Andrea Amador asked:


If you are a woman struggling with emotional eating, take heart. Help is on the way. The following is a partial list of things to do when you want to eat but you’re not physically hungry. Emotional Eating is consuming food in an effort to handle feelings of overwhelm or stress in your life. In my experience, I’ve found that women who are emotional eaters, tend to be very proficient at juggling many things and taking care of the needs of others. As a result of this extreme focus on the needs of others, they often tend to overlook themselves and as a result they neglect their own needs over the long term and fall prey to the instant gratification that food can bring. If you are an emotional eater, there is a good chance that you haven’t learned of a variety of ways of coping with stress without food.

I offer my clients the following list to use in conjunction with various stress relief techniques that I teach to help them to reawaken the inner nurturer inside of themselves and to provide them with choices and tools guiding them to take specific steps to help them to cope with their stress and enjoy more of their life.

* Use body lotion

* Take a bubble bath

* Get a manicure

* Enjoy a pedicure

* Get a massage

* Go shopping

* Buy a new lipstick

* Treat yourself to some flowers

* Cuddle up with a good book

* Watch a favorite movie

* Go for a walk

* Look at the the sky

* Visit a museum

* Go to the park

* Call a friend

* Hug a tree

* Go hiking

* Hug someone

* Ask for a hug

* Tell someone you love them

* Forgive

* Count your blessings

* Make a cup of tea

* Paint a picture

* Fly a kite

* Walk on the beach

* Take a swim

* Pack a picnic lunch

* Gaze at the stars

* Watch the sun rise

* Revel in a sunset

* Snuggle up with a soft pillow

* Jump in Autumn leaves

* Listen to the birds

* Sew a patchwork quilt

* Dance

* Sing

* Watch a comedy

* Write a letter

* Listen to books on tape

* Go to the library

* Take a cooking class

* Redecorate a room

* Watch children play

* Enjoy a guided visualization CD

* Write a book

* Play a board game

* Relax outdoors

* Touch something soft

* Buy new underwear

* Buy hair accessories

* Change your hairstyle

* Ask a question

* Participate in a support group

* Give yourself a hug

* Make plans to see a friend

* Sit by a fire

* Sit quietly and listen to your body

* Meditate or visualize

* Take pictures

* Jump in a Jacuzzi

* Take a road trip

* Go to a concert

* See a show

* Take off your shoes

* Buy new slippers

* Plant a garden

* Try a new recipe

* Get out your old cookbooks

* Invite a friend to dinner

* Visit the Acquarium

* Go to the zoo

* Take a trip to Disneyworld

* Write down your goals

* Buy a scented candle

* Buy some potpourri

* Go for a bike ride

* Make a pot of soup

* Do a craft

* Learn Calligraphy

* Take a class

* Send a thank you card

* Pet a cat or dog

* Hold a baby

* Take a yoga class

* Smell samples in a bath store

* Clean your refrigerator

* Start a hobby

* Go bowling

* Chew gum

* Read a biography of a hero

* Take a nap

* Go to a gym

* Enjoy a workout video

* Watch a cooking show

* Travel abroad

* Buy new pajamas

* Enjoy nature

* Learn a new language

* Start your own business

* Decorate for the holidays

* Take a day off

* Go on a cruise

* Watch the leaves changing

* Spend time with family

* Listen to the ocean

* Make love

* Do some housework

* Play in the snow

* Visit historic sites

* Go camping

* Pick berries

* Visit a farmer’s market

* Buy a new dress

* Write a poem

* Go ice skating

* Write your memoirs

* Learn to dance

* Make your own jewelry

* Buy a necklace

* Volunteer your time

* Give to charity

* Pray

* Go out to brunch

* Take a risk

* Walk on a boardwalk

* Smile

* Make lemonade

* Bake cookies

* Go to church

* Visit a pet store

* Make new friends

* Watch Public television

* Go to a baseball game

* Attend the ballet

* Play an instrument

* Read to a child

* Set aside time to imagine

* Take a walking tour

* Have a birthday party for yourself

* Go on a boat

* Go fishing

* Golf

* Play cards

* Go to a wine tasting

* Take a car ride

* Buy a Harley

* Get a foot massage

* Buy a colorful umbrella

* Hang a picture

* Buy scented hand soap

* Blow a kiss at your reflection

* Learn stress relief techniques

* Get more sleep

* Clap your hands

* Go back to school

* Say what’s on your mind

* Adopt a pet

* Make a dream mat

* Buy new shoes

* Play a video game

* Wear a funky necklace

* Plan a dinner party

* Make a phone call

* Watch cartoons

* Buy a plant

* Read the newspaper

* Have a girl’s night out

* Prioritize your day

* Send an email

* Listen to motivational CDs

* *Listen to music

* Ask yourself the question, “What do I really want?”

If you still feel stressed and notice that you are very resistant to the idea of doing anything but eating, then eat until your hunger is satisfied. Later on, when you are feeling less tense, return to these resources and begin to integrate more of them into your life on a daily basis. The key to your success in losing weight without dieting is to gently create new habits in your life that will change the way that you think and feel about food. This is most effective by combining stress relief techniques with a non diet approach to eating, which means “No more diets!” Naturally this list is by no means complete. Have fun adding to it and trying new things. Most of all, allow yourself to notice the many new things that you can do besides eating.



Swimming Lessons

Stefan Rockhaus asked:


A swimming pool is one place where we all want to be on a hot day. Swimming is such a relaxing exercise, and it is enjoyed by people of all ages. Kids love splashing, while adults love swimming in the water. Swimming is an excellent sport, and reduces fat as well. A perfect swimming pool adds a lot of class to a beautiful home. If you are in the process of getting a pool or redoing your old pool, read on!

Swimming Pool Basics:

Typically, a swimming pool has the following major components:

• Basin

• Motor pump

• Water filter

• Chemical feeder

• Drains

• Returns

• PVC plastic plumbing connecting all of these elements

A good pool will have all the following components, so that the water is moved continuously from the filter, cleaning it, sometimes through the heater also, so that regular temperature is maintained. The water is consistently cleaned using the chemical feeders, with the help of chlorine, as it keeps water free from any bacteria.

Doing up a great pool:

The drain system is best laid at the lower end of the pool with the surface slanting towards it, so that the water can flow easily through the drains. The drains should be covered with grates so that while swimming, people do not have their hair or swimsuits caught up in them. A strainer is attached at the mouth of drains so that any debris is caught. A good pool must have powerful pumps that can help water flow through the filter and chemical feeder; to and from the swimming pool.

High rate sand filters are the best kind of filters that will clean the water perfectly. They use sand to clean water of any debris present. Some pools may also use the diatomaceous earth filter, or a cartridge filter. This filter cleans very fine particles of debris. Ideally in any pool, the water should pass the filter every 30 minutes, and for the largest ones, every six hours.

The pump and filter should also be connected to a fresh water line. Calcium hypochlorite or sodium hypochlorite make great chemical cleaning agents. An automated chlorine feeder should be hooked to the filters for good chemical filtration.

Sodium carbonate and sodium bicarbonate should be used as per the requirement, to keep the pH under control right from 7.8 to 7.9. After filtration, the water should be sent back to the pool. A great pool requires the best of the filters, chemical filters, drains and pumps.

Most people look at the pool and think that that is the most important part of the set up, but in fact equally important is the pumps room, where pumps and filters are installed. A pump room is where the water quality is maintained. There are some other issues that one may face while getting a pool done. Some of these are:

When to dig a pool?

Contrary to popular thought, winter, not spring or summer is the right time to get a pool dug up, as the ground is not soggy. Soft ground is difficult to dig and is not easy on heavy equipment as well.

Sides caving in:

The sides of the hollow dug must be sloping so that the sides do not cave in. The ideal ratio should be a 1-foot vertical drop for every 3 horizontal feet. Steel enforcements may also be used to keep the pool in shape.

Algae in the pool:

Algae can be very harmful to a swimming pool, and requires chemical treatment and a lot of filtering, backwashing, scrubbing, and skimming. Whatever kind of algae it is, quick treatment is essential, as algae is quick to take over the pool.

Kids safety:

Kids are sometimes unpredictable, so a cover on the pool or a fence around it will help to keep the pool area safe.

Winter:

If the swimming pool is outdoors and the winters are harsh, it is a good idea to put antifreeze in the key areas after draining the water and putting a cover over the pool.

A swimming pool is an ideal feature for your home; just remember a good pool requires extensive preparations, and once these are done, maintenance is very important.



Adult Swimming Lessons

Walter Derksen asked:


Wasn’t that fun? The past nine months you felt all these new and different emotions and your mind set went up and down like a rollercoaster. You tried to eat properly and not gain too much weight but you still gained way more than you really wanted to. So now you ask How to lose weight after having a baby?

Well it’s easy; don’t gain weight while you are pregnant. Well that’s a stupid thing to say, after all a person can’t help but gain some weight while pregnant. The thing is to find a program that is easy to follow, works fast and will help you lose weight after having a baby right in your own home.

A person could get into an exercise and diet program before you even are pregnant and then just continue that program after you have had the baby.

So to lose weight after having a baby try walking with a baby stroller or maybe a backpack. This would allow climbing and freedom to move your arms to get the maximum out of the exercise.

Swimming is another good exercise for you and your baby both. You could enroll in a mother-infant swim class at the local YMCA. You could take a Pilates class or maybe a mommy-and’me yoga class. Maybe try some strength training as you will probably need it when the baby gets bigger and heavier.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could find a program that shows you how to lose weight after having a baby using all of those methods that you could do right in the comfort of your own home? A program which provides everything you need including a personal trainer, exercises, diet and an east to follow system that will get the desired results fast.

Taking care of a family and a newborn child is a full time job and there isn’t always time to go out to the local gym or YMCA to join a mother tot program. An at home workout that you can do 4 times a week while the baby is napping would be ideal.

Imagine finding out how to lose weight after having a baby and then standing on your bathroom scale and seeing that you lost all and more of the pounds you put on while you were pregnant.

Now that would be an accomplishment both mother and child could be proud of and even laugh at later in life as they looked at the pictures about the whole experience.

Statistics say that women need to lose weight after having a baby because if they don’t lose the weight they gained after six months they are more likely to be overweight after a decade has past.

This in itself should be a motivator to all women who have given birth that they need to lose weight after having a baby.

Everyone these days is taught to look good in all circumstances. Looking good after childbirth shows discipline and that you care about your appearance enough to make the effort to lose weight after having a baby.



Swimming Lessons

Frederick Williams asked:


Arizona has Petrified Forests in such abundance at the Petrified Forest National Park. Drive through it or for a closer look go on hiking trails found there. It is located just off 1-40 in North East Arizona.

The Lost Dutchman mine was never rediscovered, there is a superstition that Gold can still be found, many adventurers visit this place called the Lost Dutchman State Park. Wilderness can still be explored and a desert Lake, Canyon Lake is very near to it.

Most of the tourists camp, hike or picnic at these desert trails. Handicapped people are also welcomed here.

The world’s largest natural bridge (400 ft wide & 183 ft in height) over looking the Pine Creek is in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park. Flowing streams, upstream of the canyon, make a spectacular view.

A century old hotel, refurbished, provides excellent viewing. It is located 13 miles North West Payson off State Route 87. Picnicking or hiking is also catered for.

Considered to be Mother Nature’s finest playground is Slide Rock State Park. The Park’s name comes from 30 ft long water sliding down the rocks. The canyon here has Red Rock walls & pine forests. An Apple orchard is also an added attraction.

A huge crowd is always gathered here to refresh themselves at Slide Rocks during summer months. The parking facilities has also been expanded recently.

Just a few miles off West of Sedona in Arizona State is 286 acres of Red Rock State Park. Picnic areas and classrooms may be reserved for the public but they do provide education to school groups and private groups as well.

Swimming and going across water is available to local wildlife only and please don’t bring your pets as this is a place where there are no facilities for them. Still they provide camping sites, picnic grounds, hiking trails, classrooms, visitor’s center with a great theater and of course a gift shop.

Right next to the Community of Cottonwood, in the scenic Verde Valley, is Dead Horse Ranch State Park. Now don’t get alarmed by its name as here you can do bird watching, camping, canoeing, horseback riding, picnicking and stream & pond fishing.

Here you can also go hiking and the Equestrian events are held regularly.

Near the City of Show Low is located Fool Hollow Lake Recreation Area. Imagine camping on a lake shore and watching the noble great blue herons. Show Low Creek falls into this lake, which provides water to lots of wild animals and it has a very different fishing area.

It has a huge variety of fish like rainbow trout, brown trout, channel catfish, walleye and green sunfish. Nearby White Mountain Trail System offers many hiking trails. This place adjoins the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest where you can get the geographical maps too.

This site offers agricultural features, camping sites, pit houses and lots of other sites. It is located a few miles North East of Winslow on State Route 87. Archeologists work in June & July only from Monday till Friday. Here archaeological exhibitions are also held many times a year.

This place offers many recreational areas with picnic tables electric supply, tent pads and grills.

As there is no size restriction on boats Lyman Lake State is 1500 acres of really beautiful Lake. A small herd of buffaloes are always grazing near the access road. A nice & restricted no-wake place for anglers.

This place offers facilities that include rock hounding trails, fishing, hiking, boat rentals and a swimming pool. General boat rental concessions are available by booking in advance.

On the foot of Mount Graham is a haven known as Roper Lake State Park. An excellent place for fishing, swimming, hiking, picnicking and camping. Camp on the lake shore & avail a natural hot-bath tub which is prepared by park rangers. The park is located a few miles South of Safford off US Route 191.

Lots of other facilities include rest rooms, shower rooms, fishing pad (also for handicapped persons), waste disposal grounds, Electric hookup, boat ramp and Natural hot springs.

Desert scenery and an isolated place is Alamo Lake State Park. It is located on Bill Williams River and after some miles falls into Colorado River.

With a backdrop of picturesque Rawhide & Buckskin Mountains it presents a stunning view. Abundance of wildlife includes Bald Eagles, Coyote, Deer, Quails and wild Burros are the area’s trademark.

Some of the basic facilities include Group use area, hiking, fishing, Electric hook up, boating, rest room showers (accessible for the handicapped) and waste disposal area.

Buckskin Mountain State Park is located between the Mountains & the Colorado River, is a welcome site both for nature lovers and hikers. Three fully developed trails on these mountains that go up the steep bluffs are always inviting to hikers.

The River welcomes swimmers, pleasure boaters and water skiers with open arms. Anglers vie for channel cat fish, crappie, large mouth bass and bluegill.

There are two distinct units at Lake Havasu State Park, Windsor Beach and Cattail Cove. Windsor beach is a day out park with all water crafted facilities. It is located in a wonderfully developed area in Lake Havasu City just North of the Famed imported old London Bridge.

Two and a half miles long and spread over 250 acres, Patagonia Lake State Park offers a variety of recreational outdoor activities. The lake is filled with catfish, bluegill, crappie and bass and in winter by rainbow trout.

Because of huge gatherings, water skiing and jet skiing are banned in summer weekends.

For anglers facilities of half of the lake is converted into a no-wake area. It offers water & electric hook ups, picnic places, a swimming beach and a marina store with boat rentals.

For any information about big hunting game contact Arizona’s Game and Fish department.

Hope your stay in Arizona is a very memorable one.



Swimming Lessons

Ritu Raj Mishra asked:


Welcome to Bangkok, one of the most popular tourist destinations in south-east Asia. The city of Bangkok is known for its shopping complexes, pulsating nightlife, lovely restaurants and good accommodation options. Tourists will love to shop in Bangkok, as it offers plethora of stores and shopping malls selling international brands of clothes and other souvenirs. As for staying, there are range of Bangkok hotels and resorts to provide travelers utmost comfort and luxury.

Choosing a hotel in Bangkok is a hassle free job, as there are no dearths of good hotels in the city. There are wide ranges of Bangkok hotels in every corner of the city, at all popular locations. The hotels offer world-class hospitality and include both luxury and budget accommodation options. The Avana Hotel is located near the Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok. This fine hotel offers all kinds of room and hotels services to make the travelers feel comfortable and happy. The luxury Avana Hotel features personalized services and 24 hours security. You will also get to enjoy a host of recreational amenities in this hotel.

One of the popular hotels in Bangkok is the Grand Diamond Pratunam Hotel. The hotel is conveniently located on Petchburi Road, with shopping malls located close by. This luxury hotel is designed elegantly and offers top-notch facilities to enjoy your holidays in style. Major hotel facilities include 2 restaurants, bar, business center, swimming pool and Jacuzzi. Once you come to stay at this Grand Diamond Pratunam Hotel, you will feel like coming here over and again.

Bangkok Rama Place is a hotel of class and style. One of the finest hotels in Bangkok, this Bangkok Rama Place is seated in a lovely place, with serenity and peacefulness all around. The rooms are beautifully decorated and services and amenities are simply splendid. Another hotel to look for in Bangkok is the Davis Hotel. This friendly hotel offers all kinds of facilities at a reasonable rate. Known as Bangkok’s first boutique hotel, Davis Hotel features a variety of quality amenities and services. With a wide choice of leisure facilities, the hotel will surely make even the most discerning traveler happy and relaxed.

The 5-star Grand Millennium Sukhumvit Hotel situated in Bangkok offers first-class amenities and services at attractive prices. The hotel is located in one of Bangkok’s prime central area, with easy access to the major tourist attractions and commercial centers. The hotel is close to the Suvarnabhumi Airport. It features tastefully decorated rooms, Thai style of architecture and excellent dining facilities. Grande Centre Point Ratchadamri Hotel has excellent rooms, coupled with superb dining, business and recreational facilities. This charming property is always a favorite among both business and leisure travelers in Bangkok.



Swimming Lessons

Robert asked:


Many of us think that having a swimming pool in the home is just great. Well, it is really great, but you also have to be safe while swimming in the pool and around it. One area where accidents can easily occur is the swimming pool. The reason for this is that pool safety is not taken seriously, reason being that people are more interested in playing in water than about how to keeping safe while having fun.

What steps can you take to ensure safety your personal safety and safety of other people using the swimming pool? Here is a look into some useful pool safety tips:

• Keep signs in those areas of the pool where the water is deep

• Have life vests and rescue equipment available in the pool area

• Never keep any electrical appliances around the pool area because water conducts electivity

• Children should at no point be unsupervised, even though they have undergone swimming classes and know how to swim to some extent

• Pool chairs and table should not be kept close to the pool because children will climb on them and attempt to jump into the pool

• Pool covers should never be kept on partially because children are seen to get trapped in them

• Learn CPR because you can save someone’s life with this knowledge

• The pool area must be completely fenced and make use of self latching gates to keep the place secure

• Do not leave toys in the pool are as a child can just get wander unsupervised into the pool area in search of the toy

Pool safety is something that should be known to everyone so that safety measure can be implemented well. Children must know pool signs and those areas of the pool which are out of bounds for them. They should be aware of how to handle themselves in the pool, while having pool. If you implement the right pool safety measure and teach them to everyone using the pool, you can avoid the risk of someone drowning or getting permanently brain damaged as a result of drowning.



Swimming Lessons For Beginners

anonymous asked:


Most of us may not have swimming band in our backyard, so it’s obvious that when we go out for a retreat it’s a pink handle to plaster about in the toasty heat water of an outside swimming lake. Outdoor pools are most admirable place enjoyed in the sunshine, and to that end, there could be no better place to lie back in the gemstone free waters, staring at the piebald silhouette of an amazing winning palm tree and let your cares soar away, than in everyone’s chosen festival destination, Florida.

It is not essential that every hotel would have a pond. If in task you pick to continue in the secret luxury cabin, which has assembled you would most definitely be spoilt with not only stunning accommodation but also with your own concealed pond. However, with all stuff faint, our communal sagacity should be applied. This in itself is not an unsafe thing, except possibly when it comes to combine security.

Fortunately, Florida assert law has stepped up into give an assistance hand by requiring hire villas with secret pools to respect some very chief system to make surefire the well-being and shelter of their guests. Naturally, children are always be supervised by an adult in and around the assemble question. Nevertheless besides that, you would find that your charge cottage’s pond is also evidently striking in language of water power, stating both the shallow and inherent ends.

Child alert pond alarms are very required to be preset against any door principal precisely from the house into the fund subject. This startled would scream out if opened by a kid to alert parents of the eminent jeopardy. A lucid set of “Pool Rules” would also be confirmed at the poolside that you should read warily before falling your toes into the water.

Floatation strategy such as water wings and inflatable rings are much admired with children, but it must always be remembered that these are not actually life cutbacks devices. They are just perched toys. Just because your kid is tiring water wings, it does not mean that it is confident to desert them to play in or by the pond. Rough play and running on the fund bewilder is also a big “No,” due to the free dangers of slipping and diving is also doleful, as most pools only have a limit power of 6 base.

To sum up, if treated with regard, and mutual wisdom is used, your break swimming assemble could be one of the highlights of your tumble. Remember the small children learn by example, so if you as an adult could clarify them securely to get pleasure from their swimming experience, it would be a class that would never be gone, and which eventually could one day collect their lives.



Swimming Lessons

Kyle Oxenham asked:


The common concept of weight training is that it is done to get really big muscles. What can people possibly get if they allow weight training classes for high school? Will they end up with high school kids that look like wrestlers? Or worse, end up with super buff high school kids that might wrestle their teachers if they fail an exam? How creepy!

Getting extra large muscles is not the only thing about weight training. You can use weight training to have larger muscles. You can stop or stick to your regimen without increasing your repetitions or weights if you are satisfied with your size. Weight training for high school can easily become part of the curriculum such as swimming and wrestling. These sports are equally as dangerous as the others.

But mind you, weight training can be one of the safest exercises around. Weight trainers just need to carefully follow instructions to avoid any injuries. This will not be a problem to highschool students since coaches will be around to observe the students progress. Speaking of progress, weight training in highschool will stick to easier routines and lesser weights. For short, beginners! It will be foolish to let highschool students jump into an advanced class because weight training is like climbing a ladder, you have to be at the bottom before you finally reach the top.

Aside from getting toned muscles, weight training will teach students more about self discipline, endurance and patience. Why these three? Self discipline because the exercise has to be done properly. Students have to follow the correct body posture. Even spreading the weight all over your body can be called cheating. So, if an exercise is for a particular muscle that should be the only muscle thats worked on and nothing else. The exercise is designed to tests your strengths and limits. Sometimes it is near impossible to complete the exercise as you reach the end. Students endurance will be tested. Weight training will also teach them patience because larger muscles do not just grow overnight.

Can weight training in high school teach them more? Yes! Weight training will inculcate these three values in students but there are more that they will find out for themselves. Once classes are done or the students have graduated, they will find out that, not only did they undergo physical changes because of weight training but they also had changes in the inside that they can bring with them and use it in life.



Singapore Singapore Swimming Classes

Jasmine Stone asked:


Keeping fit during your pregnancy is great for you, not only will it help you keep your body toned but it also can help when it comes time to push that baby out. Every pregnant woman wants to be able to go back to her pre-pregnancy weight after the baby is born, but the only way to do that is to make sure you can. By excising or working out every day you are making sure you don’t add fat to your body. During labor it’ll be much easier to push the baby if you’ve been strengthening your leg and stomach muscles. Who knows, it may even make labor a little bit shorter. Isn’t that what we all want?

Plus when you are tired and just feeling a little blue, just by exercising you actually increase your energy.

Here are a few quick things you can do to stay fit during pregnancy, without really having to break out a sweat. I’m sure by now you’ve heard of yoga, this is a very good thing for you to practice, especially if you haven’t always been in the best of shape. Not to worry, there are beginning levels here, you don’t have to jump into the human pretzel right away. Try purchasing a set of small weights that you can use throughout the house, like hand weights or wrist weights that can use while walking. Instead of just laying on the couch while you rest you can be lifting small weights.

Get a chair and try doing a couple crunches, 5 to 10 in the beginning to make sure you don’t pull anything. Don’t worry you can always add to it as the weeks go on. 

Try running, walking or jogging outside. Not only will this boost up your energy but it’ll also help get your spirits up, especially if you’ve been inside all day. Remember, if you are going for a walk to always bring a drink with you. You don’t want to dehydrate out there. Always make sure that you are wearing comfortable shoes, before you leave the house. If you didn’t always run, ask your doctor if you can. Sometimes a doctor may suggest you walk around the block at first and increase it from there, if you didn’t always do it before you were pregnant.

If you can you may want to try going for a swim or try bicycling. However, if you find that you are accident prone you may want to stay away from the bike. A bike accident is something that can easily happen, even when you’ve always road a bike. Swimming can help you relax and stay cool. Take a dip in the pool near you, they may even have a swim class for pregnant women in your area. This would be a great way to meet other moms. 

Whenever you are doing exercises, make sure you aren’t overdoing it. If you believe you could be stop immediately and take a break. You never want to do anything that’ll harm the pregnancy.



Swimming Lessons For Beginners

Andrew Yang asked:


I did my first triathlon at the Marin Triathlon in 2008 and wanted to share my experiences for any other potential first time triathletes. It was a greatly rewarding experience that still gives me goose bumps just thinking about it. I think most anyone can do a triathlon if they put their mind and body to it. In researching a triathlon, you’ll be bombarded with information. I want to share how I did it and what I found out was important to me.

While I researched triathlons fairly extensively before doing my first one, I am by no means an expert. I am only sharing my experiences to help give you a perspective that might help you. Use only as directed and please consult a doctor before trying. Your mileage will vary.

Learn the basics

My wife bought me two books. One was Triathlon Training in Fours A Week (By Eric Harr) and the other was Complete Triathlon Book from Triathlete Magazine. I also found a great number of good resources on the Internet. The book by Eric Harr I thought was the best for me. It was conversational and really spoke to me as a first-timer. I highly recommend the book.

I also found that Youtube is a great resource for instructional videos on just about anything. If you do searches on triathlon you’ll see a lot of free instructional videos, many by coaches and champion triathletes on how to run, bike and swim faster and better. There are a lot of great instructional videos on how to set up the transition area effectively. You can also see what a triathlon start looks like and how people transition during a race.

The most useful videos I found were on swim technique. I knew how to get across a pool but I didn’t know how to do it efficiently. Learning how to swim properly and then trying it in the pool really helped improve my swim efficiency. If I had to do it all over again, I would have taken a master’s swimming program. I improved my swim efficiency by 20-30% just by improving my technique. I used less energy and reduced my post swim soreness by a lot after knowing how to swim better (more later).

Buying the equipment

For cycling, I needed to get some new equipment to get started. After a few months of research I decided on a Trek 1000. I bought the previous year’s model and got a nice discount on it (I ended up paying $600 for it brand new). I had to buy some other equipment like a bike toolkit, spare tube, water bottle cage, tire pump (or you may decide to use CO2 cartridges), bicycle jersey and triathlon pants (the kind that have some padding but are made of fast drying materials). People tell me you really need to use bicycle clips and that it can increase your efficiency by 20-25%. I used a regular shoe cage and pedaled in my running shoes. That seemed fine and it made me T2 time really fast because all I had to do was hop off the bike, take off my helmet, stretch my legs a bit and go.

I already had a nice pair of running shoes so I didn’t need much there. Besides, I was planning to wear the same clothes as the bicycle portion so I didn’t need new clothes.

Swimming can be very expensive. If you are doing an open water swim in cold water you probably want to consider a wet suit. After much research, I found the best deals at two places. Sports Basement has a nice rental program where I could rent a high quality wetsuit for $20 for a day. The sales people there are pretty experienced – in fact the person who helped me with my rental actually coached triathletes so I got some great advice from him. The best place to rent in my opinion is Fit 2 Race (www.f2r.com). The people there are super nice, super helpful and the prices are very reasonable. I rented a suit for 30 days I think for $50 (that included the cost of sending the suit back after the race). They have nice wetsuits, have prompt service and if you decide to buy you can apply the rental price towards their very reasonably priced suits. Try them out. It’s a solid deal, particularly if you are unsure about making the investment in your own suit.

I found it invaluable to take a lesson in open water swimming. I took a class with www.swimart.com which really helped me understand what open water swimming was about. If anything it alleviated many of my fears. After I decided to jump in and take the class, I signed up for my triathlon a few weeks later knowing that I could handle the cold water, knowing the techniques I needed to know and having gone through a practice swim or two at Aquatic Park. Leslie Thomas is the proprietor of Swim Art and is an excellent instructor. I took one class and did one group swim and did a few of my own swims at Swim Art and I was set

All told with equipment, lessons, registration, clothing, race nutrition I probably spent about $1200 and that was going really on the cheap (and renting a wetsuit, not keeping it). The bulk of the expenditure was on the cycling portion of course. Registration for this eco-friendly race was over $200.

Also check out the course when you get a chance. I drove the course the day before and I could better plan how I was going to expend my energy. I noticed that the cycle and run had a lot of hills which would present themselves at the beginning and the finish of each section. I metered my energy a lot better knowing that.

Training

I was surprised to find that my body was able to complete the required distances individually. I could run 6 miles and have done so many times in the past so I wasn’t too worried about that portion. I was worried about the bike and swim portion since I really never went anywhere close to the distances required.

I think for most people it’s a matter of mind over matter. Build yourself up slowly and you’ll probably find that you can handle these distances at a nice comfortable pace. Over time you can work to improving your times once you have the confidence to know that you can complete it. I never thought I could do 80×25m laps in the pool but once you find a comfortable pace and style, you can get it done. For my practice sessions, I ended up swimming 2km per workout and it took me about 40-45 minutes. To get to that level took me about 4-5 training sessions. I swam about a mile each time I went to Aquatic Park in the open water just so I knew I would be able to make the whole swim and to get comfortable with being out in the open water, swimming in near zero visibility.

Technique was really important here. I found that I was not swimming “long” and “flat”. By reaching a bit more and raising my butt a bit higher than usual I produced less drag. Also I was not gliding enough on the reach portion of my stroke. I found that if I glided (almost like a sidestroke), I was able to swim with a lot more power and less energy. The most important improvement to my swim stroke was on the very finish of my stroke. I tended to lift my hands out of the water too early and didn’t let my hand basically touch my leg before coming out. I changed my stroke to push down further on the last part of my catch (almost as if I was pushing something down) and then brush my hand against my thigh to make sure I was doing my entire stroke. This really helped my stroke efficiency immensely. They always say swimming is all about technique and I didn’t experience that until I actually made some of these improvements.

Do focus on the brick workouts. The transitions between swim and bike and from bike to run are pretty critical. The bike to run (or T2) is particularly important because that’s when your body wants to rebel. After being on a bike for some time and then getting off to run is really difficult. Your legs don’t feel like working right and it sometimes takes ½ mile to even a mile before you feel like you are hitting a decent run stride. The more you practice this, the more you feel comfortable with it. And the less likely you’ll injure yourself. I made sure I could do a 25mile bike/6 mile run in practice before I felt confident I could finish the race.

I didn’t practice any swim to bike transitions mostly because it was inconvenient for me to do so. When I did it in the race, I did find that after swimming I was a little bit dizzy from being horizontal and then going vertical but it was not much. I kept things slow and didn’t try to look like a superman running from swim to the transition area. My T1 time was pretty quick (just a few minutes) so even though I felt I was going slow I really wasn’t.

Couple of key pointers during the race!

I found it was super-critical to ask about the swim path before the race. When there are tides at play, you can really get yourself in a hole if you swim the wrong course. There were strong tides (mostly in our favor) in the Marin Triathlon however, if you didn’t play it right, it could be your worst enemy. We were facing a big right to left tide (if you are looking out from the shore) so in order to make the turn around the first buoy you really had to shoot far right to make it around. I followed the advice and shot around the first buoy nicely. What nobody explained to me was what to do with the 2nd buoy which was a little bit further out and I missed the buoy by only about 2 yards. But it was too late. The tide had already swept me and I had to fight the tide to swim back around the 2nd buoy so I wouldn’t be disqualified. Well, I had never experienced swimming against a strong tide because I had done all of my practice swimming in a pool and in the Aquatic Park in San Francisco, which has a barrier around most of the swimming area. It felt terrible. The buoy literally looked liked it had a motorboard engine and was puttering away from me at a good clip. I gave myself an extra push and swam like crazy (swallowing some water in the process) and eventually made it around but it did suck out a significant amount of energy. I was surprised at how powerful the tides could be. When people tell me that you can make no, or negative progress in a strong tide, I understood it 100%. I almost felt helpless from the strength of the tide. From then on, I respected the tides much more and gave myself good distance around the buoys but without knowledge of the tides you will be flying blind.

Pace yourself well on the swim because things always look closer than they really are. You think you are close to the finish line and you wonder why it’s taking so long to get there. Practicing sighting is also really key. I’m not a terribly good sighter but having practiced the basics a couple of times helped me a lot in swimming more straight. Ask around for the path you need to swim in the race. Otherwise you look around wondering why those people are swimming there, and why those other people are swimming over there. You can get confused about the right thing to do. I popped up my head several times wondering whether I was on the right path or not.

Another quick story. Remember that first buoy I told you about. Well a bunch of swimmers aimed more left while a good chunk of the people followed the advice and went as far right as they could. The people who aimed left looked like they would get to the buoy much faster and looked like they would get a leg up on the competition. When they hit the current, they struggled mightily to get back around the buoy. Because it was a timed start and I was in the 40 division we could see the first couple of groups go out and how they approached the first buoy, I could hear the chuckles from the more experienced triathletes who were looking at the people who decided to cut a straighter path to the first buoy. “Look at them burning all that energy just on the first turn” they laughed amongst themselves. We all headed far right on the swim.

While I was warned about all the bumping and bruising during the swim start, I didn’t have it too bad. I started a bit towards the back and while I bumped into people and got bumped, everyone was there to have fun and it wasn’t a big deal. Just remain calm and know that everyone is in the same boat. If you feel someone touch your leg or you crash into someone ahead of you, don’t freak out. It would be very rare to have it worse than what people warn you about and your not in the elite bunch anyway.

During the bike portion it’s easy to expend a lot of energy to make a good time. If you have good endurance that’s a good thing to do. However, if you aren’t a great runner, you need to conserve a little bit of energy for the last couple of miles on the run. I got saucer eyes when I was on the bike and probably pushed it a little bit faster than I should. Luckily, I didn’t get injured during the run especially as I felt my legs were getting very tired after mile three of the run.

One observation that I made during the race was that each course has its own psychology. For the Marin, it was an out and back course which means you go out and come back the same way. So as I was a five to six miles into the bicycle, the elites were already starting to come back. This wasn’t as bad as the beginning of the run where there were people finishing the race just as you were starting your grueling six miles. It was depressing for a little while seeing all of the people coming back and finishing the race just as I was starting. In a multi-lap race, I’m sure there are similar feelings as people lap you.

Nutrition during the race

You’ve probably been able to do a good workout without eating or even drinking. In a triathlon you are burning a lot of energy and can literally run out of gas, resulting in “bonking”. I was surprised at how much athletes can eat during an event. One cyclist I know eats everything in site during the rest stations. He eats a sandwich or two and eats goo and Powerbars and drinks constantly. Find what your stomach can tolerate during strenuous activity and eat lots of it. I cramped up for the first time in a long time at mile 3 of my run. That same cyclist also recommended Enduralyte pills for cramping. I wish I had taken some but I was still able to work through my cramp.

For me it was Clif Goo’s. They are mostly organic and don’t have all the nasty chemicals. They seem to digest pretty well and they are easy to store and eat.

Couple of other tips.

I hear static stretching is actually not that good for you and that in fact, it can increase your chance of injury.. There’s a NYtimes article on that. So it’s better to warm up by doing dynamic stretching - or basically by just warming up. Some people go for a swim or a run beforehand. For me, that doesn’t work – it just gets me more tired.

One other interesting advice which worked for me when I got my cramp during my run was to just stop and massage it. That worked wonders versus stretching or doing anything else. Forcing yourself to eat at regular intervals is also critical to make sure you don’t run out of energy or cramp up. As I mentioned before, I heard people swear by Enduralytes although I’ve only tried them once.

Also, settle down as quickly as you can in the race. You’ll be so hyped up that you’ll want to go faster than you had planned. In addition, you form will likely go out the window. Try to settle down a bit and concentrate a bit on your form. I took stock a couple of times during the race to think – hey, this is great – I’m competing in a triathlon. There’s nothing like that in the moments before the swim start and as you are running and biking. Take in the scenery, relax a bit and enjoy. A triathlon is not a sprint after all so make sure you are pacing yourself well throughout.

Make it a community

I hadn’t done much biking and I certainly never hung around with the triathlon community but the people who punish themselves by doing these sports are really a very community minded group. When cyclists have a flat tire, you won’t believe how often others ask to stop and help. And they love to give advice to each other and help out. Really tap into the knowledge source. Also, triathlon training can be quite boring, so it’s nice to have a partner or two on those long bicycle rides, runs and swims (although with swimming it’s pretty monotonous). You can use a solution like Qlubb to organize (where I work) and plan workout sessions and share photos of the event afterwards.

Don’t forget to keep working out afterwards. You are probably in the best shape of your life. Might as well maintain it.

After you get through the finish line celebrate! The feeling is exhilarating and surprisingly you’ll be wanting to sign up for the next one.



Swimming Lessons