Double Dip Sunday

I woke this morning with a headache and I know I promised myself I would start training in earnest for my ultimate goal of 10k...but it's so easy to just roll over and forget about swimming. I think it's because things aren't going too well for me personally and it is spilling over into my swimming. I know I shouldn't let it, because my swimming will be with me for the rest of my life whereas my issues won't be. The saying "you are one swim away from a good mood" is so true...but sometimes, just sometimes, it doesn't work out like that.

Nevertheless, my dedication kicked in and I knew that if I didn't go for an early morning swim, I would regret it. SO I had to force myself to go. It wasn't easy...I went out of the front door three times before I had everything in my bag. Forgot my tablets, forgot my swim hat, forgot my shampoo...!!!

Eventually I got to the pool and sluggishly started to swim..it is so different to swimming in the sea and I have to say it isnt as enjoyable...but if I want the prize I have to do it. If I want something bad enough..I usually go to the ends of the earth to get it. A 10k medal is no different!

I managed to do a mile...1600m, but because I had a load of rests, I had to get out of the pool while they took the lanes out and then get back in again to do just four lengths...that'll teach me for hanging around the pool edges! LOL

my stats were:

Linda has completed a 1625m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG
Swim Time: 43min 8sec | Ave Pace: 159.3sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 417 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.61m/stroke

I didn't actually do 65 lengths, so when I edited the final length of backstroke (where swim tag got that from I don't know!) the time came in at 42min 37secs.

You know, all I want is to get round London in under 40 minutes...it's just beginning to look further away...sometimes all this monitoring is demoralising!!

Tonight I went back to the pool and swam with Bayside Tri...we had the whole pool available, so it was nice to just have one other in the same lane and for that person to be about the same speed!! Luxury!

My stats tonight were:

Linda has completed a 1600m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG
Swim Time: 40min 52sec | Ave Pace: 153.3sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 26strokes/min | Calories: 410 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.50m/stroke 

Just a simple swim with Oliver

Arrived at the Shack and had forgotten my float...Oliver saved the day and gallantly put my shoes into his float and enables my access and exit from the water to be much more elegant than leaving my beach shoes on the pebble beach...ouch!!

We did our usual swim to the 500m buoy, which I am sure kept moving to the right!! Actually we were drifitng to the left and it was extremely hard fighting against the tide. We didn't quite make the buoy as one of the jet ski was once again tearing up and down outside of the jet ski area. It's a shame but the risk is too great...one hit from them and your numbers up!

Fighting to get to the last beach hut against the tide was hard work...but as we moved towards shore it became easier...then back to the shack and out...took us about 40 minutes..so a good work out.

Came home and couldn't face the drills at Bayside..so I am ashamed to say that I didn't go

that is all....

Sea Swim v Pool Swim

This week I have done more swimming in the sea and only been to the pool on Friday to train with Bayside Tri...I have to admit that when standing on top of hot ovens at work, the idea of a sea swim is far more appealing than getting into a crowded pool full of lane rage. It just has a feeling you cannot match in the pool and that is the freedom. Come and go as you please, plenty of space...beautiful view...what more can you ask for? The only thing is, I just swim, I don't practice anything I have been taught as my stroke depends on the state of the sea...sometimes the waves crash over your head and bilateral breathing goes out of the window as you can only breathe on one side, unless you want a mouthful of sea water each time. The benefit of the pool is that you can train in a controlled environment, albeit constrained into one length roped off..walls each end..lol. I think they both have benefits and I have always believed that I should learn it in the pool and then bring it outdoors to the sea, lake or river.

Today I intended to go for a sea swim, but my Grandson decided he didn't want to go at the last minute...but there was time to get to the pool for the final session...so that's what I did. Fortunately there wasn't many there and I got a whole lane to myself! Brilliant..! Only wish my stats were as brilliant though! :(

Linda has completed a 1650m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 41min 45sec | Ave Pace: 151.8sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 27strokes/min | Calories: 433 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.43m/stroke

I just can't see any improvement in my swimming at all..the only thing I have improved on is the distance I can swim now...ie the two 5k swims I have done, but other than that, I haven't improved my times at all. Perhaps I am just feeling a bit demoralised with the way I have everything recorded, times, strokes, DPS, and it's taken all the enjoyment out of it...perhaps I'm being negative!!

This evening I went for a walk along Stokes Bay...very pleasant, had my friends dog and he went running up to a young lady who came out of the toilet block..she had just been swimming, but I hadn't noticed her earlier as I walked from one end of the beach to the other...but anyway, we had quite a conversation in the short time I was talking to her....she was lovely to talk to, I gave her a lift home as she was staying just around the corner from my friends house. Hopefully I meet her again, her name was Anne. 

Which brings me to the other side of swimming...I had always felt fairly lonely swimming, particularly as I was doing it mostly at the pool and any interaction ended at the nods and hellos from the regular swimmers. This year I have changed that and joining Bayside Tri was the beginning..training with like minded people is so much fun...we all have the same goal..to get better, faster and win medals..lol...moving on from that came The Shack Sharks at Hillhead and then came the lovely people at Shore Road..it doesn't have to be lonely at all..thankfully! 

Friday's Double Dip

My first swim today was at Hill Head. I met up with Oliver and  we decided to swim to the furthest bouy, which Oliver had been told was 500m away..the tide was high, but going out. We were both in skins and set off towing our floats behind us. It took about 14 minutes to reach the bouy and we chatted for a short while upon reaching our destination. I noticed we were drifting quite fast and it was going to be a hard swim back...so we set off...after a few minutes I stopped and noticed a boat coming out of the sunlight. I was a little nervous as I hadn't been out this far before, preferring instead the safety of parallel to the beach swimming. I signalled to Oliver to look out for the boat and carried on swimming. After a short while I stopped and looked back, to check Oliver and where the boat was...it was directly behind Oliver and was a Police launch...one of the occupants waved, so I waved back and then all three waved..lol...Oliver was not far behind me so I carried on heading for shore. The launch stayed behind for a while and then moved passed the jet ski area and into shore, where it stayed until we both reached shore. It was a hard swim back but it was completed in about 18 minutes...We both laughed as we imagined we had contraband inside our floats...but actually I had my beach shoes :)

As you can see from the picture it was a cloudy day...but it was still fairly warm in the sea

My second swim was at Gosport Leisure Centre with Bayside Tri. Incidentally, I am now the proud owner of a Bayside Tri hoodie :)

The swim was quite tiring with lots of drills, and as always I was last in the intermediate lane...but although I will never be as fast as my lane buddies..they do make sure I push myself and never let me feel that I am holding them up...cheers chaps!! I think they all have events this wekend so Good Luck to them all...!

I had a mental block in the pool with the Pink Watch and couldn't remember how to set it!! So I've relied on swimtag for this session:

My stats in the pool:

Linda has completed a 1725m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 44min 36sec | Ave Pace: 155.2sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 457 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.62m/stroke

Friday Night is Bayside Tri Night!

Gosport Leisure Centre was the venue and once again I was in the intermediate lane with Andy and Tony. I was always at the back but being the sportsmen they are, they didn't seem to mind and enjoyed the longer rest they got while waiting for me to regroup! LOL

I did enjoy the swim, but was aware that it would be my last swim before Sundays Big Swim in Bournemouth! I noticed tonight that I was feeling much stronger at the end of the session, compared to how I felt at the start! Wore my pink watch...but I'm not sure I've got the hang of it as it didn't seem to be recording much..lol Also wore my swimtag...results as follows:

Linda has completed a 1375m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 35min 56sec | Ave Pace: 156.9sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 29strokes/min | Calories: 369 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.32m/stroke

Training with Bayside Tri

Tonight more drills with Bayside Tri....but I did enjoy them :) For some strange reason... lol :)

Anyway...here are the statistics :)

Linda has completed a 1450m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 37min 50sec | Ave Pace: 156.6sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 389 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.63m/stroke

Friday Coaching Session with Bayside Tri

Gosport Leisure Centre seemed a distant memory as I drove into the carpark!! I really must get my bike out and ride to the pool...it is only 1.5 miles away! A distant memory because I haven't been there since Sunday!! I don't know...what with lakes and the sea, the pool isn't quite as attractive...but I do know that I am best practising things in the pool and taking them outside to the lakes and the sea!!

Tonight, I did feel stronger and since moving into the intermediate lane, I do feel I am pushing myself a little harder. It started with 12 lengths warm up, front crawl, breaststroke, front crawl...then into touching hips and head, which I find relatively easy as I do naturally swim like that anyway. Not exactly touching my hips and head as I swim, but I am naturally quite tight to the body...then came the harder one swimming catch up with fists...always feel like I am drowning doing this...only when I try to breathe...I just seem to sink. I do know why though! It's because I am not kicking and letting my legs drop...oh well, something to work on!

Then came the kick drills...this I am hopeless at!! 4 lengths front, 4 lengths one side, 4 lengths the other...then came the drill which I feel I have improved on the most...the 3, 5, 7 breathing drill. Whereas back in February when I first joined the group I was breathing every other stroke..and couldn't even do bilateral breathing...I feel I have come a long way! Tonight the breathing sets went well...of course it could have been the four puffs of ventolin I had before I had before I got in the pool..!!

Then it was slow up, sprint back sets...and I seemed to be a lot faster. It could be because I haven't been swimming as much this week, so I am more rested or just that I have improved a lot. It's very difficult to work out which sometimes!!

Stats for tonight...doesn't include kick drills:

Linda has completed a 1575m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 39min 44sec | Ave Pace: 151.4sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 23strokes/min | Calories: 423 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.66m/stroke

Stokes Bay sans Wetsuit!!!

Haven't done any swimming since Monday..and tonight I am swimming at Stokes Bay with Bayside Tri..lets hope I can see a lot of improvement from two weeks ago..when I sadly brought up the rear. I have been searching for a 5k training plan online and the only one that is appealing is the one I can't see! It's the 2014 swimathon 10 week training plan to a sub 1hr 40min 5k...! Now I know that I won't be reaching those dizzy heights by the 21st September, but it would be intense which as a fairly experienced swimmer is what I need!

My entry pack arrived yesterday for the Bournmouth Pier to Pier...this brought about an OH MY GOD moment, which passed quite quickly as I remembered I did have a swim buddy...but even so there is always that fear in the pit of your stomach, which surfaces every time I think about it...lol...Still nerves are good!!

I put a message on facebook last night in a group I belong to called Beyond the Blue based in Bournemouth....a real bunch of characters...their posts make me laugh so much!! Anyway my post was asking for advice about swimming a practice run for the Bournemouth Pier to Pier with a friend on 8th July...but they are happy to do one on the Sunday the 6th...so I will go to that one and then do a repeat on the Tuesday...well then I will be very experienced won't I ?? No excuses on the day :)

Just got back from my sea swim at Stokes Bay...it was a wet one tonight, not actually raining when I got there, but it had rained just before arrival. There were only four of us tonight, Erika, Eric and Stephen. I was horrified when I went to put my wetsuit on and found I hadn't brought it!! Immediately I visualised it hanging on the back of my bedroom door...decisions, decisions...do I go home and get it, or do I go without it? In the end I decided to go without it!!

We walked down to the waters edge and then off came the flip flops...for those who don't know, Stokes Bay is a pebble beach and they hurt your feet!!! The walk into the sea really hurts your feet...so the lesser of two evils was to just get in and boy did it take my breath away!!  Wetsuits really do keep you warm...I just wanted the comfort of my wetsuit enveloping me, like a pair of arms, giving me a big hug...lol...never felt like that before, I can assure you!! So no time for chatter, had to keep moving in an effort to warm up..we swam about 1200m and I brought up the rear yet again...but then I felt it was time for me to get out....

The upside of no wetsuit is that you keep moving, so my sea swim today was no stops! LOL Took me about 35 minutes I think!

I am still cold now, but came home to a lovely salad...why did I choose salad today of all days???