Welcome to the Group

Welcome! We would love get to know you, so please tell us a little bit about yourself. You can choose any format you'd like, but most of us here share some or all of the following details:

1. Reason for joining this group:
2. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests:

And now just go ahead and make that first post!

I just did a full intro in the Coffee Lovers Unite forum, so you guys are going to have to settle for the water-related intro. 

I started swimming when I was a very little tyke.  I think I had learned all of the basics by the time I was four or five.  I started swimming competitively when I was 9 or so.  I was pretty good.  Unfortunately, I had a psycho coach, and because I was not the complaining type, I ended up swimming my way to dual torn rotator cuffs and other lasting shoulder problems.  As a result, I had to give up swimming for the most part, but I did learn an important lesson about the real meaning of "no pain, no gain" and about the importance of balancing your muscle groups (as it turns out, 13-year-olds shouldn't be doing multiple sets of 1000m fly...)

Other water activities that I enjoy include pool running, aqua aerobics (which my mom actually teaches 700 miles away), and various body-surfing type activities whenever I go to the beach.

My form of exercise is aquafit, I feel I can get my best cardio workout in the water, as I am very out of shape, and cannot work out. I usually go to the Y twice a week for an hour boot camp aquafit class with my daughter Jenn.

welcome -- I think it's great that you are doing aquafit!

Hi! I just stumbled across this group in somebody's profile. I am taking water aerobics on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. Fridays classes are in the deep end. I didn't know it when I signed up but am happy to have a little variation. The classes are at my local community college. I just started last semester and just love it. Everyone says you have to find something that you love and that you will stick too it. Thats what water aerobics is for me.

I started looking at the groups because I like to learn more about the activities I enjoy.  I grew up on a lake so spent lots of time in the water.  For the past couple of years, I've been swimming three times a week just for the sheer pleasure of being in the water ( I repeat that a lot when I have to drag myself out of my warm toasty bed at five in the morning to head to the pool :-)

I can no longer drag myself out of the bed for those early morning practices... and they were the ones I enjoyed the most. 

Haven't been in the pool since 16 August -- and the longer I stay out, the longer I'll stay out...  Need to find someone to kick my a** to the pool...

1. Reason for joining this group: I love to swim more then anything on earth, It is my one true passion, so I thought it would be fun to chat about it whenever I log-on to check my calorie-count now and again.

2. Some interesting details about yourself, such as your job, your family, your pets and your interests: I am currently a freshman high school student. I am on the varsity swim team, and the non-school assciated swimteam when the high-school season ends. At the moment I swim 5 days a week: for about 2 hours 3 days a week, and  1 1/2 hours  2 days a week (on meets days and Fridays.) When this season is over I'll swim 4 days a week 1 1/2 hours. I am a free-stylist/ backstroker. My times are: 50 free- 28.88, (Now 28.07) 100 back- 1:17.22 (those are the only two I know off the top of my head.) I've been swimming all my life and competitive swimming since 7th grade. Pretty much I have no life except for swimming... truly. I have a kitten name Kassandra, and a dog named Holly, both of who I love like crazy. Um, what more? I'm a very good student and have all A's. I love my family, but my life is fairly boring. All in all though, I love to swim. ;)

I'm 39 and I just started swimming laps because I'm looking for a workout that doesn't stress my foot or tibial tendon.  I've heard a lot of good things about swimming, so I thought I'd give it a try.

I'm joining because I really stink at swimming laps!  I could use advice and/or encouragement.  I tell myself to persevere and it will get better.  I've committed to going 2x/week for 1 hour each time.  I've gone 4 times now.  There is a masters group but they meet at a time when I can't attend.  So I'm learning on my own.  I do much better each time but I need to learn how to breathe so I can get a real workout out of this.

I do enjoy it, even as I gasp for breath.  The water is very tranquil - maybe it's because the water mutes the sound?

I hope that I will love swimming as much as all of you!  Any advice you can give me on technique, motivation, or how to structure a workout once I've learned how to breathe would be appreciated.

Hi! I am 43 yrs old and have always been a water girl. I have been swimming since I was a toddler and am happiest in the water, any kind of water. Since I have decided that 2009 is the year to get my stuff together physically and lose almost 100 pounds, I am heading back to the pool as part of my new regime. Also, I have a 7 yr old who is on the swim team and I can still stay ahead of her, but she is gaining on me. So there is some extra motivation.

The Masters group at my gym meets at 5:30 in the morning and I have good intentions, but just not sure if my alarm works that early in the morning. I think it has a 6am limit. My plan is to make it to the pool at least 2X a week for at least an hour as one rotation of my 6 day workout.

I joined here because I am interested to hear what others are doing in the water to burn those calories, and maybe get some ideas for mixing up my workouts.

Hi i'm annie, i'm 14 yrs old and i love the water, i swim 3 times a week @ a swimming club, i always win when i do races @ skl ,i found it really funny coz i was the only one who actually liked it (it is so cold in the outside pool that everyones lips go blue!!lol) I also love the sea, if i had my own pool i would spend my whole day in it, i'd probs even do my homework in the water, i joined because i wan'ted to meet other people who share my love for swimming (not just doing it to get fit!!)

I also want some ideas of some fun water related sports to try, i was thinking about trying surfing, and have always wanted to try water skiing!!

Any ideas?

K now i'll tell u bout me:

 i play the saxophone,

i like to cook my own food,

i love shopping (yes even food shopping, its the best coz its shopping but my parents pay!!)

i play loads of sport: hockey, tennis, netball, squash, badmington, football, etc. (k u probs get the point by now)

My favorite singer is taylor swift, i'm listening to her right now!!

I live in sussex, in england,

My favorite book is twilight and the cherub series,

i became vegetarian a few days ago,

i ate tofu and vedgetables for lunch today (don't u think tofu smells like popcorn and tastes like egg!!)

i'm trying to lose a little weight,

i'm 5'7 and still growing,

My 12 year old brother is almost as tall as me and his feet are 2 sizes bigger than mine!!

I love to play football with my other brother, he's 8! and really good for his age!

I don't watch much tv (i'm to busy!!)

I have one guinea pig (the other one died a few days ago)

I hate pizza,

My favorite food is cereal!!

My room is a real mess right now!!

I did 7 homeworks today (aaa latin, i'm giving it up 4 gcse!!)

I'm really clumsy (i tripped over yesterday and my ankle is now swolen)

I'm better @ making friends with people who aren't in my year!! (how odd!!)

The most amount of biscits i've eva eaten in a day is like 20!! (i had a huge feast with my friends every time i was boarding (once a week) thats why i'm a bit overweight, i weigh 155lbs!!)

I went on a 7 mile walk yesterday b4 i hurt my ankle!

K your probs all getting really board of me by now so u'll shut up!!! hahaha LONGEST POST EVA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

helloo i'm Duke, i'm 23 years.

i joined this group because i've taken a big interest in swimming. lately i've been taking every opportunity i get to get in the pool. working on techniques, time, and just having fun in the water. water aerobics is really great, i like it too. i'm also really into other water sports like wakeboarding and surfing. i don't live anywhere near a beach, so i haven't surfed in awhile.

right now i'm in graduate school, working my way up, i have a long time to go though. i have a daughter and she's almost 2 years old, she loves swimming too

Hi, I am 46, looking to get 6'2" body to ~190. So 45# to go.

I am a swimming official and haven't seen many hefty swimmers competing. I see a number of 40-somethings competing against teenagers too! So there is some correlation to swimming and fitness . . . .

I joined Masters swimming yesterday. It will provide structure and schedule which I find easier to commit to. Just need to meet a few more people to motivate myself more.

I have 3 daughters that swim (or swam) competetively. They are in great shape, so why not me?

I will post on my progress in my "journal."

Hi everyone! Hmmm... where to start.

A couple of years ago I gave up smoking... and took up eating.

1 1/2 years ago I started running and eating less... and more healthy. I really got into running, so much so that I started swimming and cycling for the cross training. Now I'm finding that I'm really enjoying running, swimming and cycling! I'm now running 5 times a week, swimming 5-7 times and cycling 2-3 times. I'm down to 186 from 232 and I still have about 20 lbs to go ( I'm 5' 10 1/2"). I have joined because as I'm swimming more I'm realizing that I really need to learn how to swim properly! I made it to 3000m twice this week (my personal best) and I'm hoping to get lessons this fall.

I also need to learn about open water swimming as my goal is to start doing tri's next year.

Cheers!

I have swam for exercise most of my adult life. My forte is non-competitive distance swimming, strictly for the exercise and the 'zen' that occurs when you reach a certain point in the workout. The upside of not having swam competitively as a youth was avoidance of injuries and 'burnout' that I have seen with some swimmers.

From 1990 to 2000, I kept a log of my swimming, almost all done in a 25 yard lap pool. After the first year, 1990, when I swam 150 miles, I set an objective of swimming the distance from San Francisco to New York. Didn't make it, but the journey was the reward, and I completed 2300 miles. Have kept a daily workout log going since then, but have branched out into other cardiovascular activities. This year, after taking a haitus, I have lap-swam 63.2 miles this Summer. Not fast, clean but far from technically perfect.

Have both some questions to raise over time (e.g. what is the best suit for cold-water swimming) and have some personally-gained knowledge on distance swimming.

-Nick

Hi everyone.

I guess i'll have to say im the newbie here. Not just to this group but also to swimming for exercise.

Im not good at swimming YET. I mean, i can float and swim a bit, but my swimming is very slow and i still have trouble swimming underneath.  But for the last 2 weekends now, i've been hitting the lakes and been practicing more and more. I do about 2-3 hours each time, to get my exercise in and also to improve on my swimming.

Why i joined this group? Well, i just realize that i love swimming more than i do exercise. And what better way to kill two birds with one stone right?

Hello

Well I joined this group because I love the water. I have been swimming since before I could walk. I started to do competitive swimming when I was in 5th grade and joined my high school swim team. I became a lifeguard at the age of 15 and a wsi at the age of 17. I still continue to do both and I love it. I have just started working on my scuba certification.

I am currently a senior at Western Michigan University majoring in anthropology and minoring in public history and women and gender studies. I will be graduating in May and right now trying to figure out where to go for my masters degree.