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?
Several thoughtful comments and great observations, 67! I will leave the first two paragraphs alone, because you nailed it. As for the third paragraph, I resemble those remarks! :cane:
As for the chuckle, how about a :lmao:?
Now, about hat gal with the 88 stroke count. There is one thing to be said about such inefficient swimming: At least it's burning calories! Ok, I'll add another thing: If she has arthritis, all that movement is probably helping those joints as well. Will she ever be a swimmer with that stroke? Uh, no, but good on her for being in the pool. :applaud: (That's my "glass half full" side of me that shuts me up when I want to say and do exactly what you described fighting the urge to do. I've seen the same thing at the Sun City pool where I train, and it is being done by my neighbors and friends. I just smile, say hello, and wish them a good day!)
Now, about that last paragraph, it is those very same people (see above) that compliment me on my swimming and ask about my meets. :angel: Yeah, it makes my day. If any of the other swimmers ask for help (and several have), I offer a video session (free, of course!), so they can see their own stroke. It makes the advice I give them a lot more meaningful and understandable to them, when they can see what I'm talking about!
Several thoughtful comments and great observations, 67! I will leave the first two paragraphs alone, because you nailed it. As for the third paragraph, I resemble those remarks! :cane:
As for the chuckle, how about a :lmao:?
Now, about hat gal with the 88 stroke count. There is one thing to be said about such inefficient swimming: At least it's burning calories! Ok, I'll add another thing: If she has arthritis, all that movement is probably helping those joints as well. Will she ever be a swimmer with that stroke? Uh, no, but good on her for being in the pool. :applaud: (That's my "glass half full" side of me that shuts me up when I want to say and do exactly what you described fighting the urge to do. I've seen the same thing at the Sun City pool where I train, and it is being done by my neighbors and friends. I just smile, say hello, and wish them a good day!)
Now, about that last paragraph, it is those very same people (see above) that compliment me on my swimming and ask about my meets. :angel: Yeah, it makes my day. If any of the other swimmers ask for help (and several have), I offer a video session (free, of course!), so they can see their own stroke. It makes the advice I give them a lot more meaningful and understandable to them, when they can see what I'm talking about!
