The Faulty Flipper is the informal home of the BOK Masters Squad. Masters swimming is for adult swimmers who do not mind getting their hair wet, want to get very fit, and to swim hard hoping to improve technique, get a bit faster, and have a laugh between gasps for air.
At last night’s training our new ‘intake’ of members from one of the other squads, now closed, joined in. The simple thing is that if you add ten swimmers to an already full pool the result will not be comfortable – for anyone or at all. It wasn’t.
First, and above all, welcome to the new swimmers. If you are ‘in’, you are in, and have as much right to be in as anyone who has been ‘in’ for twenty years already. It must be rather more daunting for you than for existing squad members.
It did _not_ work last night – despite Nick Overton’s best and very helpful endeavours. Several swimmers got out early. I do not know that or whether they were upset, but that appears to be the obvious explanation. Whoever’s fault it is, it is not their’s and nor is it the fault of the new intake.
Several very regular swimmers were missing even from our lane. That does not suggest a place for optimism. Things may yet get worse. They may also get better. Some of the new swimmers will, no doubt be off to university before the end of the month.
In amongst it all, Julia announced quietly that the new session at 6:15am on Tuesday will start next week. We need a good turnout for that as well.
How it starts is not necessarily how it will work out, but on any calculation, it will be uncomfortable for a while at least.
There are I think several possibilities.
First, we recognise that the change is driven by an attempt to save money. Fair enough, but if the result is to drive swimmers away, the only change will be a loss in income. I have never heard any convincing or open account of the finances of the masters squad, but I suspect that it is the easiest and cheapest/most profitable to manage and run. There is a virtue in bringing on child swimmers to high competitive standards, but that has no greater virtue than keeping a bunch of adults healthy, and, in some cases (you know who you are), off the streets.
The decision, as I understand it, repositions the division between masters squad and everyone else to the point where the ambition of and for a swimmer is no longer that he or she has a potential to swim competitively at county or higher level.
The age issue might be to test whether a swimmer might compete in the open section of a masters competition (18 to 25), but for some time now we have had two at least occasional swimmers who would on that basis be too young.
The answer, I think is that this should be seen as an opportunity to develop the squad even further. In the recent past we had six sessions a week available. We lost two 5:30am start sessions. We now have a replacement session of 6:15am on Tuesdays. Morning sessions will suit some swimmers much better than evening ones. I would hope that some of us will switch one session to the morning one, and perhaps it will in any event be more popular at 6:15 than at 5:30. If so, another similar session would further ease the overcrowding.
Another possibility suggested is that we get all the pool. At the moment, we only get to use five out of the six lanes in the pool, with a lane being available for the fitness club. I assume that this is a contractual arrangement which could only be broken at some expense, but it may be for example that (in desperation) we might share that lane. Last night there were no fitness club swimmers. Six lanes would have been a very much better fit.
What was not good was that the new squaddies were expected to turn up unannounced, to cause mayhem and to brave it out without anyone from BOK troubling to turn up and manage it. It might have been much worse than it was.
There is much more to write – later.
For the moment, can I stop where I started. The new squad members are and will be welcome.
Entry Closing date Saturday 4 September 2010.
The event starts early for a 400m free event, but laggards will get a second chance to warm up a bit later.
See at http://stainlandlions.mapometer.com/en/running/route_737550.html
This route is 6.8 miles, with assorted surfaces. Much is unlit and unmade, though none is strictly off-road. There are three really-quite-steep hills, one particularly so.
Leave the start by the Saville Moor chip shop (580ft) going South onto Birdcage Lane and Woodhouse Lane. Across Wakefield Road to your right, and then left down Hollas Lane and onto the canal (263 ft) toward Sowerby Bridge. Come off at the bridge before Sowerby and left down Gas Works Road, then right along Holmes Road, left under the railway bridge and take a rest outside the Police Station (272ft).
Ahead is Norland Road, leading up, steeply, to Boggart Lane. Ascend until you come out very steeply on Sowerby Croft Lane (440ft). Take a rest before bearing right and downhill.
After a couple of hundred yards (386ft), bear left and uphill along Long Lane, continuing to the end where a lane (Doldram Lane) comes down to you steeply from the left (473ft).
Why is it cobbled? It is too steep to tarmac!
Just keep going uphill until you come out on Moor Bottom Lane (796ft). You might need a rest. If not you, someone else will.
Left along Moor Bottom Lane, becoming Shaw Lane, toward Norland Village, straight on at the crossroads (758ft) on to and down Berry Moor Road, then bearing left down Norland Town Road, passing the Blue Ball Inn to your left.
The road descends and turns round to the right, coming to a very sharp left turn (590ft).
Stop. Go off to the right before turning left after a short distance down Moor End Lane.
Again, after a few yards turn left following the steep descent on Hollas Lane. Hollas Lane is a mixture of cobbles, wet tarmac, and unmade farm road. It meanders down the hill, before circling back to the left at the bottom, then sharp right under the railway and across the river (251ft) and canal and up to Wakefield Road. Cross Wakefield Road, bearing right coming to the foot of Woodhouse Lane (295ft).
A moment’s respite before turning up Woodhouse Lane returning via Birdcage Hill and Lane.
The route is really quite tough.
About 7.25 miles, with 480 ft of ascent. Mixed road, off road, and steep muddy bits through a wood.
Leave Heath – left to the lights. Left up and up again along Long Wall. Take a brief breather at the top, before running cross and down Westgate and then Church Street, taking care as you cross Briggate onto Eastgate. At the bottom fork right along a path up to and across the Elland-Riorges Link (again taking care) down the other side onto Elland Lane. Right after the pub, and begin the run to the foot of Lower Edge Road. This is the biggest hill, so enjoy
Just over the top, bear left down Boothroyd Lane. Just as the road disappears into the school, turn right through the style, and left along the fence by the school. This path begins paved, and varies with several more styles, but more or less takes you straight in until eventually you emerge through a playground onto Oaklands. Turn left down the hill and follow Oaklands as it winds down the hill, emerging onto Lillands Lane (255ft).
You are now at your furthest from home. Turn left back up the hill and as you come toward the top of Lillands Lane.
As you reach the brow (before the end of Lillands Lane), bear right along a path through the woods. The path is well defined and follows a gentle-ish climb till you come out at the top above the now fenced off re-stabilised slope (390ft). Take care – there are several low and substantial branches.
Just past there, the path continues along falling from the brow of the hill by a series of fairly sudden descents. If it is wet take care, and in any event you may find that you are swinging from tree to tree. If you miss the turns off, just continue. The path eventually meets a stepped path down to where you want to get – but it is just not quite as much fun.
Along the foot of the hill is a fence for the railway line. follow it until you come between two fences, and at the end is a gate out and across the railway line (245ft).
Through the gate on the other side, follow the path till you meet the river on your left. Go along crossing the bridge and then turning right, following the path to the canal (214ft).
Left and back along the towpath. Eventually it disappears and you turn left between some houses, then right along Gas Works Lane up onto Elland Bridge.
Left, then on the far side of the bridge, turn right along Saddleworth Road (265ft). Still sprightly, take the opportunity to climb Gog Hill to your left after about 200 yards.
Take a breather at the top (335ft).
Right and back down and along Long Wall to the lights and home.
Wendy, our only current World Champion swimmer, is off to Sweden over the next few days to take on the world again at the World Masters. First, and above all – Good luck. As someone once said “Stick One On ‘em”, and as Jamie once nearly said “Be proud of your . . .”
We can all follow Wendy from a distance at http://www.2010finamasters.org/
Wendy, we will forgive you if you don’t quite manage a world record or a another first place, but you should know that I know that you have been swimming faster lately, and good times will be looked for.
Warm Up: 200 Free + 100 Back + 200 free/Pull + 100 IM + 200 Choice
Main Set:
3 x 200IMK – 1st drill, 2nd Kick/pull, 3rd full
16×50 IM order
2 x [3 x 100 free (50Hard+50 easy, 25 easy+50 hard+25 easy, 50 easy+50 Hard)
No time for swim down
Thanks to Suzanne for setting this and previous sessions. It is an unfair burden falling on her. We never know from one session to the next whether we will have a coach, and therefore cannot prepare. If he had a better idea of what was to happen, we could plan – and help Suzanne.
Not quite sure, but Nick seems to have finished coaching and will no doubt return shortly as a swimmer. He deserves all the hell you can give him . .
What do we do now? There is no immediate prospect of a coach taking over. Though things might turn out well, we can and should only look forward to organising ourselves.
There are therefore several issues to resolve:
1) If you read this and think there is any possibility at all that I do not have your email, please make sure to leave it with me. Send an email to me at dswarb@gmail.com. This is massively important. If anything does go wrong, the ability to keep in contact is the first line of defence. I will shortly be sending out an email. If you get it, fine, if you do not and read this, then we need your email address.
2) Talk to the others in your lane and make sure that the know about this site, and that they should read it – every now and then at least.
3) Suzanne (thank goodness), Mike Gibbins, and one or two others are looking to establish how first to plan our sessions as a programme, then how to set particular sessions, and how practically to implement them on the poolside. They want your input. Make sure that your offers of help are loud and clear and come with an email address.
If we pull together this will be fine.
You will have heard that we (BOK Masters Squad) were to close down for the last two weeks in August. Not Now. Thanks (a big thanks) to Gemma, the squad will, as usual, swim through.
There are a lot of rumours churning about in the changing rooms and showers. Not all of them have been started by me. The truth is that they are just that – rumours. We have lost some management from the scheme, there have been appointments to help us, and possibilities.
I think that we are in fact dependant on what happens nationally. Whatever is decided locally, what is happening above us, and above those above those above us, is simply unknown. It is open to any possibility – it is sky.
You know how there are things which you can do which are good for you. In general, you do it, get it or eat it, and lo an behold your life is improved beyond recognition.
So much so that the benefits of whatever it is are clearly demonstrated by pictures taken before and pictures taken after whatever it is.
Where does Masters Swimming fit in with this?
Easy. Take the pics, before and after a swimming session. Display them. Living proof of the benefit.
Just take care to be sure that you swap the pictures around.
BOK Masters – Sunday. Finishing 25 minutes before the start of the World Cup Final.
Warm up: 10 mins Assorted (750m).
Main Set: Free – 200, 175, 150 . . 25
Free/flippers 25, 50, 75 . . 200 – easier but longer underwater out of turn.
3 x 100 IM
Swim Down 200m
Off to watch the final.
BOK Masters – swim set – Saturday 10 July. 1 hour in a 25m pool – lane 4 of 6. Coach: Nick Overton.
Warm up 5 x 150m varied
First Set: – 5 x 200 (150 Free + 50 Back) 20s RI
Second Set: 6 x100m (25Fly+75Free) off 2:00
Third: 6x75m -free with 25m breast ‘moving through’.
Enough.
Solipsism: The philosophical theory that only I exist – eg. Coach “I spend my life talking to myself”.
Warm up
4 x 150 (100+50choice/kick)
200 IM
200m ¬Free, 50m Free
150m ¬Free, 100m Free
100m ¬Free, 150m Free
50m ¬Free, 200m Free
Free – 5 x [4 x 25m] in fours of 35s, 30s, 25s, 30s, 25s
¬Free – - 5 x [4 x 25m] in fours of 35s, 30s, 25s, 30s, 25s
(didn’t finish)
Solipsism – a philosophically pure self-centered belief system – ‘Don’t worry, there’s only me’
Warm Up: 4 x [100 free + 50 ch] + 4 x [50 fr + 25 kick]
Main Set:
- 5 x 100 Free off standard+10sec
- 10 x 50 off 1m 10s
- 5 x 100 IM off 2m 15s
150m swim down.
Somebody had lost whatever key it is which keeps the water temperature down, and the water was unhappily far too warm. Swimming was difficult.
Warm up: 5 x [100 Free + 50 Choice]
Main Set:
9 x 100 off standard time (1m 50)
30s rest
6 x 100 off Standard time – concentrate on exits from turns
20x 25 (5 off each in IM order) 30-40 secs
Swim down; 150m
Just what the doctor ordered. John Da and I took the 100s in turn which left us going on 2x 1m 45s + 1 on 2m. It worked.
Warm up: 3 x 150m (100free + 50 back); 3 x 100 (75pull+25m kick)
Main: (fins on)
14x25m free/Back
2 x 5×100 – 5 on free, 5 on back – concentrating on trying to do good stretch underwater from turn.
Flippers off
5 x 10 free – same on kicks
100m swim down
Upper Bay Ltd, Regina -v- – CACD – 02-Mar-10 – Lord Judge CJ, Roderick Evans, Griffith Williams JJ (Bailii, [2010] EWCA Crim 495, [2010] WLR (D) 60, WLRD) – Crime – Negligence – Health and Safety
The defendant sought leave to appeal against its conviction for failing so to conduct its swimming pool as to avoid exposing visitors to risk to health or safety. A boy had gone to the pool with his father and brother. Notices said that a child of his age (under eight) should be accompanied by an adult. He could not swim and had no armbands. He almost drowned. The defendant said that his father should have supervised him.
Held. Leave was refused. The failure of parental supervision did not absolve the defendant from responsibility. The father’s duties were concurrent with those of the pool owners but were not the same and did not displace the pool’s duty. The duty imposed on it by the Act was not delegable. “making all . . allowances, the applicant had to recognise and anticipate — and appears to have recognised and anticipated in its policy — the reality that on occasions small children do escape not only when parental supervision is lax, but even when parental supervision is very close. That is what children do.” Statutes:
Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 s. 3(1) s. 33(1)(a) lawindexpro
Warm Up: 200m free + 200m Choice + 2x100m IM + 200 pull
Main Set: 4 x [4 x {125} ] 1st and last length of each 125 IM strokes. 20 seconds rest – additional 20 secs each 4 swims.
Swim Down: 200m easy
BK Masters Swimming quad – 25m pool, 1 hour session set by Mick Overton. Lane 4 of 6.
Phew. I can still feel this in my arms.
Nick has now confirmed that he has been returned to active duty as a fire fighter. The immediate consequence is that he will be working shifts, and that therefore he cannot commit to coaching us. Sometime between now and early August he will disappear as coach – and re-appear as a swimmer. Good for him.
Far too early for an obituary, but Nick has done amazingly well as coach. He has remained interested, kept his temper, and stuck hard to his principles. It is quite clear that the squad has moved forward with Nick’s leadership, and we owe him our gratitude.
Still, it does mean that he will be back training. He can feel the pain . . again.
There is no word yet any how things will get on without him.
Warm up: 2 x [100 free + 100 pull] + 2 x [100 ch + 50 kick]
Main Set: 2 x [200 hard, 3 x 200 - 100 fast moving through, 200 Fast] 1st Free, 2nd IM
Swim down: – not a lot.
Warm up: 300 free + 200 ¬free + 100 pull/kick
Main set 2 x ( 2 x 200 + 4 x 100 + 4 x 50) First set free, second set ¬ free. Alternating swims easy/hard.
Lane 4 of 6. One hour session in 25m pool for BOK Masters. Coach Mick Overton.
. . just before I got their . . nearly.
We have had provided free swimming now for about two years to those under 16 and over 60. It was one of those few things I had to look forward to in my decline. The Coalition Government has announced the demise of this scheme. This, as they used to say, is a dead parrot. It is deceased, departed, gone. Long gone and Turning Smelly.
Despite my natural tendency to witter – thank you for not noticing (everybody except WE who would not even pretend) – the decision is not unexpected, and probably correct, however sadly so.
It has been said that the reason given – formally that it had not been shown to be best value: “The summary evaluation report published today shows the programme was not providing best value for money, so we could not justify continuing to fund it” is a lie. The justification cited is not supported by the actual content of the report.
The evaluation report is available at http://www.culture.gov.uk/images/publications/FSP-exec-summary-June2010.pdf. You can read it for yourself and conclude as you will.
I understand that it operated as a partial subsidy. If the subsidy is withdrawn, local authorities remain free to continue the subsidy. In the context of present financial shortfalls, it will be a brave Council which persists.
At the same time, it will not be the most expensive subsidy. The people who receive the subsidy are in any event subsidised – the nice sound bit is but a small jump further in the same direction.
I am sure, as you might expect, that I support the scheme. I will hit 60 next year. I want to continue swimming, and am sensible enough to recognise that I will soon begin to get slower more quickly. Free public swimming would have been good. I am sure it would have kept me out of the hands of the medics a bit longer.
Realistically it is spilled milk time. If this is the only way I get hit by what must come, it is not a big it.
(Article inspired by
Some amongst us are (quite understandably) reluctant to take on the ordure of swimming the channel. You might have thought that ‘swimming with dolphins’ – often portrayed as a sweet and even spiritual experience – was relatively safe.
Well, it was. It was until a particular dolphin took an opportunity denied to many a music critic. A certain young lady pop singer, Kelly Rowland, of the group Destiny’s Child was looking for serenity so went in with the dolphins. History does not record whether she was singing at the time, but in essence she got too close to the dolphins bum with her face. It decided that it could not wait (or that it might never get such a chance again – you know how playful dolphins are), and pooped. Right in her face.
Actually it was a good job she wasn’t singing at the time.
Session Sunday 13 June 2010
Warm up: 2 x [100 free + 100 ¬free + 100 pull/kick]
Main Set: 4 (Free/Choice/Free/IM) x [5 x 100m]
A simple killer.
This is for lane 4 out of 5 for OK Masters Simming squad. 25m pool/1 hour. Set by Nick Overton.
The NEC championships are set for Saturday 26 September. They are to be held at Middlesborough. An entry form is available here. The actual event is at the Neptune Centre Swimming Pool, Ormesby Road Middlesbrough TS3 7RP – tel: 01642 230 106. It is 85 miles from Brighouse (well you can do your own calculation) and takes just over an hour and a half to get there. The warm up is at 09:00, so an early start seems necessary.
Closing Date 1 September.
Now is your chance to swim that 200m Fly race yu have been so much looking forward to.
