swimming for fun

Having restricted my swimming for the last month due to generalised repetitive strains in both arms, shoulders and lower back – all of which are getting ongoing attention – I’m slowly getting back into it. This has both a benefit and a dilemma. The benefit has been to take me away from a training schedule that’d be having me swim regular two hour plus swims in 10 to 12 degrees water! But seriously; it’s meant I’ve thought a lot about why I desire to swim so much and achieve what only another 1200 odd other humans have done. Initially I pondered whether my back was ‘out’ because of the subliminal stress of a channel swim (and a few other things). But I don’t think it is. I’ve been swimming for nearly five years now and have been lucky to have had only one small break due to injury in this time. I’m coming up for fifty too and so I should stop thinking I’ll recover the next day and begin to listen to and respect my mind and body; but without inhibiting myself from what I can achieve. The pause in my training is good. I only have to do one long swim this year – 10k off Brighton beach in July. The rest is optional.

And the dilemma is that I’m off to a swim camp in just under 4 weeks where I’d have been swimming at least 5 to 10K every day; and on some a lot more. I’m going, but I think that I need to remind myself that I’m not in the Channel til 2014 and in the meantime I can learn a lot by understanding my limits; knowing when to push them and observing and sharing with friends and, hopefully, new friends that I’ll meet in the seas and loughs in Cork. And putting in some good time as a supporter; as I’m a support swimmer for at least one Channel swimmer this year.

Another benefit has been to swim slower, focus on my stroke, get out sooner, play handball, chat to people various much more and remember that swimming is also fun. Thanks in particular to wild woman for reminding me of this.

Swim Canary Wharf

After a recommendation by Stephanie Voss (and vicariously, Neil Morton) I booked a session with Ray Gibbs, of Swim Canary Wharf. So, some practicalities – off peak it’s £69 for an hour of instruction, feedback and practice. It’s a few minutes walk from Canary Wharf station on the Jubilee Line. It’s a bespoke training venue, with another company offering physical therapy by Chris, a masseur that people who go to Tooting will know. And who I know because he modelled my highly commended hat at the CWSC in 2011.

You are asked about your swimming experience before getting in an endless pool and swimming for a while to let Ray analyse your stroke. He states that he won’t bamboozle you with lots of feedback, but will instead focus on one or two major issues and then work on these. He’s very clear in his exposition of concepts and ideas and both talks and demonstrates what he wants you to adapt. This is backed up with video of yourself, which is played back immediately on a screen above the water, to show the ‘flaws’ and he uses comparison footage of an elite distance swimmer.

During the session he got me to do a few drills, which worked on my profile in the water, my breathing and the rotation of my arms. Once I’d got it, my passage through the water was smoother. And at each juncture he’d explain what he’d observed, give affirmative and constructive feedback and then build on this for the next exercise.

The endless pool is not just a space saving device. It makes filming easier, but it also exacerbates ‘flaws’ in your swimming; and highlights them for analysis. All in all, money well spent and both myself and Mrs Ape have booked further sessions.

improving

reach

all angles covered

explaining a drill

 

 

and more sun

But not a lot of extra temperature. I read just over 8 degrees C before I dropped the thermometer into the pool. I recovered it at the end of my first length and read 8.5 degrees C at the bottom of the deep end, but I have no idea if it is warmer or colder in the depths, than near the surface. Met Nando again for a long ‘un, but felt reluctant. I said to him and Alex that I’d probably just do a mile. But then I thought I might as well do 2km, and before I knew it had decided to do 30 lengths or 3000 yards. The sun’s patterns was mesmerising on the base of the pool and I did slip into an alternate consciousness now and again. I’d decided to go a little slower today and focus on my stroke. I think the concentration made it worse. I recall a teacher once saying that when you break down a skill that is in the muscle, it can often set you back for a while. We’ll see. In the meantime, I’m booked into a swim clinic with Ray Gibbs of Swim Canary Wharf for some feedback. He comes recommended.

Ape – 3000 yards (2.74km), 8.5 degrees C

take it easy on yourself

From a jump in to an hour’s swim, it’s all happening at the lido. Until Nando reappeared and got in leisurely, adjusted his abacus and started to casually stroke out past the hour mark and onto an hour and a half (roughly). 3200 yards in 8 degrees C. Thankful that he didn’t beat my distance, but he absolutely creamed my time. He is indeed the Big Daddy. I saw him after my sojourn in the sauna, after I managed another 3400 yards in the slightly slower time (than yesterday’s) of 59 minutes. I cruised today, as the air temperature was a lot colder and I wanted to preserve some energy for later. Swimming for so long is a little akin to being in a Philip Glass movie. People drift by at different speeds, you wander off and wonder at the leaves and flotsam and what you’ll have for tea. I think about how I might do this thirteen plus times to get across the Channel in 2014. I feel the aches in my arms – must get some stroke analysis done soon. I ignore the cold, even when my head tells me to get out after a kilometre. I worry about getting delusions of heat. I consider where my toes have gone. I think about how Mrs Ape would love this. And then I sit in a sauna for a while, chat, feel elated and leave to have coffee and a laugh with Hilary. Only a nutter would swim 35 lengths at this temperature, after all.

Nice picture of me by Alex on Quick Dip here.

Ape – 3400 yards (3.11km) – 8 degrees C.

the basking Brazilian

Nando leaves me in the wake of his time

up to 3k

Met Nicky on the way in, who reminded me of the fete on 24th March, in aid of Stephanie’s channel crossing. There will be a lot of books apparently and Batch has a game he has invented…so some performance art from him then. Michael was getting off his bike, so had a brief chat with him about helmets and safety. Before having a slighly longer chat with Peter about non-conformism and the branches of the church(s). Then in.

The thermometer read 8 degrees C and I recall swimming two miles at 8 back on 1st December. I’ve been doing 2km pretty consistently this last week, so thought I’d push the envelope. I get a sense of achievement at 800 yards, it’s the foothill; then another at 2000 yards, twenty lengths feels like a good number; got to twenty four, I’ve been counting in dozens and thought another 10 lengths (100o yards) and I’m at 3km. I saw Ian get in with his go faster wetsuit, so kept his pace for six lengths, bit then eased off, as whilst it warmed me slightly, I wanted to keep my breathing regular. And I find that a  long swim at cold temperatures requires a more steady state of swimming. I could have gone on to two miles – just another 200 yards – but thought that 3km was a good enough step up. I found that I could still talk, so engaged in the usual chit, chit, chatter in the sauna with, among others, Sue, Sue 2, Claire and Hilary. No time for a coffee, as I was off to a meeting at ten. Lovely.

A real privilege to be among such people. If you live in London and want to swim, join the SLSC – just £115 for the year.

Ape – 3400 yards (3.11km) – 8 degrees C, 56 mins.

early start

hello

Got to the lido for an unearthly 7.15 this morning. Was hoping to bump into Stephanie – which I did – and we had a good chat about crossing the channel, cold water and training regimes. Also met Peter the Rev for the first time, who raced ahead for a few yards and then ran out of steam. Wanting to keep my average up for the week, I did 1800 yards and the thermometer read a bit over 6 degrees – let’s say 6.25 degrees C. Stephanie started just after me and gained about a metre per length, so if I can improve a little it’ll be good to swim with her for length after length in the run up to the June madness.

I now have a ten K swim to train for. It’s in early July in the sea at Brighton; and one of the few swims where wetsuits are not allowed. It frustrates me endlessly that swim after swim is wetsuit compulsory. I’m sure it’s something to do with insurance, but have they never heard of personal disclaimers?

And because it was the early crowd, I got to have a chat with Egg, Pip the Elegant and Bertie outside in the car park. Who hard on the heels of his amazing cross Atlantic row, is thinking of the Marathon de Sables. Then to the car park to wait for some others and a group swim in Crystal Palace pool. T’other Pip turned up, only to vanish again because he’d forgotten to give his missus something. Then Dom and Jackie, followed by Kevin and Ruth. We all went over to the pool only to find that it was closed for a Gala. Nevermind, I’ll get a 5k swim in next week.

Also managed to get some shots of bloggers Alex and Elizabeth.

Ape – 1800 yards (1 mile) – 6.25 degrees C.

Alex ready to tumble

Elizabeth heads in

Alex’s glide

hello

2-1-2

Two medium, one fast, two medium. Kms that is. What a joy to be able to swim in the national sports centre – Crystal Palace – for £2.40. Yes, you read that right – Two pounds and forty pence. Four lanes; all that you can pass plodders in, clean changing rooms, hot showers and lights streaming in from the two storey high windows. The usual delusionals doing head up breaststroke in the fast lane, but relatively empty so easy to pass. But the heat. I think it was about 27 degrees C, maybe a bit warmer, but that’s 22 degrees more than I am used to. Hence the two medium, one fast, two medium – otherwise my blood would have boiled. My memory tells me that it’ll take a week or two of warm swimming to acclimatise back. In the meantime, I’ll continue a km or mile in Tooting, but once it’s back to 10 degrees C, will no longer be indoors.

For a more comprehensive view of Crystal Palace pool click over to Jenny Landreth’s Swimming Round London

Ape – 5km, 27 degrees C (yuck)

swim clinic

No swim today, but browsing around I found this- Swim Camp. Kari re-taught me how to swim. She is a very good teacher. And it’s less than other swim holidays of similar duration. Added bonuses – it’s in France and you can get there by train.