AnnoyingPentium's Return Dive into Swimming... and other 'elf stuff

[AnnoyingPentium]

Heading explains more than some nonsense waffle in this "body" section could ever do. As of tonight, I have taken up swimming again. I've always been a keen swimmer since learning to swim at the Irvine Magnum (Ayrshire folks here will be having mega flashbacks) and then the pool in Dalmellington further on. I'm a fairly competent swimmer, and without boasting too much, I received a 5+++++ metre certificate in primary school since they were set certificates that had been photostat many, many times. I'm rather casual about my swimming, none of that competitive lark.

 

So anyway, I anticipate to log my swimming malarkey in here - should I remember.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Changed the thread title to add a delicious pun...

[olduns]

oooh...i was expecting Cold Water swimming...

[AnnoyingPentium]

1 hour ago, olduns said:

oooh...i was expecting Cold Water swimming...

 

Nae chance, as they say. I haven't got the bravery for that yin.

[Gerrycan]

My nephew (in-law) in the UK is an open water swimmer, even does a few kilometres in winter with a wet suit on. Braver man than I am.

I'll stick to risking the sharks in the warmer Australian sea thanks.

Having said that last winter my wife and I went sea swimming, in wet suits and snorkel gear, to view the mass gathering mating of the Giant Cuttlefish at Whyalla. Very spectacular and special bucket list item ticked off, despite the cold weather.

 

in the past I have done enough lap swimming for triathlon training to know that a) I am not very good and b) can never find the right speed lap lane for me so I end up getting in others way or others getting in my way.

I used to wear a watch and I'd activate the lap timer at the end of each 100 metres and it issued a beep. My wife used to complain about the noise it made in the water even when she was at the other end of the 50m pool (in the faster lane of course).

 

I've attended a couple of Aussie swimming championships (only in an official capacity not a competitor haha) and even seen world records broken and their speed through the water is almost incomprehensible.

 

I would describe my swimming style as 'survivalist'

Edited 19 January, 2022 by Gerrycan

[AnnoyingPentium]

Back up at the pool again. Done 28/30 (ish) front crawl before I called it quits. Target for next week is 32/34 so I can gradually get back into things again.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Swimming again tonight! 😁

 

Will report back.

[AnnoyingPentium]

Swimming was completed by 8pm. 32 (ish) all in. Beginning to get back into the swing of things again. 

 

I feel like my lung capacity is improving vastly as a result too.

[Gerrycan]

Swimming offers terrific and varied benefits while being good fun but be aware it is not good for improving bone density. Apparently an issue for some long distance swimmers.

Just something to be aware of if you are considering additional exercise options.

[AnnoyingPentium]

2 hours ago, Gerrycan said:

Swimming offers terrific and varied benefits while being good fun but be aware it is not good for improving bone density. Apparently an issue for some long distance swimmers.

Just something to be aware of if you are considering additional exercise options.

 

Thanks!

[AnnoyingPentium]

Said "f*** it" and pushed myself tonight. Made it to 40 before calling it a night. Feeling quite chuffed.

[mac11irl]

how long is the pool?

[AnnoyingPentium]

6 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

how long is the pool?

 

Slightly less than standard Olympic length or something like that... like everything else by East Ayrshire Council, it's not quite right.

[mac11irl]

cool, thats a significant difference then as most pools over here are only 25m in LA pools, a "long" private pool (gym/hotel etc) are typically only 18 to 20) so i have 0 experience of a proper 50m pool (even a 49.8m one )

 

[Gerrycan]

10 hours ago, AnnoyingPentium said:

 

Slightly less than standard Olympic length or something like that... like everything else by East Ayrshire Council, it's not quite right.

That would be deliberate, they did the same thing in my outer London Borough decades back when I lived in the UK.

If built to international standards then it would quite likely get taken over for elite level training and competitions, the local ratepayers, who paid for it, would have reduced access.

 

Near 2 kilometres is quite impressive by the way, especially considering you have only just got back into it

[AnnoyingPentium]

Thanks guys. Thinking about it, I don't think it's 50m, nor do I think it's 25m. I reckon it must be in some horrible limbo in the middle.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I stand corrected...

 

[mac11irl]

your still knocking the door a full km after a month. thats good going and solid progress 💪

[mac11irl]

1 hour ago, Gerrycan said:

That would be deliberate, they did the same thing in my outer London Borough decades back when I lived in the UK.

 

UL (University of Limerick) built a 50m pool as part of a massive sport development complex probably 20yrs ago now (writing that down makes me feel old, i was in school when it was being built). the story put out afterwards was that the site crew "forgot to allow for the thickness of the tiles and adhesive when setting out the concrete shuttering" as it was discovered that it fell approx 30mm short of the competition tolerance...

it was absolutely done on purpose as it would have made it only the second full Olympic size race pool in Ireland and so there would have been an expectation of holding competitions there which wasnt part of the university plan - they just wanted to be able to draw in elite level training activities (the sports campus is huge) that they could control and the prestige of having the pool in their prospectus...

[AnnoyingPentium]

17 minutes ago, mac11irl said:

your still knocking the door a full km after a month. thats good going and solid progress 💪

 

Thanks Mac!

[AnnoyingPentium]

Meant to post this last night but there was no swimming last night since my wee brother wasn't feeling all too good.

 

I had went bowling in the afternoon but I don't think that is as good for you as swimming.

[Gerrycan]

More fun than swimming laps though.

[AnnoyingPentium]

I appear to have gotten the cold my brother has gotten better from, as has my Mum, so this week's swimming has been cancelled again. Feeling a bit ****e so honestly swimming probably isn't the best thing to be doing in the current state.

 

[fabdavrav]

I've not been swimming since March 2020, i.e. just before the Lockdown!.....& I used to go every week.

 

Mind you I have been swimming in the sea (Moray Firth) during the warmer months....

 

However, I called it quits in October last year with the water temp at +12C ...& thats with a very thin triathlon wetsuit...😬

 

Have felt my general fitness & flexibility has deteriorated as a result as its the longest I've even not been regular pool swimming in my life!!......

 

 

 

P.S. when I say swim (pool or sea) I mean swim..not "paddle".....The least I do in a pool is when I'm really tired & thats 60 lengths of a 25m pool.....sea swim the least I did was 20mins as it was very choppy with at least a 3ft swell!

 

Usually I do 70-80 lengths in 50-55mins of the 25m pool (used to do 100-110 lengths in 60mins, upto about 12yrs ago) & 45mins to 60mins up to 2.5km in the sea...

 

Yeah, I'm a Fish..😉..was in a pool before I could walk!!..

Edited 23 February, 2022 by fabdavrav

[AnnoyingPentium]

19 minutes ago, fabdavrav said:

Yeah, I'm a Fish..😉..was in a pool before I could walk!!..

 

That makes two of us! My Granda used to take me to the swimming in Dalmellington even back when I lived in Mauchline as a wee lad.