Learning to swim/improving swimming

[hellymedic]

800m in a lake this morning. Air temp around 0, water temp 3.

First experience of “after drop” (your core body temperature drops several minutes after leaving the water).

Haven't you had that when cycling in winter?

[Davef]

800m in a lake this morning. Air temp around 0, water temp 3.

First experience of “after drop” (your core body temperature drops several minutes after leaving the water).

Haven't you had that when cycling in winter?

Not that I have noticed. I tend not to get too cold when cycling. The only time I have got really chilly is towards the end of LWL when I slowed down with “digestive issues”. I have experienced being warm when I finish cycling and the getting cold from not generating as much heat, but that is a gradual onset and can be solved by getting warm.

[hellymedic]

My fatty bits get cold, which doesn't normally bother me much.
An outdoor control on the HardBoiled 300 really floored me. Cold environment was OK but when I stopped moving...

[slowfen]

**** that was cold.     13.2c no wetsuit and not acclimatised
First swim this yeart

[Davef]

I did a mile in a 10c lake this morning but wearing a wetsuit and was pleasant. My second swim of the year as I had a short session in a heated outdoor pool on Monday.

[citoyen]

I've been swimming in the sea twice in the last week - well, I say "swimming", but the first time was more a case of going in, splashing about a bit then coming out. It was bloody freezing!

Problem is that I have to go at high tide, so last Wednesday that meant first thing in the morning. I eased my way in gently, until I was almost up to my armpits, then took the plunge... It was kind of OK for a couple of minutes, but then I started to feel the cold really penetrating through to my bones, so thought it would be wise to get out. Thank god for the Dryrobe. Took several hours to get full feeling back in my feet.

Second time, yesterday, was much better - it was high tide at lunchtime, so atmospheric temperature was much more pleasant, even if the water temperature was still somewhat on the bracing side. But it was fine once I started moving about and I swum up and down a few 'lengths' between the groynes.

I'm keen to keep it up and maybe even make this a habit, so I'm going again at lunchtime today. It would be nice to be a bit warmer but I feel a wetsuit would be overkill - besides which I don't think I could possibly get into my wetsuit at the moment. It was a snug fit even when I was two stone lighter than I am now.

[DuncanM]

I joined the local gym this week on a "gym and swim" membership. Monday morning, there were 2 other people in the gym and no-one in the pool at all!
I'm kinda planning on alternating days, one day lifting, one day swimming (with 1 day off a week). We'll see how long I can keep that up for (have to get into the routine first).

[ian]

It's good to be back swimming (in a warm pool, thankfully, I'm not swimming in the sea unless it's 25 degrees and up).

In some act of pandemic genius, they've implemented an extra lane which means you have to pass opposing swimmers with about 2 mm of grace.