Good point. Was more questioning the blue max resistance level and wondering if I’m just going to find that way too resistive as a non-elite swimmer. Not clear from my question in reflection
1 Like
I’ve got 2 (fitness mad I think the brand is). Medium blue and strong red. I do more than swim stroke with them but find the blue good enough for most swim stuff. To make harder move further away from the door so that they already have a stretch before you apply pressure.
Also when using them do the recovery drill, so face away from the door and simulate your recovery. Look on you tube for ideas of different uses. I got a thin booklet of different stretches with mine so you can do a bit of a strength workout.
So…we can drive “a reasonable distance” for exercise, so long as it’s longer than the drive…
…Pickmere is a public lake where swimming is allowed. It’s 7 miles from my house now, or a 20 minute drive.
So I’d have to swim for 40 minutes whilst the dog, my wife and daughter, watch me from the jetty.
1 Like
Shepperton is 4.5 miles from my home.
Can not wait for that lake to reopen. Their social accounts have been posting pics of it looking sublime.
5 Likes
I really am missing swimming. Would love to get back in the water like Matt has been able to do
A friend of mine has been skins swimming every day. Wasn’t looking quite so pretty this morning though! 
Anyone else find Shepperton can be a bit full of people taking selfies and generally looking very pleased with themselves for being out swimming ? The people who work there seem lovely but there seems to be a bit of a ‘scene’ to it somehow.
I think previous remark is probably influenced by the retweets on their twitter feed more than real life experiences thinking about it.
#myhappyplace etc. etc.
1 Like
Try joining the Outdoor Swimming Society on FB, or the Outdoor Selfie Society as I now call it.
There is definitely a scene that seems to consist of spending as little time in the water as possible, expending as little energy as possible whilst maximising social media posts about being a “wild swimmer” (debatable with lifeguards, changing rooms and showers)
They’ve actually banned posts of people doing tethered swimming in paddling pools after about the 100th one in the space of a few days.
1 Like
Don’t start me on wild swimming! It’s just swimming! There’s nothing new or wild about swimming in a river or a lake. Millions of people do it in this big thing called the sea every summer!
2 Likes
I know what you mean. I’m definitely guilty of snapping a pic of the lake if the sun’s out.
Try and get there early around 6:30 - 7 for my swims though, so fairly quiet then
Yeah but Jocasta says it’s the mental health benefits and feeling at one with nature which is simply divine.
1 Like
I do find similar with respect to cold water swimming. I just don’t see the appeal of heading to London lidos on a Sunday morning in the winter, to swim one or two lengths, and then sit in a heated jacuzzi and take a selfie. A lot of faff (and discomfort!) for no real return.
But a lot of our club do it every week
2 Likes
I’d just been messing around initially, but found the following on ST (https://forum.slowtwitch.com/forum/Slowtwitch_Forums_C1/Triathlon_Forum_F1/Swim_Cord_Workouts_P7196882).
Only done the first couple of sessions so far but it feels like my time is now a lot more productive. It’s really well structured in the training peaks workouts, with direct links to all the relevant YouTube videos of each drill in the activity description.
Recommended for anyone with cords looking to do some simple 15-20min sessions.
1 Like
@Hammerer (and others)
So Ive been using a version of the warmup set you have me what a year, maybe two years ago now?
800m WU
200 FS easy
200 as 4x50 alternating breast/back
200 as 4x50 PB increasing RPE 6,7,8,9
200 as 8x25 RPE 8/9 off 30’
Any suggestions on how I could adapt this for lake swimming. Frankly the idea of backstroke lasted less than a second in my mind once I got in the water…!
Bonus question: …butterfly OW?
I think my main sets are limited my the buoy distance.
I would never have recommended Breaststroke in a warm up, and no kicking. Shame on you 
But to answer your question, some dry land mobilisation work followed by some very easy swimming gradually building pace to just above the pace of your session. Doesnt need to be complicated
1 Like
Ah, I liked that warmup routine (and yes yours had kicking which Im terrible at) and Im not planning on going back to the pools if they open so Im trying to transfer everything to OW for the rest of the season…and assuming Im still out of work 
Any tips for butterfly in OW? I only started learning it the beginning of this year, so Im 50% drowning even in perfect conditions 
Try single arm fly. Work on kick timing. Kick On the way in, kick again on the way out. Do some fly kicking on back is good also. Breathing pattern can vary as a 2/1 or 2/2 format . (Strokes per breath so 2 strokes breath 1 stroke breath or just every 2) head position crucial.
1 Like
It’s the timing of the kick that makes butterfly so hard, I will work on that kick timing whenever we get back to it. I was determined to improve backstroke this year too.
Before lockdown I was finally getting the hang of tumble turns, I have been focussing on the important stuff you see. They weren’t good but were tumble turns instead of a funny side flip and twist. Our masters coach saw me do one and told me straight away how to solve it.
1 Like
I haven’t swum since 16th March. Just checked.