Swimming Training

Where I lived in Australia I had 50m pools and high quality swim squads in abundance and close proximity. I had also spent almost 13 years based primarily out of one pool, in that time having only 5 swim coaches and being a part of three squads.

In London there are barely any 50m pools. There seem to be plenty of 25m pools, but they are everything you'd expect from a nation that isn't Australia or the United States and hasn't been the bees knees in swimming for the last 60 years.

The site they held the London 2012 Olympics at and the Olympic swimming pool is only a few k's down the road from where I live, but despite that being held 18 months ago, the pool doesn't open for another month.

2012 was all about legacies. I don't see there being a sporting legacy, but the areas around are improving.

I have found a squad that I am really enjoying my time with. Here's a few details:


Schedule:
The squad swims 5 times a week.
Mon am 5:30 - 7:00
Tues am 5:30 - 7:00
Wed pm 7 - 9
Fri pm 8 - 10
Sun pm 5 - 7



9:30pm while I wait for my bus, the Balaam pool

Focus: The sessions I've been to so far have had a clear sprints and power focus. We've used t-shirts and shoes for drag plenty of times (marginally easier than the "crab pots" one of my squads used in Aus). Sunday afternoon is a Gym/Swim session. The gym is a lot lighter than what I am used to.

Balaam as I get there at 6:50pm

Members: In Aus, every squad seems to have a group of 10 to 15 young teenage girls aged 12 to 15. The boys 5 - 10 boys aged similarly, but up to 17 deal with the hormones and ...girlyness of this. As does the coach.
The squad I'm training with have about 10 or so males aged 14 up to mid twenties and only two girls. I enjoy this peer group more because I don't have to deal with girls either beating me or distracting the coach. Teenage males get silly too (very silly) but I'm more comfortable with it. Australia 1 England 0 in the promotion of sport to teenage girls.

The building beside East Ham Leisure Centre

 

Coach: The coach is classic. He's an Italian with a whole bunch of swimming and exercise science education and experience behind him. He's also very entertaining:

• "Are you allowed to taser students as a teacher?"
• "They take away the cane and look at what we end up with...Justin Bieber"
• "You should not play football. Australians can not play football. They can play rugby and cricket but football? No."
• He'll introduce a set of 20 x 50 with evens and odds being different things, changing every 6 and then ask "Any questions? No? Good. Go" While everyone looks at the lane leaders as their faces turn white with the knowledge that they are about to fail to meet expectation.
• While we're deep into a painful session "Think happy thoughts...Perhaps not that happy Chris."

Pools: We swim at three different pools (Yep, weird by Aussie standards) because that's all the club can get from the three local pools. All are 25m pools, so I keep adding a second to all of my 50m times.

There are slides down the back.

I had troubles with pool temperature at many Aussie pools, but I have not struggled at all here. They are indoor and must just be well ventilated since I don't have the overheating issues I had in Aus. It also helps being indoor as they don't turn the temperature up to what always felt like 30degrees in winter.

East Ham Town Hall Clock Tower next door to the pool.

I just remembered with trepidation that the Olympic pool was horrendously unsuccessful for Australians. I will swim solo here on Wednesday and Thursday afternoon once it opens. These will be entirely aerobic and strength. Triathletes are addicted to paddles, buoy and band. I'll be reinforcing this stereotype.

Particularly given my rib injury is still making its presence felt, I'm really happy with how I'm swimming at the moment. There has been next to no aerobic work, so I haven't seen how I'm likely to go in Tri, but I have already, in only about 10 sessions already started to hit training pbs for sprints. If I can carry this speed across to my aerobic efforts, I will be much better placed for racing this European summer.

I'm not yet confident of gains with my swimming, but I am excited about the task and enjoying my training. I'll just have to put in the time and wait and see.