Comments on: The Hammer, The Swimmer, and I Check Out an Endless Pool http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/ It's like reality TV. Except it's real. And there's no TV. Fri, 04 Mar 2022 03:21:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: SwimmerPaul http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548798 SwimmerPaul Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:35:51 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548798 I've got an Endless Pool too. Perhaps one of the coolest things about it is that the pool becomes your coach. You get to experiment with your stroke, kick, etc., and the pool gives you immediate feedback. As for bettering open water swim technique, the pool is perfect. Also very helpful is www.totalimmersion.net. These folks teach a low energy expending way of swimming fast based on fluid dynamics principles. It is how I learned to swim well (in my late 40's). I’ve got an Endless Pool too. Perhaps one of the coolest things about it is that the pool becomes your coach. You get to experiment with your stroke, kick, etc., and the pool gives you immediate feedback. As for bettering open water swim technique, the pool is perfect.

Also very helpful is http://www.totalimmersion.net. These folks teach a low energy expending way of swimming fast based on fluid dynamics principles. It is how I learned to swim well (in my late 40’s).

]]> By: Christa http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548358 Christa Mon, 26 Dec 2011 15:37:48 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548358 I'm a swim coach so I thought I'd weigh in on your swim portion. Your stroke is pretty good but you need to RELAX. Think 'streamline' when you swim, you want to mimic a shark/torpedo shape...long and lean...not swimming like a potato. I always recommend my adult swimmers SLOW DOWN and work on style/form; speed will come later. Kick from your glutes with your legs/knees fairly straight, not churning like a egg beater. Compare 'the Swimmers' kick to your own in the video. Good luck and Merry Christmas I’m a swim coach so I thought I’d weigh in on your swim portion.
Your stroke is pretty good but you need to RELAX. Think ’streamline’ when you swim, you want to mimic a shark/torpedo shape…long and lean…not swimming like a potato.
I always recommend my adult swimmers SLOW DOWN and work on style/form; speed will come later.
Kick from your glutes with your legs/knees fairly straight, not churning like a egg beater. Compare ‘the Swimmers’ kick to your own in the video.
Good luck and Merry Christmas

]]> By: Augustus http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548355 Augustus Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:24:24 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548355 I meant "do not". Fatty, you look like me in the pool, except that I have pecs. I meant “do not”. Fatty, you look like me in the pool, except that I have pecs.

]]> By: Augustus http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548354 Augustus Mon, 26 Dec 2011 14:17:25 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548354 I am a noncompeting cyclist. I ride purely for pleasure and do enter competitions. I am a noncompeting cyclist. I ride purely for pleasure and do enter competitions.

]]> By: Uni-Tom http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548318 Uni-Tom Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:45:59 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548318 An "Ironman of Nowhere" is SUCH a bad idea. An “Ironman of Nowhere” is SUCH a bad idea.

]]> By: Nurse Betsy http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548276 Nurse Betsy Sun, 25 Dec 2011 03:34:43 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548276 Kinda late to the conversation, but your freestyle needs some work dude. Kinda late to the conversation, but your freestyle needs some work dude.

]]> By: Jim B http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548249 Jim B Sat, 24 Dec 2011 19:04:43 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548249 We had an endless pool installed in our garage, but we moved a couple years ago and left the pool behind. We got the pool for my wife, but for various reasons she didn't use it much. I, on the other hand, did. I had never learned to swim, and was always to embarrassed to go to a pool and learn where everyone could see me flounder. Once we had the endless pool, I learned to swim freestyle. Compared to a regular pool, there are a couple differences. It can be compared to running on a treadmill vs running on the street: you have to maintain a constant pace in the endless pool, which is both good and bad, but mostly good. There is a sweet spot in the current, and at first (especially for poor swimmers) you get pushed out of the main current flow to the side, and it is a bit of a struggle at first to stay in the jetstream. The mechanics of it were reliable; we had no problems. We also had a heater system in ours, and despite that had no problems. The chlorine level is a lot lower than a public pool for two reasons. One is that the filter system is simply more effective than what a public pool uses, and secondly there are a lot fewer people doing nasty things in your endless pool (hopefully) than a public pool. If you have $15K to spare and want to swim more, it is great. We had an endless pool installed in our garage, but we moved a couple years ago and left the pool behind. We got the pool for my wife, but for various reasons she didn’t use it much. I, on the other hand, did. I had never learned to swim, and was always to embarrassed to go to a pool and learn where everyone could see me flounder. Once we had the endless pool, I learned to swim freestyle.

Compared to a regular pool, there are a couple differences. It can be compared to running on a treadmill vs running on the street: you have to maintain a constant pace in the endless pool, which is both good and bad, but mostly good. There is a sweet spot in the current, and at first (especially for poor swimmers) you get pushed out of the main current flow to the side, and it is a bit of a struggle at first to stay in the jetstream.

The mechanics of it were reliable; we had no problems. We also had a heater system in ours, and despite that had no problems. The chlorine level is a lot lower than a public pool for two reasons. One is that the filter system is simply more effective than what a public pool uses, and secondly there are a lot fewer people doing nasty things in your endless pool (hopefully) than a public pool.

If you have $15K to spare and want to swim more, it is great.

]]> By: Kukui http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548083 Kukui Thu, 22 Dec 2011 21:14:10 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548083 You're messing with the illusion, Fatty! I always picture you sounding exactly like Stanley Tucci... I guess it's not too far off. :) Cool demonstration of the endless pool. I've always wondered how/if they really work. And wow, The Swimmer is quite an amazing swimmer... And you're amusingly awful at it! :) You’re messing with the illusion, Fatty! I always picture you sounding exactly like Stanley Tucci… I guess it’s not too far off. :)

Cool demonstration of the endless pool. I’ve always wondered how/if they really work. And wow, The Swimmer is quite an amazing swimmer… And you’re amusingly awful at it! :)

]]> By: Rachel http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548076 Rachel Thu, 22 Dec 2011 20:09:25 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548076 "I like to call it the, “Took a summer’s worth of swim lessons when he was 10? stroke. – FC" It's the 'heavy-legged man who is used to legs moving in a roughly cicular motion (cycling, running), with a lot of leg muscle, and not much body fat to stay at the surface' stroke - I see it in all the newbie triathletes. But it's very fixable! :D “I like to call it the, “Took a summer’s worth of swim lessons when he was 10? stroke. – FC”

It’s the ‘heavy-legged man who is used to legs moving in a roughly cicular motion (cycling, running), with a lot of leg muscle, and not much body fat to stay at the surface’ stroke – I see it in all the newbie triathletes. But it’s very fixable! :D

]]> By: mike http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/comment-page-1/#comment-548066 mike Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:50:16 +0000 http://www.fatcyclist.com/2011/12/21/the-hammer-the-swimmer-and-i-check-out-an-endless-pool/#comment-548066 I have had an Endless pool for three years now and still love it. I have had an Endless pool for three years now and still love it.

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