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.)
10687
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?
First time poster: Apologies if this is not the right place or content for this thread.
Trying to convert from lap swimmer to competition. After one year+ distance has increased to 2500yd four times a week (2000yd in 50 min on a good day)but times and cardio conditioning still would only give me a "floater" rating at any masters swim team. Isolation of trying to do it alone is also bothersome.
Question? - There is a coached masters team 50 miles away who swim alongside a High school team for early morning practice. Do you think I should continue solo or spring for the massive commitment of a team.
First time poster: Apologies if this is not the right place or content for this thread.
Trying to convert from lap swimmer to competition. After one year+ distance has increased to 2500yd four times a week (2000yd in 50 min on a good day)but times and cardio conditioning still would only give me a "floater" rating at any masters swim team. Isolation of trying to do it alone is also bothersome.
Question? - There is a coached masters team 50 miles away who swim alongside a High school team for early morning practice. Do you think I should continue solo or spring for the massive commitment of a team.
This is the PERFECT place and perfect forum. You and I have been following parallel paths over the past year. Good job on keeping up the yardage and the routine. One thing I will say is that i have been following the posted workouts over the past year. I actually still look at the ones that @swimdogs posted, rather than the current one, as I find it easier to match up some goals to the workouts without the benefit of a coach. But I would definitely suggest looking at that, and seeing if you can make that fit. I would love to join a team, but my kids' commitments keep me from being able to do so. I keep thinking aboutt trying to drop in on occasion, but I haven't been able to, yet.
Thanks for your reply. I will check out some swimdog workouts. I tried some posted workouts last year and thought I was going to drown with every lap but I am slightly more in shape this spring. Thanks again. It would be great to be on a team again.
That sounds like me. I posted something about it probably a year ago. Yeah, they are BRUTAL when you first start. Have to build up to them, but it comes quickly. Shoot, I'm going through that stage now, as I'm trying to increase my underwaters off of each turn. It is killing my workouts, but I know that in a few weeks, I'll be used to it, and swimming faster/better.
So this isn't an actual solo swimmers thing but since I was solo thought I'd share. I was doing a couple of easy laps after water aerobics this week as I've been cleared to swim but told to ease into it (still can't get a good stretch with my right arm). I stopped to watch a swimmer in another lane who was just motoring along. I thought she had fins she was so fast (she didn't). Her stroke and movement were perfect. I said something to the lady next to me about what an awesome swimmer she was.
And here's where it gets hilarious.
She said, "no, I don't like how she swims. She puts her face in the water and you're not supposed to do that."
She then proceeded to show me how she swims with her head out of the water and told me it was how you're supposed to do it. She said something about if you're a lifeguard you need to see where you're going.
I can tell you she didn't swim like any lifeguard I've ever seen. I told her it would hurt my neck to swim like that. She was adamant that swimming with your face in the water is wrong.
I just left her to her own thing. Where do people come up with this stuff? I'd usually try to tell her she's wrong and that nobody trains that way, but it was a lovely day and I was joyful just being back in the water and yes, feeling the water on my face, seeing the pool through goggles, I didn't bother. :chug: Cheers.
Thanks for your reply. I will check out some swimdog workouts. I tried some posted workouts last year and thought I was going to drown with every lap but I am slightly more in shape this spring. Thanks again. It would be great to be on a team again.
I think a local masters team about 35 miles from me Saddlebrook has a great idea for older swimmers. They have a A and B group. The A group does 3,000 yards a day when they mainly do freestyle and about 2,000 when the mainly do strokes. They do 1,500 a day both freestyle and strokes for the B group. I think IM and doing all the strokes including your worst is better than a lot of freestyle. Just my idea.
:lmao: :lolup: :laugh2: :rofl: I literally laughed out loud at that one! Was she really serious or just pulling your leg? I take it she has never watched the Olympics, and she definitely has never taken swimming lessons before. I wonder if SHE has ever wondered why everybody DOES put their faces in the water when they swim. For that matter, has it ever occurred to her why goggles were invented??? Now, if y'all were discussing water polo swimming technique, she would have had a point!
Back to reality, how cool you were feeling joyful about being back in the water. That is what swimming is all about: JOY! :bliss:
Yes, for us they can swim, its kind of funny.
I think a local masters team about 35 miles from me Saddlebrook has a great idea for older swimmers. They have a A and B group. The A group does 3,000 yards a day when they mainly do freestyle and about 2,000 when the mainly do strokes. They do 1,500 a day both freestyle and strokes for the B group. I think IM and doing all the strokes including your worst is better than a lot of freestyle. Just my idea.
Well, today I did 1,000 yards. About 400 pull and kicking. 3 sets of 50's of each stroke. Going on the 2:00 on the first 4, slower times. Going on the 3:00 the last 2 where I hit, 54 freestyle, 1:04 backstroke, and 1:00 fly and 59 breaststroke. That total 600 yards.
And here's where it gets hilarious.
She said, "no, I don't like how she swims. She puts her face in the water and you're not supposed to do that."
:lmao: :lolup: :laugh2: :rofl: I literally laughed out loud at that one! Was she really serious or just pulling your leg? I take it she has never watched the Olympics, and she definitely has never taken swimming lessons before. I wonder if SHE has ever wondered why everybody DOES put their faces in the water when they swim. For that matter, has it ever occurred to her why goggles were invented??? Now, if y'all were discussing water polo swimming technique, she would have had a point!
Back to reality, how cool you were feeling joyful about being back in the water. That is what swimming is all about: JOY! :bliss:
Thanks for your reply. I will check out some swimdog workouts. I tried some posted workouts last year and thought I was going to drown with every lap but I am slightly more in shape this spring. Thanks again. It would be great to be on a team again.
Laurie Val's very fast time in 100 yard backstroke of 1:03.96. This would have probably got her into consideration for nationals in backstroke in the late 1960's or almost in the early 1970's when she swam as a young women. If you did about 6 seconds ahead of that time when she was younger she would have probably made the Olympic team in backstroke in 1968. I figure with age 66 and in very good shape a difference of about 6 seconds if Laurie Val was in her late teens or early 20's again. Around a 58 for a young person.
