Friday, 13 June 2014

Friday night coaching with Bayside Tri

I have moved up a lane now...I'm no longer in development...I think my stroke has improved dramatically. When  I think of all those years and those swims I did in breaststroke..I just can't believe that now I hardly ever do anything other than front crawl!! And it's all thank to our Bayside Coach Erika Tavener! But of course along with the new stroke comes other fears..will I still be able to do The Great London Swim in under 40 minutes...I can't sight!!! But i am doing it with a friend for the first time, so I know he will pace me round and I only have to sight him. It's so nice to be doing these swims with a swim buddy...this year I feel that swimming has taken on a new level for me and it is all to do with all the help from my swimming friends and of course the Bayside Tri...:)

this is tonights effort:

Linda has completed a 1000m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 24min 11sec | Ave Pace: 145.1sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 25strokes/min | Calories: 271 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.60m/stroke


Doesn't look like much...but kick drills don't show up on swimtag..and i think that's because when using the float your arms don't move...maybe lol

Also took a photo of my name on the swimtag board as I was leaving...having been in positions 5 and 3 on previous months..it looks like I am slipping as I am number 8 for May!! Have to work on that this month..I think it's distance by the way! 

 

Thursday, 12 June 2014

Stokes Bay Swim with Bayside Tri

Oh my....well another sea swim! This time at Stokes Bay with the Baysiders...parallel with the beach... :)


Again this was a struggle...When asked why, I didn't know..I blame all sorts of things..the wetsuit, the sea, my breathing...I just struggle with the actual swimming. You wouldn't know from this picture that i was way way way at the back of the pack and Anna, who is behind me in this picture kindly stayed there with me to make sure I was alright...!

I'm really nervous about the Bournemouth swim..I really am. I am doing the swim with Jan's brother Richard. He lives in Bournemouth and I will meet him on the day!! I might actually arrange to go down before and have a swim with him...lol!

Wednesday, 11 June 2014

Another Solent Swim

Met up again with some Shack Sharks and again the sea was rough...it didn't feel any easier but nevertheless it is exhilerating!! Met some more nice new people and swam to the post on the rocks and back up to the end of the beach huts...did breaststroke and front crawl, struggled a bit as it was as rough as yesterday...still feeling nervous about going out of my depth!

Followed my swimming with an hour of Zumba....just around the corner! lol

Tuesday, 10 June 2014

Another double dip!

Today I went for a spot of sea swimming with The Shack Sharks This group swim regularly at Hillhead most evenings and it's nice to swim with some company. I have always found swimming fairly lonely...as none of my friends swim. Although they are always willing to walk along the beach while I swim...I hasten to add! Usually with a dog or two in tow!

I joined Oliver, Giles and Karen at the beach...it was a bit choppy and rough...I may as well be honest...I didn't enjoy it! It was hard work and tough going! It's funny how things like this knock you back so quickly. More doubts fill your head. now I'm thinking based on this swim and previous sea swims that I won't be able to swim the Bournemouth Pier to Pier... !!

Don't get me wrong I enjoyed being in the sea...it's just the thought that I may not be able to do it that I don't enjoy. My confidence is easily knocked....maybe that's a personality thing!


So to restore my confidence I made a trip to the pool a couple of hours later and I swam for almost an hour without stopping...here are my stats...see I can swim in the pool!!

Linda has completed a 2200m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 55min 39sec | Ave Pace: 151.8sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 21strokes/min | Calories: 564 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.82m/stroke


Liking that DPS at 1.82m/stroke...that means I do less strokes = less tired :)

Monday, 9 June 2014

A well needed rest with Jan!

Tonight being a Monday, I follwed Jan up and down the pool and it was a slow restful swim, just what I needed after yesterdays feat!

Linda has completed a 1200m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 32min 59sec | Ave Pace: 164.9sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 22strokes/min | Calories: 313 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.59m/stroke

Sunday, 8 June 2014

OMG I swam 5k!!!!

I haven't done any swimming since Petersfield Lido on Thursday and today as I sat in my pyjamas I was mulling over whether or not to attempt a 5k swim at the pool. It was infinitely more appealing to carry on being a slob for the day....but at the same time the idea was festering and growing. I started working out what time I should arrive at the pool. There is only laned swimming from 4:30pm ish. But prior to that there is one lane and Sunday afternoon is usually quiet. So...if I was to attempt a 5k swim I would need at least 2hrs 30 mins. This would include a 5 minute break while they put the lanes in...hnnnnm really need to be at the pool for about 3pm...that gives me an hour and a half before the break and an hour afterwards...! Yep it's decided. I will give it a go!

At 3pm I entered the pool area with a bottle of lucozade!! This was to have in my "break" while lanes were going in. I started swimming the one lane was empty which was nice...I started slow and worked my way up and down the pool trying to count the lengths. I had to do 200. I have got lazy with counting lengths since having swimtag, but the downside to it is you can't see how many lengths you've done until you've got home and switched on your pc!! So I couldn't afford to make any mistakes.!! All was going well and at about 22 lengths a woman joined the lane and proceeded to do breaststroke...you know the type...make up and hair never gets wet! I had to keep passing her as she wouldn't wait at the end of the lane even if I was right behind her. After about four lengths with her for company another couple joined the lane, one doing breaststroke and another doing front crawl. I wanted to stop and get out. So after a couple of frustrating lengths I stopped at the shallow end and had some lucozade and despaired over what to do...i was in the mindset for a 5k...right they weren't going to stop me...I was going to have to weave in and out of them....so that's what I did! i carried on, and got to 100 lengths then started counting from 1 again. I was getting tired, I could feel my arms getting heavy, but I had to keep going. I was also losing count, every so often I would forget completely how many I had done, so I would spend the next length trying to work it out. I felt I was going backward instead of foreward. By the time my break came I thought I had done 140 lengths, I was pleased with that. I had to get out of the pool while the lanes went in and I did feel that it interfered with my rythmn. On return to the pool I had 60 lengths to do...I was too tired for the fast lane so chose intead to go into the medium lane. I eventually reached 200 lengths or so I thought, but i couldn't be sure as I had on more than one occasion lost count. I would have hated to have missed out on doing 5k by a couple of lengths, so i decided to do a couple more...then a couple more...eventually doing ten extra....I couldn't wait to get home and see my stats! On leaving the pool I handed in my swimtag and went to my car...wouldn't start, i had left the lights on!!! Had to phone the AA and wait...meanwhile it came through on my phone 5100m and within the cut off time!!! Joy of joys...I was elated!!

These are my stats! Look at those calories burned!!!

Linda has completed a 5100m swim at Gosport Leisure Centre with SWIMTAG

Swim Time: 2hrs 10min | Ave Pace: 153.9sec/100m | Ave Stroke Rate: 26strokes/min | Calories: 1,332 kcal | Ave DPS: 1.49m/stroke


  
200 lengths in here...thank goodness I added the extra 10 as i was 6 out!

Oh....I didn't do the Bayside Tri endurance session tonight!! :)

Saturday, 7 June 2014

Petersfield Lido Thursday 5th June

Today was an absolutely gorgeous day and in the evening I travelled to Petersfield Lido and enjoyed an evening outdoor swim with my friend Mark...who is also an inspirational 10k swimmer! I managed to do approximately 70 lengths before getting the most awful cramp in my thigh....it has to be the most painful I've had as I couldn't relieve it by standing up...the swim was very restful actually as there is just something about swimming outdoors but in a heated pool!! Lovely, beautiful and very very pleasant...so was the company and the ladies running it were a fantastic duo too. Very friendly place..Well worth a visit!