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?
Breaststroke burns a bunch of calories - just ask ElaineK, one of the most fit swimmers I've ever met. It's her stroke and she's amazing. So don't worry if it's what you prefer. I've heard that some folks are just naturals at it. Me, I swim it like a one-legged frog and I'm out of breath halfway across the pool.
Congratulations on your commitment to swimming. I'm just getting into again after a long layoff and am out of breath after a lap. It takes time, so be patient. And yes, as realAlbertan says, a FINIS Tempo Trainer Pro can help, just set it to a slow speed to start out.
Breaststroke burns a bunch of calories - just ask ElaineK, one of the most fit swimmers I've ever met. It's her stroke and she's amazing. So don't worry if it's what you prefer. I've heard that some folks are just naturals at it. Me, I swim it like a one-legged frog and I'm out of breath halfway across the pool.
Congratulations on your commitment to swimming. I'm just getting into again after a long layoff and am out of breath after a lap. It takes time, so be patient. And yes, as realAlbertan says, a FINIS Tempo Trainer Pro can help, just set it to a slow speed to start out.
