Starting Swimming

tyllwyd

I'd go at a time when it's not lane swimming. I quite like just hanging out in the shallow end, holding onto the side of the pool, floating, kicking my legs, treading water, and swimming an occasional width. It's less daunting than trying to swim a length when you haven't built your strength up.

And I'd go during a 'family fun' session or similar - at least that way if you want to potter and float about slowly, you won't be mown down by fast swimmers doing lengths.

There_Goes_Trouble

If you want a swimsuit that covers your hips, have a look at a 'legsuit'. Most of the female swimmers in the Olympics were wearing them this year so they must be good!

http://www.simplyswim.com/products/Speedo/EndurancePlusSuperiorityLegsuit-BlackandWhite.aspx

System

I love swimming. I've been doing it 3-5 times a week for the past month. I am a size 18/20 and at first felt self concious, but honestly-no one cares. There are people of all sizes there and no-one really bats an eyelid. I tend to go for a swim in the evening (last session and it tends to be a bit quieter, and there's never any kids in my pool cos they tend to have the leisure swims in the other pool instead. I'm beyond caring how i look now, i even wear a swimming cap (as i;'ve found the cholrine tends to strip my hair of dyed colour!).

They have a slow, medium and fast lane where i go and i at the moment am in the slow lane but hoping to work up to medium.

PasturesNew

I would say, of lanes, that you should always stay out of the fast lane and probably the medium lane. Every pool will have a swimming club using the facilities - and the swimmers in that club will use the lanes for practise/swimming outside of club sessions .... and most of those swimmers are medal holders at county or national level. I am close to somebody who is a national gold medal holder in a fast stroke and they often get into rucks with 'the general public' who think they belong in the fast lane.... then get tetchy when the powerhouse swimmer practically mows them down when in full flow.

The_One_Who

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I have them too but they get fogged up and I can hardly see anyway. Don't suppose anyone has any tips for that??

I have to say that that has never been a problem for me. Are you sure they're fitting you correctly? It's probably a really bad idea, but I just dip mine in the water, rinse and go.

tyllwyd wrote: »

I'd go at a time when it's not lane swimming. I quite like just hanging out in the shallow end, holding onto the side of the pool, floating, kicking my legs, treading water, and swimming an occasional width. It's less daunting than trying to swim a length when you haven't built your strength up.

Thanks! Those are great ideas to built up to going a length.

During lane swimming my pool puts one or two lanes down, with the rest of the pool being for general use. So if I went during those times I'd stay out of the lanes and if wanting to do lengths just use the general area. That way I'm out of the way of the more serious swimmers.

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

If you want a swimsuit that covers your hips, have a look at a 'legsuit'. Most of the female swimmers in the Olympics were wearing them this year so they must be good!

http://www.simplyswim.com/products/Speedo/EndurancePlusSuperiorityLegsuit-BlackandWhite.aspx

Brilliant! I honestly didn't know such things were available outside of professional swimming, I'm obviously not in the know. Do you happen to know if there are any sports shops selling them, just so I can get an idea of fit and such like?

Gers

belfastgirl23 wrote: »

I have them too but they get fogged up and I can hardly see anyway. Don't suppose anyone has any tips for that??

You can spit in them and smear it around! Seriously. And do it whilst you're in the water so that you can wear them immediately.

Of course you can always buy either anti-fog googles or some commercial anti-mist spray too.

Gers

There_Goes_Trouble wrote: »

If you want a swimsuit that covers your hips, have a look at a 'legsuit'. Most of the female swimmers in the Olympics were wearing them this year so they must be good!

http://www.simplyswim.com/products/Speedo/EndurancePlusSuperiorityLegsuit-BlackandWhite.aspx

http://fastskin3.speedo.com/en/racing-system.aspx is what the swimmers were wearing - or their own suppliers similar options.

I'd be worried about the legs rolling up or pushing rolls of me down!

Gers

PasturesNew wrote: »

I would say, of lanes, that you should always stay out of the fast lane and probably the medium lane. Every pool will have a swimming club using the facilities - and the swimmers in that club will use the lanes for practise/swimming outside of club sessions .... and most of those swimmers are medal holders at county or national level. I am close to somebody who is a national gold medal holder in a fast stroke and they often get into rucks with 'the general public' who think they belong in the fast lane.... then get tetchy when the powerhouse swimmer practically mows them down when in full flow.

This sounds really bad manners. Outside of club sessions the lane swimming is aimed at the general public who are not members of a club and so want to swim lengths without being swamped by the 'powerhouse' swimmer mowing them down - no wonder the they moan.

I know lots of elite/high performance swimmers and none of them would dream of doing this, especially as they are doing 20 hours of training a week and have not got any spare time to indulge in this kind of behaviour.

belfastgirl23

Gers wrote: »

This sounds really bad manners. Outside of club sessions the lane swimming is aimed at the general public who are not members of a club and so want to swim lengths without being swamped by the 'powerhouse' swimmer mowing them down - no wonder the they moan.

I know lots of elite/high performance swimmers and none of them would dream of doing this, especially as they are doing 20 hours of training a week and have not got any spare time to indulge in this kind of behaviour.

Although it is incredibly annoying to be in a lane with someone who really doesn't belong there and doesn't observe lane etiquette. For anyone who doesn't know, if someone touches your foot, you should pause at the end of the lane and let them go on ahead. Someone swimming far too slowly for the lane speed ahead of you is incredibly irritating, all the more so if they don't pause to let you pass at the first chance. In my pool they have a 45sec lane and two faster ones (never made it into them so can't tell )

jayII

PasturesNew wrote: »

I would say, of lanes, that you should always stay out of the fast lane and probably the medium lane. Every pool will have a swimming club using the facilities - and the swimmers in that club will use the lanes for practise/swimming outside of club sessions .... and most of those swimmers are medal holders at county or national level. I am close to somebody who is a national gold medal holder in a fast stroke and they often get into rucks with 'the general public' who think they belong in the fast lane.... then get tetchy when the powerhouse swimmer practically mows them down when in full flow.

The pool attendants don't allow that here, and nor should they! Why should the elderly or other slow or unconfident swimmers be 'practically mown down' by some selfish individual?

I've seen fast swimmers firmly told to move into the appropriate lane at both pools I use.