Solo Swimmers

Had forgotten about this thread. So a couple of funny ones. A lady I've now seen a couple of times. Elderly, Asian*. First time I saw her in the pool, she was doing something resembling *** stroke, but she wouldn't get her face in the water. I offered to lend her my spare goggles. She declined. So I eventually notice that she has a paper towel at the end of the pool, and every time she finished a lap, she would use it to dry off her face. Kind of weird to swim if one doesn't want to get their face wet. Next one. Some of the water aerobic/zoomba folks. There are some new ones (ladies). They wear gym shorts and some kind of shirts in the water. No idea if there are suits under them, or just the clothes. And shower caps. You know, those big clear, thin plastic things with the elastic? Yep, those. * Not sure how many have known many/any Asian folks who swim. From talking to a fellow parent (on my kids' team), apparently, at least in some parts of China, maybe more widespread, *** stroke is the default stroke people there learn to swim in the same way that we learn freestyle. Only mentioned that since I mentioned her swimming *** stroke, and why I didn't really think much of it other than her unwillingness to get her face wet. This was true in the US and Europe in the 19th century. The stroke was breaststroke but freestyle or crawl was not known until the end of the 19th century. I have also swam head out breaststroke as well but not because I don't want to get my face wet.

I am now a solo swimmer too..I was training twice in a master-team but there are always some problems. First: The team is not really a team..People who swim and train together are not automatically a team. If there are too much interest out there is hard to fit everyone to one common goal. Second: The common training program don't fit me well enough. After almost ten years as a master swimmer, I have an understanding what I need to train and how to prepare for a meet in the best way. Third: If you don't have people, who are better than you, you can't get better. Its a simple fact. People just try to pull you always on their level and not otherwise. So, If I want improve and get better, I have to listen to my body and benefit from my experiences. So is better for me to train solo.

:welcome: Welcome to our world, Martin! It's nice to have you join us! You brought up some great points about the benefits of training solo. Thanks!

Shower caps, yup. Don't know where that style came from but I see it all the time, mostly people water walking or splishy splashing in the shallow end. And those are the same people who don't shower before getting in the pool.

Crazy fun workout. Did 200 kick mainly *** and some fly. 200 pull, mainly free and some fly. 400 free swim near the beginning of workout 8:05 to 8:07 time faster than at senior Olympics last year at 8:22. 200 IM at 2:33. 100 Im at 2:19. Sprint free with dive at 46 seconds, rested 3 to 4 minutes. The time before sprint breaststroke from dive at 55 seconds.

Also, 4 weeks ago at 2:16 backstroke in workouts. Not swimming backstroke though.

So, solo folks, how do you time yourself accurately? “Regardless of the staggering dimensions of the world about us, the density of our ignorance, the risks of catastrophes to come, and our individual weakness within the immense collectivity, the fact remains that we are absolutely free today if we choose to will our existence in its finiteness, a finiteness which is open on the infinite. And in fact, any man who has known real loves, real revolts, real desires, and real will knows quite well that he has no need of any outside guarantee to be sure of his goals; their certitude comes from his own drive.” ― Simone de Beauvoir, The Ethics of Ambiguity As for me, I just use the pace clock. If the clocks aren't synched from one end to the other, I just do 50s (25 yard/meter pool) or 100s (50 meter pool). If there are no pace clocks, I trust the certitude of my own drive.

Silly question: by myself, how do I time myself properly? I have a watch (boring, ordinary digital watch with a stopwatch function). Starting in the water, I try to hit start as I push off, and this seems pretty accurate, but it feels like I could be doing it wrong? There are pace clocks at each end of the pool, but they are not usually in sync with each other (and if I'm in the far lanes, I can't see them well enough anyway.) So, solo folks, how do you time yourself accurately?

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.)

Thanks! (If the pace clocks were digital, I would have less worry - those I could see. No glasses and all I'm good for is watching the second hand spin.)