In the pool this morning: 32 lengths front crawl = 800m
I started being able to do 3.
Yeehaa. Take that sucker!!
Friday 28 May 2010
Sunday 16 May 2010
No I do not want to see my nipples!
Brief rant time.
I've just been to a local designer outlet.
Now why oh why are T shirts made of such thin material that you can see your nipples through them? Isnt that a basic design flaw? I mean, we're not all teenage boys with bony concave chests. Once they're over the age of 30 most men have some padding in that area. And no, I dont want to be able to see my nipples or anyone else's, thank you.
I keep thinking that it wasnt always like that. That it's the result of manafacturers cost cutting and attempting to make T shirts at the lowest cost possible. But maybe it has always been this way. Who knows.
Anyway you would have thought that there was a space for quality T shirts in the market.You know, ones with a high thread count that feel good and dont show what's underneath. But that just doesnt seem to be the case. Even the Tommy Hilfigers of the world get their stuff made in China and Bangladesh. It's probably made in exactly the same factories as the middle-of-the-road suppliers.
*Sigh* Still - it IS kind of fun to see how much you can make your nipples stand out ... ie how perky you can make 'em ...... lol .........
I've just been to a local designer outlet.
Now why oh why are T shirts made of such thin material that you can see your nipples through them? Isnt that a basic design flaw? I mean, we're not all teenage boys with bony concave chests. Once they're over the age of 30 most men have some padding in that area. And no, I dont want to be able to see my nipples or anyone else's, thank you.
I keep thinking that it wasnt always like that. That it's the result of manafacturers cost cutting and attempting to make T shirts at the lowest cost possible. But maybe it has always been this way. Who knows.
Anyway you would have thought that there was a space for quality T shirts in the market.You know, ones with a high thread count that feel good and dont show what's underneath. But that just doesnt seem to be the case. Even the Tommy Hilfigers of the world get their stuff made in China and Bangladesh. It's probably made in exactly the same factories as the middle-of-the-road suppliers.
*Sigh* Still - it IS kind of fun to see how much you can make your nipples stand out ... ie how perky you can make 'em ...... lol .........
Sunday 9 May 2010
Maybe I should become an eccentric?
I've been spending time recently finding out about wetsuits and the like. Wetsuits appear to be vital for open water distance swimming. Particularly if it's a) early on in the season (which is late April-Sep) and if b) you havent acclimatised yourself to swimming in cold water.
Triathlon associations mandate their use if the sea temp is 15 degrees or less. In Dover last weekend the water temp was about 11. The temp probably wont get over 15 until late June.
Having said which, there are some who regard wetsuits to be for wimps. The Channel Swimming Association dont believe in them. Indeed, anyone who wants to make an "official" crossing of the English Channel (from England to France) has to do it just in their trusty speedos. And wearing an industrial tub of vaseline :)
Channel swim training started off in Dover harbour a couple of weekends ago and nobody there was wearing anything more than a cossie.
(Of course they didnt stay in the water long!! Apparently the water sessions were 2 * 30/40minutes each day. So I guess it's the principle that counts ;) )
There seems to be something very eccentric about all this. They say that "you have to have a touch of the loony about you to be an open water swimmer". So it could be just the thing for me!!
On which subject, I love the following video : www.tide.org.uk/films (Old Man in the Sea)
The equivalent for running appears to be the Hash House Harriers movement. Those guys are also loveably eccentric. Maybe I'll try that in the autumn/winter.
(Hashing usually involves meeting up at a pub and then going off for a run. It's a bit like hunting - one guy acts as a hare and the rest of the runners are the "pack" that go after him. There are a lot of rituals and silliness attached to it, and of course a fair amount of drinking :) Hence the motto of my local hash club - which is that they are "A drinking club with a running problem" .... lol ..... )
Triathlon associations mandate their use if the sea temp is 15 degrees or less. In Dover last weekend the water temp was about 11. The temp probably wont get over 15 until late June.
Having said which, there are some who regard wetsuits to be for wimps. The Channel Swimming Association dont believe in them. Indeed, anyone who wants to make an "official" crossing of the English Channel (from England to France) has to do it just in their trusty speedos. And wearing an industrial tub of vaseline :)
Channel swim training started off in Dover harbour a couple of weekends ago and nobody there was wearing anything more than a cossie.
(Of course they didnt stay in the water long!! Apparently the water sessions were 2 * 30/40minutes each day. So I guess it's the principle that counts ;) )
There seems to be something very eccentric about all this. They say that "you have to have a touch of the loony about you to be an open water swimmer". So it could be just the thing for me!!
On which subject, I love the following video : www.tide.org.uk/films (Old Man in the Sea)
The equivalent for running appears to be the Hash House Harriers movement. Those guys are also loveably eccentric. Maybe I'll try that in the autumn/winter.
(Hashing usually involves meeting up at a pub and then going off for a run. It's a bit like hunting - one guy acts as a hare and the rest of the runners are the "pack" that go after him. There are a lot of rituals and silliness attached to it, and of course a fair amount of drinking :) Hence the motto of my local hash club - which is that they are "A drinking club with a running problem" .... lol ..... )
Saturday 8 May 2010
Swim challenge
I've always harboured this crazy wish to do distance swimming. I think it started ten years ago when I swam between two islands in Fiji. It wasnt very far (about 750m) but I always remember the beautiful blue skies, the glassy blue ocean, and the wonders of the coral reef about 10ft below where I was swimming.
Of course - I live in England. Where the water temp is a lot cooler than in Fiji! So I have never taken the idea anywhere. Still - it's been niggling me. And recently - doing some research - I've realised that there are many wonderful places to swim in the UK. Once you get past the issue of the water temperature! It also seems like a great focus for me. I want and need to get away from just focussing on weight loss numbers and look at the whole thing more holistically.
Anyway, I've started training in the local pool. I've found a program at http://trainingroom.taketothestreets.org/advice.aspx?sport=swimming which builds you up to a swim distance of 1km. I'm currently on session 18 of 48, so my goal is to do the distance in late July or early August. Wish me luck! After that I'll be looking for an outdoor swim of around that distance.
(I'm going to be a bit late to do the swim challenges that the training program is targetted for. Which is a shame. But not too late to find something juicy to do later in the season)
In other news : I've been working recently on my press ups. You know the real ones - not the girly knees-on-the-floor versions (hehe!).
Todays total : 9. I swear I struggled to do one back last November....
(One day I'd like to do the 100 press up challenge. Man that would be a buzz. But first things first... baby steps and all that....)
Of course - I live in England. Where the water temp is a lot cooler than in Fiji! So I have never taken the idea anywhere. Still - it's been niggling me. And recently - doing some research - I've realised that there are many wonderful places to swim in the UK. Once you get past the issue of the water temperature! It also seems like a great focus for me. I want and need to get away from just focussing on weight loss numbers and look at the whole thing more holistically.
Anyway, I've started training in the local pool. I've found a program at http://trainingroom.taketothestreets.org/advice.aspx?sport=swimming which builds you up to a swim distance of 1km. I'm currently on session 18 of 48, so my goal is to do the distance in late July or early August. Wish me luck! After that I'll be looking for an outdoor swim of around that distance.
(I'm going to be a bit late to do the swim challenges that the training program is targetted for. Which is a shame. But not too late to find something juicy to do later in the season)
In other news : I've been working recently on my press ups. You know the real ones - not the girly knees-on-the-floor versions (hehe!).
Todays total : 9. I swear I struggled to do one back last November....
(One day I'd like to do the 100 press up challenge. Man that would be a buzz. But first things first... baby steps and all that....)
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