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.)
10687
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?
I got the opposite advice. I was a runner for 40 yrs and got spinal arthritis pinching a nerve. The pain shot up to 11. I could not sleep for days. I could not eat and lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I was told no more running. Got a second and third opinion. No more running. They showed me the X-rays and explained in detail what and why. I rested and did rehab for a month. Now walking is OK and swimming is preferred. I can still even do 200 pushups in my morning routine, no pain, so here I am a new swimmer. My shifting vertebrae are in the lower back which does not twist much when swimming and there is no impact. Now it does not hurt at all. I would assume your spinal problem is upper, neck and shoulder area, which could present a problem regardless of how good your technique is. Listen to them, spinal problems are serious business.
I got the opposite advice. I was a runner for 40 yrs and got spinal arthritis pinching a nerve. The pain shot up to 11. I could not sleep for days. I could not eat and lost 10 lbs in 2 weeks. I was told no more running. Got a second and third opinion. No more running. They showed me the X-rays and explained in detail what and why. I rested and did rehab for a month. Now walking is OK and swimming is preferred. I can still even do 200 pushups in my morning routine, no pain, so here I am a new swimmer. My shifting vertebrae are in the lower back which does not twist much when swimming and there is no impact. Now it does not hurt at all. I would assume your spinal problem is upper, neck and shoulder area, which could present a problem regardless of how good your technique is. Listen to them, spinal problems are serious business.
