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I'm awful at swimming but have been dragging myself to a pool in Bloomsbury (next to where I work as my Home pool Harlow has closed) to try and improve it. Trouble is I think I am making just about every common error that you can make. I dont think its fitness that is leaving me gasping after 10 lengths but technique. The pool doesn't offer any sort of coaching (just a sleepy life-guard) so I went out and bought the total immersion swimming book and it helped a little but I'm worried that I'm burning all my bad habits into my stroke.



Has anybody tried the triathlon swimming in a weekend type courses? they seem quite expensive but if I could just get the basics down then I could start improving. It seems all the swimming lessons that I find are switching to open water at this time of year which may be good for me in the future just not yet!!

Comments

  • FlavadaveFlavadave Posts: 749
    I've done the swimfortri weekend course and would definitely recommend it. I honestly thought my stroke was pretty good before, but after watching it played back it was anything but.



    Had read the TI book previously and a lot of what they teach is similar, but you can't beat having someone there showing you how to do the drills and giving you direct feedback. Alot of what I was trying to do from TI I was just getting wrong or couldn't visualise what I was supposed to do.



    IMO money well spent.
  • abrewerabrewer Posts: 41
    Lessons are definitely the way to go. Books just get too wet by the pool. Can be quite pricey but some local authority centres are more reasonable.



    Alternatively join a tri club and get 50 people to tell you what you are doing wrong and then write your own book......
  • andyb99andyb99 Posts: 229
    how much is swim for tri???



    i think they do that at tri central so i might go and have a go
  • j27rtj27rt Posts: 102
    Check out www.swimfortri.com for all the different options. For Goodness Shakes were doing a money off voucher for SFT so may be worth checking their website out too.
  • jellybellyjellybelly Posts: 42
    If you're in London then you must be able to find a place that just does adult lessons - a leisure centre within spitting distance?



    I'm having lessons at local council place, personally I don't think I'd get as much out of a weekend as I'm not fit enough to swim for an entire weekend, and I'd probably forget loads. But having a lesson once a week is brill. I learn a few drills, get told what's good and what's not, then go practice. Sorted. When I get better and want to really refine technique, then I might go for coaching but at the moment local pool is good for me.



    Must be somewhere surely...

  • Ron99Ron99 Posts: 237
    There was another post about this yesterday I think...



    Anyway, I completely agree with flavadave - the SwimFortri weekend workshops are great. I learned loads in a couple of days, and they give you plenty to take away and work on yourself. Can't recommend them highly enough. Course is £225 for 2 days in the endless pool, including a technique/drills DVD, a DVD of your own stroke and some printed material too. Worth every penny.
  • Cheryl6162Cheryl6162 Posts: 356
    Hey Jelly, you still up for Sunday? x
  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    I went for my 1st swim in 7 months today.... by god was I rubbish [:D]



    Still, I did 500m ( stopped twice, 1st time as my goggles steamed up and the 2nd time was because some tit decided to "bomb" into the water about 2 ft from my head- we had words!!)



    I felt smoother and more relaxed by the end but my shoulders ached a bit and I was pretty tired TBH



    More time in the water needed and I am looking forward to it.



  • garyrobertsgaryroberts Posts: 869
    500m first time in 7 months....



    .....my god that's not rubbish!
  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    Gary - Honestly I was knackered. pulse was palpable at 149bpm!!!!!!!!!!!! That's what worries me.



    I'm getting down to see Mr Kiddle asap. I struggle to breath to the right when doing FC.



    And it wasn't fast mate - seriously slow.



    I'd be last out the water in a sprint event [X(]

  • There are far fewer places offering Adult lessons than you may think even in the bright lights of London! Swim for Tri seems about the only one dedicated to adults. Its unfortunately also extremely popular and has nearly everything booked up so I'll have to hold out for the next round of courses, probably starting after their open water season in September.



    Tri club would be ideal but I have this whole science PhD thing that I'm finishing this year, great for fitting random bike rides, runs, gym and swimming in but terrible for being committed to a fixed place at a fixed time!



    Looking forward to finding some sort of coaching though, a guy at work said I should do the black water tri in September, 'only 750m swim.' I'd be looking at a finishing time measured in days rather than hours!!

  • willieverfinishwillieverfinish Posts: 1,381
    It does seem amazing value TBH.



    I've taken a weekend off work so I can see Kiddle.



    He better be good cos I blood need help!!!!!!!!!!!!!



  • That is really good value. I'll check it out. Thanks!
  • spic929spic929 Posts: 1
    I have been reading the thread with interest.



    Always considered myself to be a competent swimmer and always thought I had gone as far as I could with my swimming until I tried Total Immersion coaching in an endless pool. There are numerous places around the country and the methods are in all the latest tri mags.



    I went to Tri'n'swimwell in Rochford Essex, http://www.trinswimwell.co.uk/ and was put through numerous drills.



    My swimming technique has improved and I've knocked time off my PB. If you get a chance I would highly recommend it.



    It's excellent coaching, you can wear your wetsuit and you don't having to worry about tumble turning. It's the best pool based Tri swim training you can get.



    I'm 35 and despite what they say you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    willieverfinish wrote:


    I'd be last out the water in a sprint event [X(]





    Hands off that's my spot [8|]
  • cw_74cw_74 Posts: 11
    Hi Matt

    I've done 3 endless pool session with http://www.trinswimwell.co.uk in Rochford and I cannot speak highly of them and the experience of an endless pool!

    Swimming is by far the worst discipline for me and I went in after clocking a 12 minute 425m swim in my first tri and now I have got that down to 9 mins (last month's Aquathon swim time) after drills and plenty of practice! I had my technique analysed and was able to see the play back on the tv screen as well as have a dvd made for me to watch at home of where I was going home.

    As I have entered a few tri's this season where the swim is in a lake rather than pool I also used Tri N Swim to purchase a wetsuit which was great as I'd never really used one before so needed the advice (especially putting it on!) and having the endless pool there also helps with actually trying it out in water!

    Go for a session, you'll not be disappointed. If you go to Tri N Swim in Rochford, Dawn and Gill will help you with anything you need, otherwise there are a couple other endless pools dotted elsewhere.



    Good luck, Craig
  • clarkey30clarkey30 Posts: 270
    Ive done one session with Kiddle and its not aonly taken a phenominal amount of time of my mile time, i can now swim for at least 3k and get out feeling as fresh as a daisy!



    Massive massive difference. I used to get confused by people saying "go at this pace for this long and then step it up" etc but now i know what they mean as im not just thrashing around like a pregant elephant!
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