Faulty Flipper

I have spent several hours removing old and now broken links from the database. I have discounted them for some time when looking at the number of full text judgments linked to, but could not face the hours and the mind-numbing pain of getting rid of them. It is enough to say that I have so far reduced the figure from something over 7,000 to about 4,000 by the beginning of this week.

I now have them down below 1,000, and hope to get it clear by today.

Like a twerp, I listened to one of our swimmers the other day who asperted(?) that I didn’t swim ‘proper’ fly. Out of pride, I went on to swim a few sprints full stroke. I did my shoulder in again. I sit here now with a trapped nerve in my shoulder which does not want to go away. It doesn’t stop me swimming, but it is not getting better.

Several years ago, I got the first instance of this injury. I was out of the pool for six years after not taking it seriously enough.

Time I think to go back on the anti-anflammatory drugs, and a bit of a rest for a few days -see what happens.

I ran my first half marathon on Sunday at Sheffield. Given it was my first, and that I am carrying an injury (Ab Flab - do not ask) I am pleased just to have finished. Towards the end I was definitely slowing down. 2h 8m 54s is slow for many but impossible for others. it will do until next time.

In recent weeks I had taken to attending additional swimming sessions at Todmorde. It is a good pool, and the length swimming sessions were not overly busy, and the swimmers understanding.

One morning, I set off. and executed a flip turn. The pool is ‘deck level’ - the water is at the sale level as the pool edge. As swimmers will know, a tumble turn requires you to throw your legs over violently.

I miscalculated - I was too close to the wall. My ankle hit the pool surface very hard. My head was, as you would expect, underwater.

It gave new meaning to the phrase ‘bubble and squeak’

Masters swimming session - 25 m pool.

Post Christmas - everyone just getting started again - ouch.

WU 3 x (150sw + 150 kick/pull + 50 drill)
Free / Choice / Free

10 x 75m (20 drill, 20 full, 20 Brst, 15 Full)
(15/20 secs rest between 75s)

8 x 100 ( 25Br 50Ba 25Fr) on 20s rest

Through to end of session 50s pull/50s kick

I hope I have eventually got this right.

When the arm hits the water in back stroke, the same foot (ie right arm with right foot) kicks upwards. It is not as easy to get this as it is to get the parallel movement n front crawl, but the effect seems just as significant.

Here’s hoping.

AM (25m pool - middle lane of masters swimminging training session)

WU 200 free, 200 (25ba/25Br), 200IM Drill, 200k

Main Set
8×100 free on 1m45s
4 x 100 free on 1m 55s
4 x 100free on 1m 45s

600 (pull to kick 25s)

100 Swim Down

3100
Usual confusion on timings due to pain.

Again 25m pool - 1 hour - middle lane

WU - 2 x (200 free + 50 ba + 50 ch) + 200 dr/sw

Main set - 4 x ( 2 x 75(50pu+25k) + 4x 25 on 30s + 2×50 on 55s + 100 fast)

12×25 (any 10m fast)
Swim down 150

3150m

This is just wonderful.

Liverpool have announced a scheme to get more and older people back in the water swimming. Coached sessions will be available. Duncan Goodhew, retired Olympian breaststroker, did whatever it is that people do to declare it to be open for all who sail in her.

It would otherwise be unremarkable, but it may be a sign of the swimming community taking up the challenge set by the ASA last year for te hdevelopment of masters’ swimming. One idea of the paper was to do just what has been done here to provide a way froward for older swimmers, perhaps with the unspoken hope of encouraging some to move on eventually to competitive swimming.

A few years ago, Kirklees did a similar exercise. It worked. Three cheers to Liverpool.