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?
I think Elaine is a pretty good swimmer for her age. Anyone that swims 200 yard FLy under 4:30 is doing great.
:smooch: Thanks, Cinc! I needed that! 200 Fly was by far my WORST event on the motivational time charts until I aged up to 55 and caught a bit of a break. Now, I at least have a chance of getting ON the charts when I'm healthy and able to train and compete in the event.
Ahem.:D I swim solo and that's the way I roll. I dislike swimming with other people so I don't.
Well, hello, Denise! :wave: Welcome to the conversation! I hear what you are saying. You know what I dislike? Swimming with other people in the warm-up pool at large, crowded meets, especially when it's crowded. You should have seen it in Montreal at the World Championships! What a zoo! I ended up with a bunch of bruises, and I'm lucky I got out of it without any broken bones.
Yes, I do know lane etiquette, and I know how to circle swim; but, *&%$ happens even when the other person does, too. It makes me nervous being in that situation, and it's the only negative thing about competing at Nationals. Having said that, I will never forget meeting Cullen Jones in the warm-up pool in Greensboro at Nationals. What a sweetheart!
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It's nobody's business but the person in the pool. No one has the right to judge anyone. I'm not hurting any master's group by not joining (in fact I was kicked out of a group two years ago because I didn't want to swim in a deep, already over-crowded lane and the coach told me to leave). Everyone swims for their own reason. For me, it's for weight and fitness. I think USMS would rather have by dues than not. I enjoy the forums and I enjoy meeting other swimmers on the rare occasion I go to watch meets. :agree: :applaud:
Everyone has some sort of issue, whether it be overcoming fear of the water as an adult (me) to having hip or knee or shoulder injuries, to having a crummy kick. You're certainly not the only person with physical issues. In fact, probably a good percentage of adults get into swimming because they had issues that kept them out of other sports. If a master's group folds, somewhere another master's is forming. If a group is losing members, down the road it'll pick up because everything is cyclical. Just get in the water and enjoy yourself in your own way and don't judge what anyone else does. :applaud:
I think Elaine is a pretty good swimmer for her age. Anyone that swims 200 yard FLy under 4:30 is doing great.
:smooch: Thanks, Cinc! I needed that! 200 Fly was by far my WORST event on the motivational time charts until I aged up to 55 and caught a bit of a break. Now, I at least have a chance of getting ON the charts when I'm healthy and able to train and compete in the event.
Ahem.:D I swim solo and that's the way I roll. I dislike swimming with other people so I don't.
Well, hello, Denise! :wave: Welcome to the conversation! I hear what you are saying. You know what I dislike? Swimming with other people in the warm-up pool at large, crowded meets, especially when it's crowded. You should have seen it in Montreal at the World Championships! What a zoo! I ended up with a bunch of bruises, and I'm lucky I got out of it without any broken bones.
Yes, I do know lane etiquette, and I know how to circle swim; but, *&%$ happens even when the other person does, too. It makes me nervous being in that situation, and it's the only negative thing about competing at Nationals. Having said that, I will never forget meeting Cullen Jones in the warm-up pool in Greensboro at Nationals. What a sweetheart!
11114 11115
It's nobody's business but the person in the pool. No one has the right to judge anyone. I'm not hurting any master's group by not joining (in fact I was kicked out of a group two years ago because I didn't want to swim in a deep, already over-crowded lane and the coach told me to leave). Everyone swims for their own reason. For me, it's for weight and fitness. I think USMS would rather have by dues than not. I enjoy the forums and I enjoy meeting other swimmers on the rare occasion I go to watch meets. :agree: :applaud:
Everyone has some sort of issue, whether it be overcoming fear of the water as an adult (me) to having hip or knee or shoulder injuries, to having a crummy kick. You're certainly not the only person with physical issues. In fact, probably a good percentage of adults get into swimming because they had issues that kept them out of other sports. If a master's group folds, somewhere another master's is forming. If a group is losing members, down the road it'll pick up because everything is cyclical. Just get in the water and enjoy yourself in your own way and don't judge what anyone else does. :applaud:
