SWIM HELP (Page 2)

kellc09 - 2008-01-18 3:51 PM trixie, I will help, but I will probably do what my dad liked to do to us... he dragged us out, set us in the water.. now make it back Ok, you survived, your good to go! In all seriousness though I grew up in Waterford, we didnt have pools in the high schools at that time though, but obviously there are TONS of lakes in waterford so I grew up on one of them. Open water swimming is all about getting comfortable in the water. We used to take the boat out in the middle of the lake and just float/swim around for hours. We also used to take the paddle boats out and swim from raft to raft. I had no form or technique because I was never taught it, it was mainly about getting there and not drowning. Id be willing to help you out at the lake. That will be the best place to go since thats the only place you have a problem. Are you a good floater?? In teaching people how to swim on the lake, that seemed to solve most of their worries, if i could teach them to float it seemed to ease their mind that they could float if they ever had to. we could always do a BT picnic when the weather gets warmer at one of the parks and use the beach and just go and have fun and make it all about getting comfortable in the water. anyways.. just my input!

I'd love for you, ANY OF YOU, to help.  I can't float, and I can't tread.  As soon as I can do those two things...I'll be good  At least once a week in open water sounds awesome to me. 

Hm... swam with Trixie there?  that's a stretch.    LOL.  (no offense, trix!).

that was fun.

I'll be part of the gang out at Trout Lake on Thursdays... and I'd be totally up for a picnic at Kelly's lake.  I LOVE the water and have since I was little I'd be happy to go play.  Anytime! 

And just to toss out another Y, I'm at the Farmington Hills Ymca. (YMCA! YMCA! dododododo).

Man, this is year 3 for me trying to work the trix into swim mode...dammit, Trix, whenzit gonna happen?

Seriously, Brown Trout Lake in the summer is a given. I'm all over that.

I'd love to find a pool that we can giddyup in as a group this winter....maybe the FAST pool in dearborn?  They're tri-friendly. Or others?

This year dammit, I'm tired of being a pu$$y.  MUST.DO.TRIS.NEXT.YEAR...I think I need to be hypnotized... 

trix, have you ever just taken a huge breath of air, held it in, and felt the extra bouyancy?  try it in the shallow end.  Its a neat little trick.

When I take a big puff of air, I rise higher in the water, when I blow the entire puff out, I start to sink.  I'm right on the verge of bouyant.

Chalk this up as one of your "play" things.

You know you could also just put on about 20 pounds of body fat, that would help with the bouyancy too.... 

Nelg - 2008-01-20 2:02 PM

kellc09 - 2008-01-18 6:57 PM I suppose being able to just tread water for a long time in the middle of a yucky lake is good to. Nothing like sitting there in one spot for a while to get over it Your right though. Wetsuits solve all this!!!

You are totally on to something here, wetsuits do indeed help you float. To me, my wetsuit is a little bit of a security blanket. I know I can go out and swim a mile without one, but I know that with a suit I can roll on my back and take a breather if needed. You also don't feel any random yucky things in the water either. Trixie, perhaps picking up a wetsuit or borrowing one would take the edge off. Buying one would also light that fire under you to actually use what you spent money on so it could be double useful.

HA!! have one. In fact, I have two. This one rides up a bit.....

Trixie, Why haven't you just done one of the Total Immersion classes?

There is one scheduled in Grand Blanc for this coming weekend. Jan 26-27. I don't know the cost or any other details. I just saw the sign in the lobby of my gym.

I just ran out to the TI site, here is a little more info, the rest can be had at the TI site. http://www.totalimmersion.net/confirm/GrandBlanc-january.doc

I just looked over the schedule and they also have them coming to Grand Blanc in March, June, August and October.

dammit, I have a 50k this weekend.   I wonder what the cost is....the hold payment is 250....hmmmm. 

I just got back from my swim.  The sign in the lobby says to go to http://www.liquidlifestyles.net

Theladies at the front desk didn't know what was going on and they referred me to the aquatics director.  She only works half days though, and is out for the day.   It looks like the instructor's name is Leah Nyikes or something like that.  Her number is on the site above. 

You know - you can always find a master's group to swim with - I swim with two on occasion - Milford over at Milford HS on Mondays, Wednesday or Saturdays from 6:30PM - 8:00PM and more recently over at West Bloomfield HS any day of the week (work day) from 7:30PM - 9:00PM. 

Drop in cost is $7 at West Bloomfield - and is free for the first three times at Milford HS.

At West Bloomfield HS there is an Olympic Medalist for a coach on deck at every practice to give you pointers and help you out, and she gives private lessons for like $200/10 half hour sessions.

www.oaklandmasters.com is a good resource to find out about the West Bloomfield one, and my Tri club meets EVERY Saturday AM for swimming (winter = pool, spring - fall = OWS)

Winter @ Schoolcraft in Livonia at 7:00AM, warmer weather @ Island Lake 7:00AM $5 drop in at Schoolcraft, and you do not have to be a FAST member!

www.swimfasttrifast.com has multiple swimming locations listed for reference under the SWIM tab on top.