Tales from a swimming club…
Last night, I was struggling with the 4 x 100m IM kick part of the set. 
But, during my painfully slow breaststroke kicking, I became aware of something…
Despite the fact I can’t use my hearing aids in the pool, the noise had been turned up to 11.
So, I looked across to my right to see six lanes of butterfly in full flow.
I know they are all club swimmers, but with over 30 of them going for it, it was still seriously impressive. 
Cheers, Paul. 
And then the lifeguards blow the whistle to tell them all to stop
Completed CSS test on Saturday, first one since last October.
400m - 6:48, 200m - 3:11, CSS - 1:49
I’m usually around the 1:40 mark (give or take a couple of seconds) but it’s the 400m that’s let me down, 20secs slower than usual with the 200m about normal.
I’m not surprised really as although I’ve been swimming a couple of times a week since June, it’s all been open water and, despite repeatedly saying I won’t, I tend to just cruise around enjoying the sunshine etc.
Further to my post above and in the Sports Science thread.
Last 2 weeks I’ve stuck with breathing every 2, exhaling steadily underwater and generally trying to relax.
I’ve also taken some pointers from ES swim analysis videos. As it’s Impossible to change all the parts of my stroke at once I’ve taken some repeat offenders from the videos, which I’m sure I do to a greater or lesser extent.
Off for another very expensive 30 min swim in a while.
My trouble is I keep trying to do intervals as if I have 2019 levels of speed. Urm, nope. Don’t really fancy a CSS test either. What;s the point anyway, as I’m going to canx my Nuffield membership at this rate, and (maybe) swim at ‘Lake Covid’ at the local leisure centre.
Last open water session of our season this morning. This is a still from a video I took of me chipping ice off the kayaks stored at the side of the lake.
I selflessly volunteered for shore duty today 
Not sure if this is the best way to post a video. The angle’s not the best but probably enough to spot a couple of issues.
Kick seems to be scissoring ( real word? )
Head to high when breathing ?
Feel free to laugh and point
Kind of hard to see, Id hazard that youve got low legs and hence the high head position. I see a touch of cross over too.
But yeah, tough camera angle, I wouldnt hang my hat on that assessment.
Have you considered Duathlon 
Its really tough to give advice remotely but a few things.
So tense, try to relax a bit more is a good start
Try to extend and go deeper on the entry as you seem to be doing the police stop sign
Keep that trunk more solid. Raw spaghetti!
Work on kick power use fins
Moving head to breath, it should be a whole body motion, pig on a spit. Look slightly back to create the bow wave and keep one goggle in the water
Back in the pool again, and doing proper swim training.
My pace is down about 8s/100m since March. I was swimming pool sets at 1:40/100m now swimming at 1:48/100m
On the positive side, I am probably 5s faster than this point last year, but have lost some of the gains I made over the winter.
3 steps forward 2 back
Yeah, I’ve not been back. Still have Nuffield membership frozen.
The local leisure centre has actually been really good. And at least I’m just paying for swimming, which is working out less than my Nuffield membership.
If we can actually eventually move, then where we want to move to has a Nuffield. So that will be ideal, being able to conveniently use a membership both at “home” and at work, assuming there is a rime in the future we actually go back. No indications anyone will be buying my flat any time soon however 
I’ve actually booked my first pool session since March for tomorrow. Stupidly sliced the base of my thumb open chopping wood yesterday. My whole right hand is aching and generally useless this morning 
Yeah, I’d say similar. Despite having been “swimming” 3+km in OW, when I got back in the pool it was scary just how bad my technique and swim endurance actually was. No hiding.
I’ve been back a number of weeks now, and it’s only in the last week I’d say I’m finally beginning to make headway. Endurance at a threshold type effort is still not there, but we were doing 200’s last night as 100 easy (few strokes as possible) straight into 100 faster. I managed to do the faster 100s at or around 1:30ish pace, so a more decent pace to be upping the effort to, even for shorter reps. 1:40 pace was unsustainable for prolonged swims when I got back in, so that’s a sign I’m beginning to get somewhere.
I’m intrigued to see what I could do for an aerobic endurance swim now. Still a long way off my best for 2k continuous no doubt, but hopefully now comfortably under 33 mins. PB is 30:58 from August last year
Similar ballpark here, I’d say I was about 4% slower (in need of some Nike goggles).
Started back around 6s/100m slower, now about 2-3s slower now based on recent CSS set done on feel, which then backed up with a 400/200 test which spat out exact same CSS value.
That’s with zero swimming from March to August, first gap longer than a month for ~23 years I reckon!
Would speculate that slightly lower difference is that my March performance is less a reflection of recent training and more just baseline which slower to lose.
Reflects my thoughts on the value of most OW swim sessions. Too easy/enjoyable to just get in and plod round.
Just sneaked in 1800m at lunch.
5x100 working on my flip turns @1:50-1:56
1min rest then
5x100 open turns @1:42-1:45
I think Ill be doing open turns for my IMVR swim!
Im wondering whether I should use a pull buoy for the IMVR swim, Id be doing all my main set with pb normally by now, as I barely kick at all in the open water.
I dont think its cheating, the rules or the spirit, but Im not sure.
I would give advice but you’ll ignore me and carry on as you were 
I have such a lovely view in the lake. however, my watch is completely useless when it come to accurately measuring pace in OW swimming, so I have had no idea what pace I have been swimming at, other than 2 triathlons, where I swam 2000m in 37 mins and 4000m in 1h15. In a pool the feedback is instant… my watch beeps every 26s so 1:44/100m pace if I hit the wall as it beeps.
In March, I could easily maintain this pace for 100 lengths, now I am missing it after less than 10 lengths. Then there is the whole side of keeping up: I made the transition from the 2nd to 3rd lane (out of 4) and was just hanging onto the swimmers in that lane. Now I am back in lane 2, at least I am at the front, but just not able to hang onto the faster swimmers
… however, I usually listen
Im also wondering whether its advantageous to take breaks given its in a pool. 2x1900 or 4x950.
Maybe not in the spirit of IM. I suppose the traffic will interrupt me enough anyway.
Surprisingly they say you need to do 3860m which is a bit annoying.
do you have to have a load of people punching and kicking you for the first 100m too?
