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 also use a "boring" digital watch (a waterproof one); however, I keep the stop watch running and have it sitting at the edge of the pool (unless I am timing myself on a 25 sprint). When it lands on the :59, I get get into motion to blast off the wall at :00. When I return, I look up to see my time without stopping the watch. After one hour, I reset my watch, because the second display is too small to see after that point.
My method may not be 100% accurate; however, if you do it the exact same way every time, it's all relative! I've been doing it this way for 8 years, and it works perfectly fine for me. As a matter of fact, when I travel and swim at a pool without a digital pace clock, I use my trusty ol' watch. (I keep it on my wrist, though, so it doesn't get stepped on, kicked around, or stolen.)
I also use a "boring" digital watch (a waterproof one); however, I keep the stop watch running and have it sitting at the edge of the pool (unless I am timing myself on a 25 sprint). When it lands on the :59, I get get into motion to blast off the wall at :00. When I return, I look up to see my time without stopping the watch. After one hour, I reset my watch, because the second display is too small to see after that point.
My method may not be 100% accurate; however, if you do it the exact same way every time, it's all relative! I've been doing it this way for 8 years, and it works perfectly fine for me. As a matter of fact, when I travel and swim at a pool without a digital pace clock, I use my trusty ol' watch. (I keep it on my wrist, though, so it doesn't get stepped on, kicked around, or stolen.)
