Faulty Flipper

New Intake

David Swarbrick — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 08:05:44 +0000

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.

NE Counties – Entry Form

David Swarbrick — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:30:35 +0000

WO, returned in glory from Sweden, has just sent me the link to the entry form for the NE Counties gala (Saturday 18 September):

http://www.swimnortheast.org.uk/results/2010/asanermasters2010/masters2010.pdf

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.

Saville Moor – Boggart Lane, Doldram Lane, Hollas Lane

David Swarbrick — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 06:17:36 +0000

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.

Route – Heath – Lower Edge – Reins Wood – Canal

David Swarbrick — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 06:45:45 +0000

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 – Good Luck

David Swarbrick — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 05:02:52 +0000

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.

Swim Workout 28 July 2010

David Swarbrick — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 07:00:22 +0000

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.

Phelps’ Free-Style

David Swarbrick — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:13:06 +0000

A good video is at

Michale Phelps.

I can’t embed the video, but is very well worth watching.

FS drill

David Swarbrick — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 06:29:21 +0000

This looks interesting:

Coaching

David Swarbrick — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 08:33:25 +0000

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.

August Swimming – Above Us Only Sky

David Swarbrick — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 12:32:02 +0000

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.