite Go Swim stroke videos to see what I'm doing well (or not). I also post them on the Forums for feedback.
Ok, solo swimmers, what's your tip?
Sumorunner: I am convinced the people who use your pool have cloned themselves and populated every pool across the universe! :afraid: Everywhere I have swum, I have seen the same types you have described. We have them here in my Sun City community as well. I feel your pain. :bighug:
Denise: I hope you enjoy your new community. Did you ask how long the pool was going to be when you were shopping for a house? "Lap fitness pool" is up to interpretation, as you found out.
My main requirement in moving to a new community was that it had to have an indoor pool I could train in all year around-- or, be located very close to one. Ground had just been broken on the pool when we first looked at this community; however, I asked A LOT of questions about the pool before we made our decision. The only bummer for me was that I was told the water temperature would be kept at 82 degrees; however, the whiny noodlers won out in getting the temperature increased a couple of years after we moved in. :bitching: Thankfully, they didn't get their desired 86 degrees-- the compromise of 84 was bad enough!
Regarding the assurances you received after shoulder surgery, I'm sure you doctor based that on normal usage and activities. Packing and moving is very strenuous repetitive stress on the shoulders (as I remember). Did you continue to do physical therapy after your surgery to keep the shoulders strong and prepare them for such stress? If not, it is something I HIGHLY recommend.
I had back surgery in 1987, TOS surgery on my shoulder in 1993, and hip surgery in 2014. I am still doing the PT exercises I was given for all three of those surgeries, and I do them each day after my swim (six days per week). Some of them are great for warm-up, so I do those before I swim.
Denise, I would recommend going back to physical therapy. and seeing what you need to do to get back in the pool.
Good luck!
Sumorunner: I am convinced the people who use your pool have cloned themselves and populated every pool across the universe! :afraid: Everywhere I have swum, I have seen the same types you have described. We have them here in my Sun City community as well. I feel your pain. :bighug:
Denise: I hope you enjoy your new community. Did you ask how long the pool was going to be when you were shopping for a house? "Lap fitness pool" is up to interpretation, as you found out.
My main requirement in moving to a new community was that it had to have an indoor pool I could train in all year around-- or, be located very close to one. Ground had just been broken on the pool when we first looked at this community; however, I asked A LOT of questions about the pool before we made our decision. The only bummer for me was that I was told the water temperature would be kept at 82 degrees; however, the whiny noodlers won out in getting the temperature increased a couple of years after we moved in. :bitching: Thankfully, they didn't get their desired 86 degrees-- the compromise of 84 was bad enough!
Regarding the assurances you received after shoulder surgery, I'm sure you doctor based that on normal usage and activities. Packing and moving is very strenuous repetitive stress on the shoulders (as I remember). Did you continue to do physical therapy after your surgery to keep the shoulders strong and prepare them for such stress? If not, it is something I HIGHLY recommend.
I had back surgery in 1987, TOS surgery on my shoulder in 1993, and hip surgery in 2014. I am still doing the PT exercises I was given for all three of those surgeries, and I do them each day after my swim (six days per week). Some of them are great for warm-up, so I do those before I swim.
Denise, I would recommend going back to physical therapy. and seeing what you need to do to get back in the pool.
Good luck!
