Tag: swimming

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Swimming 2016

swimming-pool-At the start of the year, I challenged myself to swim the channel. Not, of course, in the sea, in one go – that would be far too cold/difficult/dangerous/unachievable (and a whole host of other reasons), but over the course of the year in Strode Pool. I calculated I would need to swim 960 lengths, and I achieved this goal by mid March.

Today I completed my 6,000th length, which equates to 200km, and I’m rather proud of that. A knee injury in January forced me off the road and into the pool more, and no plumbing in February half term meant that I visited the pool every day to keep clean – swimming was a useful by product – but there have been other times when the going has got tough: the latter half of November, for example, found me somewhat of a stranger to the water (reports, refereeing, life, getting in the way).

The start of my Christmas holidays saw me needing to get in another 436 lengths – a significant number, but one that could be done. So I’ve put in a few big swims since then – 3 x 72’s, 2 x 60’s, 1 x 48 and 2 x 30’s to hit my goal today, with eight extra lengths for  good measure!

With “odd” opening times for lanes next week (between Christmas & New Year) today may have been my last swim of the year, so the stats for 2016 are:

Lengths: 6008

Distance: 200.27 Km

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2K

2KSaturday 28th May 2106 – Swam 2Km, 43 min 41 secs

Furthest I’ve ever swum. Back in July/August (2015) when I started swimming regularly, I would do 20, or perhaps 24, lengths.  I since “upped the norm” (what a great phrase!) to 30 lengths (1 Km) and a couple of months ago (end of March) swam a mile (48 lengths) for the first time, and a mile has since become a regular distance when I’m on my own.

On Saturday, I was cruising through the water and, at around 30 lengths, decided to go for the 2K – sixty lengths. It wasn’t actually difficult, just keep on keeping on ’till you hit the goal.  Rather chuffed with myself though.

Not sure what goals that leaves me: 3K – 90 lengths – is probably the next step, but that is a way off. Going from 48 (mile) to 60 (2k) lengths was not a big leap, 60 to 90 lengths is.  Perhaps 72 lengths (1.5 miles) … now, that’s got me thinking.

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Mile

Diving inYesterday (30/3/16) I swam a mile.

Not the first time I have swam a mile – I have breast-stroked my way up and down Shepton Lido before – but the first time I have swum a mile, non-stop, front crawl. Swam it in 38 mins 37 secs.

Went for my 4 o’clock swim, sans Sam who had somehow persuaded us not to go that day, jumped in and set off. It was not busy and a sense of calm enveloped me as a began to plough up and down the lane.

With no Sam, I soon decided I would swim 36 instead of my normal 30 lengths – I’ve done this a few times.  I then figured doing another 4 lengths to take it to 40 would be no big deal. And then the thought began to crystallise in my head: if you are doing 40, another 8 lengths isn’t much to ask to take you to the magical mile. And so I decided to do so. I did, however, waver at 24 lengths – at this point I would normally be thinking about ramping up my pace for the last few lengths, but now I realised it was only half way. I trekked on, was soon in the thirties and the mile was in touching distance.  I kept going and was soon there.

I don’t think “mile-ing” will become the norm (Sam wouldn’t have the patience to wait!) but would like to do a mile on a reasonably regular basis. Perhaps once a month? And after a mile, what next? The two obvious challenges are 60 lengths (2 Km) and swimming for an hour. Who knows? My knee remains a bit dodgy so still not pounding the pavement, and I do enjoy my swimming at the moment.

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Bonjour!

French FlagOne of my goals, targets and aims was to swim the channel. Since writing those targets I’ve had some doubts as to how far I actually need to swim.  I surpassed the 960 lengths I originally calculated a week or so ago but I now don’t think it far enough.

Anyway, I am now claiming to have reached France, having swum 1064 lengths, which equates to 35.1 Km or 21.9 miles.  The official minimum swim distance is 21 miles, so I reckon I’ve done it.

Loving the swimming at the moment, typically swim 30 lengths in circa 23mins 30 ish secs.  It seems to ease my knee injury, I reckon I’ve swum more because I’ve run less, and our lack of plumbing over half term meant swimming every day which added to the distance.

Suppose I’d better turn round and swim back now! 5,000 lengths in the calendar year? Now that’s a (new) challenge.