Swimming, I’m back Baby!

I finally got around to getting a Swim only membership with my Better gym its so much better value for money as I would have loved to go twice a week but it was way too expensive and now I can go three! You can also use it at a lot of their other locations, Crystal Palace lido got mentioned!

Plus you only have to give a month notice if you want to cancel so you don’t even have to think that far ahead. Hopefully I won’t get sick of swimming any time soon so that wont matter for a while.

I did it on-line so you didn’t get the additional admin fee and when I went in yesterday just passed over the BET code I was sent in an email and was given my membership card straight back! Now I can just scan and go no waiting around and paying!

So first swim back for a while and it wasn’t half bad. I even went in the fast lane! Its summer holidays now so the kids were out in the slow lane and I think a couple slow people moved over to the medium lane so I risked it and was brave and went for it and I was fine! It was okay I didn’t feel like a snail and I barely needed to overtake, it was amazing, a whole new world and I should get quicker as I get back into it!

So I think I managed 60 lengths in 30 minutes but I lost count a little but I work hard so I’m giving it to myself. Hopefully next time I can keep track and be certain I did 60.

Thanks for Reading xx

First Swim Back

I have taken my time getting back into the pool but the day finally came and I weNt for it and was pleasantly surprised! I managed 57 compared to my last record of 60 but that's not too bad and I definitely feel like my front crawl has gotten better and best of all nearly everyone cleared out of my lane 5 minutes after I got there so I just had two people left to dodge! I love it!

I also asked about a swim only membership, which they offer and because they are part of the Better Gyms I can swim in any of their pools too including Crystal Place lido, which I never even new existed! 

I have to also mention a tip I got given by my hairdresser before I went away on holiday to get some leave in conditioner, mine is V05 and to use that before and after swimming and also when you are out in the sun a lot on holiday. Its great and it totally stops my hair crackling once its dry and it makes it so much easier to brush! 

How has you swimming been going, seeing improvements?

Thanks for Reading xx

Swimming Rain or Shine

So this week as we all know has been miserable but I now see a silver lining to this miserable weather, no sunshine swimmers clogging up the swimming pool! Last week there were way too many people in the lane! I left feeling so annoyed because I could have pushed myself a lot harder but kept getting stuck behind people, this week I was exhausted by the end of the 30 minutes and couldn’t wait to get out the pool.

I have two stories from my sunshine swim the first is not pretty. I was stuck behind three people in my lane with another person always coming down the other side so I couldn’t get past them. After a couple slow lengths I thought screw it! I’m going to be brave and overtake at least one of these people, I came here to swim damn it! So I went for it. I did front crawl and overtook the man in front of me but then I got stuck and had to squeeze past him and another person coming the other way. Apparently I got too close to the man as when he did his breast stoke he touched my boob!!! He touched my boob!!! When you see where your hand is going surely you would stop? At least he didn’t go any lower! Then to make matters worse when I did manage to get into the space in front of him I stopped kicking my legs as I was afraid I would kick him and he got all tangled up in them and wouldn’t give me any space! It just had to be done, it was one of the messiest overtakings I have ever done and I don’t really ever want to repeat it. I might use the miss out half a lane technique next time.

Then the second story is about a lady, a lady who does not like to be overtaken. This lady was doing front crawl, front crawl is tiring especially if you do it constantly so she wasn’t going very fast. I overtook her going down one side of the lane and then right near the start of the next side got stuck behind another slow person as there was no clear path to overtake, but the front crawl lady didn’t think so, she overtook me and the slow person in front of me. When I had space I was able to front crawl past the slow person and then also the front crawl lady later in the lane. Same thing happened though, I got stuck behind a slow person so I was swimming along doing a gentle breast stroke and I accidentally kicked something.. it was front crawl lady!!! Overtaking us both again!!! Guess what happens next, I overtake the slow person then front crawl lady tries her hardest to not be overtaken, I manage to and then look behind when I get to the end of the lane and she has had to stop at the other end! I understand that she has come to swim too and shouldn’t have to stay behind slow people either but I think that you shouldn’t just barge your way through when you don’t have to and that you should go at a pace you can maintain and not be bitter and try and go faster and keep overtaking people that can swim faster than you?

After that fun week I was so happy when it came to Tuesday and it was pouring down, same lane but so much better, regular swimmers don’t mind letting you go! They don’t care what other people are doing, swimming is for you and should be self regulated, push yourself as far as you can go but don’t try and compete with other people. I mean have a race every now and then to see how you’re doing but don’t think you should be able to keep pace with every other swimmer in the pool. I had a great swim session this Tuesday I didn’t leave feeling annoyed, I felt like I had swum as hard as I could and got the most out of that half hour. I was very happy!

Anyone else sometimes wish they could win the lottery so they could have their own private pool?

Thanks for Reading xx

A Whole New World

This Monday after many, many weeks of persuasion I finally gave in and went swimming on my lunch break. 

I didn’t want to for ages because my swim costs £5.25 (the locker takes my 20p!) and so I always feel like I should get my moneys worth and spend a long time in there but it seems to magically and significantly cut down my evening which I find very annoying. You barely get home before you have to be in bed! I also never though I could actually manage it in time what with blow drying and putting makeup back on etc. I was 7 minutes late back but for my health I think everyone at work will let that go... fingers crossed! 

I did 30 minutes swimming of four lengths breast stroke then two lengths front crawl, another thing I have been forced into, and so I was actually able to keep track of how many lengths I did, drum roll …… 50!!!!! I forgot how hard front crawl was, it was not enjoyable but I’m hoping to be quicker next time and do 56 lengths or at the very least 52. I think this maybe a serious lifestyle change. Swimming lunch breaks are a hit!

Any one else hit the gym at lunch or are superhuman and go before work?

Thanks for Reading xx

The Hard Swim

This is the last time I am leaving swimming to a Friday it’s soooo hard to talk myself into doing it and I swear I was subconsciously trying to drown myself this session. I missed out the warm up because I wanted to be super quick to make a faster train because I was carrying precious cargo, it was my boyfriend’s birthday on bank holiday Monday!!!!! And I had made him some pistachio ice cream and I had to try and get it back to his without it melting. So I left it in the office in the fridge-freezer and picked it up after my horrible swimming and then rushed all the way home AND managed to sneak it and his presents past him to a safe hiding place in the freezer and the spare room. So what started out as a tough evening ended pretty well!

For my swim I did 45 minutes hard swimming, a lot of accidental drinking and swimmer dodging. Any one else have a hard session out of the blue sometimes?

Thanks for Reading xx

Swimming!!

I sooooo nearly talked myself out of swimming this week but did finally force myself to go on Friday and managed to do 40 minutes hard swimming with 10 minutes warm up and down. I also read in Stylist that 45 minutes of breastroke will burn off an Easter egg so just four more sessions to go… I used to have to drink milk when I got back home to help my muscles cope and so that I could walk properly the next day but I don’t have to any more so I must be improving slightly!

Any one else over indulge at Easter, which I think may officially become my favourite holiday, because I sure did!

Thanks for Reading xx

Swimming!!!!!

I totally went again! AND I upped my serious swimming again by five minutes but I did five minutes less warm up so I was still out the same time, it is incredible how much faster your evening goes when you go swimming mine just seems to vanish.

I felt okay in the pool I could have even done a bit longer but it always seems a lot easier when you know you are near the end! It was my walk home when I really felt it, my legs just had no energy and today they ache a little but not much I can just tell I used them.

I actually came across no annoying people it was just my steaming up goggles that were the problem. They are new ones and they were fine for the first two times, the second they did a little steam session but then went okay but I could not get them to unsteam this last time, wish me luck for next week!

Thanks for Reading xx

My Second Successful Swim!

I think I am going to have to use these posts as motivation to keep going swimming. I hope that you will call me up on it if I don’t post one each week, I need all the guilting I can get! 

I managed to do five more minutes serious swimming but was ready to collapse in a heap when I got out. At the gym I go to we have steps down to the changing room and I have to cling to the rail once I've been swimming but then I get to go have a lovely warm shower!

I may have to also use these posts as a little crazy swimmers rant space because I am coming across some frustrating people. I wish the people coming were more regular so we all got used to how each other swam and could get out the way etc and I just want to say if you can only do two lengths at a time of a slow breast stroke you should not be in the medium lane even if your girlfriend is in the fast lane and it means you won’t be able to chat at the ends.

Thanks for Reading and wish me luck for next week xx

Oh and check out the sunshine even after coming home late 

Swimming!!!!

I have finally got my lazy bum back into the swimming pool and I took photographic proof! 

I hate that first one back after having been away for a couple weeks, cough... months, and yes it was really hard work for the first 15 minutes till I got used to it and I did swallow way to much water because I didn't pull my head out far enough and no I am totally not looking forward to tomorrow when I will be aching even though I religiously stretch after BUT I love going swimming! You just feel so good when you have finally got your stroke back and its one of the only sports when I really, really push myself, all the others I cave as soon as I feel the burn/stitch/concentration fatigue so it has been very good to get back in and as one of the main sources of my exercise it was about time! See below for a wet towel, swimming costume and goggles!

Thanks for Reading xx