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?
Former Member
Seriously? You would leave swimming because of a mean comment you read on the internet? If you enjoy swimming, as Dory said, "Just keep swimming!" Do yourself a favor, too, and don't let a total stranger on the internet make you feel bad! As the moderators of these Forums know, I was bullied by a few members, because they didn't like my blue Comic Sans Font. They tried to make me feel bad, but no can do! Here's the funny thing: I haven't seen them on the Forums in a long time, and I'm still here writing in my blue Comic Sans Font. To them, I say, " :thhbbb: !"
Thanks Elaine and Dory. That makes me feel better.
If you love swimming, I'd say, keep on swimming. If you don't like an internet site's posters, I'd say, don't go back to that site. As Elaine points out, those are total strangers, somewhere in the world, with computer connections. You know nothing about them, that is likely to have anything to do with you or your swimming, right?
I have only been here on the USMS forums for a few months, but, everyone HERE seems friendly and generous with help and advice. (And, no one here has ever suggested anyone should watch TV :bolt:. Don't stay places where people make you feel bad -- find people and places that are challenging, enjoyable, and civil (of course).
f!refl1est, thanks for the encourgagement.
There will always be those who have to intimidate or force their beliefs on others, make others look bad. The problem doesn't lie with you. Maybe a look at www.betterhelp.com/.../ will help you understand more about why people do that and you can see none of it has to do with anything being wrong with you. Its them.
Cliques also work the same way, and could have been another reason for what you experienced. It does happen on here (there have been posts about it in years past), and there is a term called gaslighting that is also used.
Bottom line: its not you, hope you enjoy your swimming.
Thanks. I like your comment
Grrr, wannabe lifeguard! Heck it's not HER pool.
Hey, good to hear you got to swim, even if just a little bit!
I have my lesson tonight!! :cheerleader:
Sounds like you ran into a troll. Why the heck would you listen to a total stranger? Sure the Internet can be a scary place but it can also be a place where you find forums like this one where folks support each other and are friendly and kind.
I ran into a troll today at the pool. I actually took a water aerobics class because my shoulder's still acting up and I just wanted to be in the water. After, I decided to test a few laps to see if I was all right. Well, some grumpy old broad came over and told me I couldn't do laps there because people were water walking and I needed to get into the lap lane. I looked at her and said, I can be anywhere I want. There's no rule that says I can't swim here and I'm not getting in anybody's way. Besides, there was someone in the lane next to me. And what about the water walkers who hog the lap lanes? I can't even tell you how many times I've seen people walking in the lap lanes. So Pfffffft on that. Don't ever let anyone tell you what to do. Nuff said.
I did a 2,000 yard workout which is the first time since last summer. 600 yards of kicking with the board and 1,200 swimming. Did a 400 yard freestyle and swam it slow at 8:17. This means I will not do this at the local senior meet which has the 400 yard freestyle as the last event. Did two 200 yard Im at 4: 28 and 4:34, 200 yard breaststroke at 4:29, and 100 yard fly at 2:14, and 100 yard back at 2:32, 100 yard breaststroke at 2:16, 100 yard freestyle at 2:00. Kicking with the board mainly Breaststroke with some butterfly and freestyle kicking. I had a small leg crapped after the last 100 yard breaststroke at the end of the workout.
