How long after surgery can i start to swim again?

[Channel Swimmer]

What sort of events do you take part in? Other than just the channel itself -- other open water or long distance swims?

A few years back I swam the "equivalent distance of the channel" (in stages) -- as part of the sponsored ASPIRE channel swim .... swimming 22 miles within 12 weeks .... but that was a good few years ago now (poss 2004/5) and I was probably "only" about 18 stone then.

Several more years of gaining weight have led me to reach a much more unhealthy weight where I now no longer feel confident in public baths about my size (hence I am very out of practice).

I am hoping that once I shed 2 or 3 stone post op I will get the confidence to dip my toe again.

Challenges are good - something to make it more interesting and meaningful. Well done on yours - it is a long way to fit into such a short period of time.

I only starting swimming in 2000 so I don't have the background that you and Yvessa have.

My kids used to swim competitively so I joined the masters squad. The masters squad was quite competitive and I was encouraged to enter galas (there are no qualifying standards - just the ability to fill in a form and send off a cheque!). The social side of competitive swimming is good fun and the people you meet are fantastic so I ended up swimming in competitions all over the world.

I quickly learned that I'm too young for my speed (I'm slow) so in order to win medals I'd have to do the events that no one else wanted to do. So I ended up specialising in the longer freestyle events and 200m butterfly.

It was at this time that I lost a lot of weight (104lbs) with weight watchers and as my weight went down my speed increased. In 2004 my speed increased enough to enter the world masters games and european masters (actually had to qualify for this one) and with it came an option to do an open water event. I'd done a couple of open water swims but was still a firm pool swimmer then. This then lead to a channel relay and the rest is history.

What I want now is to get my pool swimming back. I love how I feel when I'm training well and competiting gives great endorphin buzzes.

Channel training is hard, really hard on so many levels. You learn a lot about yourself. It's 80% mental and 20% everything else and given how massive a physical challenge it is that shows how mentally tough it is. When training for a solo I build up from short swims in Dover harbour in May in 10C to 7 hour swims on a Saturday and 6 hour swims on a Sunday from about 14/15C. But you are with like minded people and believe that it is entirely normal until you get a ferry after a solo and look at the expanse of water and wonder how the heck you did it (and why!)!!

 

[Bellydancer57]

Guys inspired by you all I just re-joined my local leisure centre where I used to swim & do aqua aerobics. Now just got to pull out the old swimsuit & take the plunge. I used to love it so no reason why I on't still enjoy it.
I also have a waterproof M P 3 player that I download audio books from my local library & listen to a good book as I swim.
Me thinks a new costume may be in order as I have lost 5 stones so far. Yipppeeee!

 

[Channel Swimmer]

Guys inspired by you all I just re-joined my local leisure centre where I used to swim & do aqua aerobics. Now just got to pull out the old swimsuit & take the plunge. I used to love it so no reason why I on't still enjoy it.
I also have a waterproof M P 3 player that I download audio books from my local library & listen to a good book as I swim.
Me thinks a new costume may be in order as I have lost 5 stones so far. Yipppeeee!

Well done you!!! I think you might be right about the costume - could be a bit baggy and the crotch end up by your knees!!! Nice problem to have though eh?!

 

[Bellydancer57]

Gotta get on line & go shopping! LOL

 

[Miss Tickle]

A waterproof MP3 player? Genious! What make modelis it-I need one right now.
Also- can anyone recommend a lap counter. I've looked at the ones you wear on your finger and click and a watch that detects when you turn but don't know which one to go for. I'm terrible at day dreaming when I swim and lose count !

 

[FuturePerfect]

A waterproof MP3 player? Genious! What make modelis it-I need one right now.

I bought a Splashgear 3 months ago - abfab - until I had to send it back yesterday when the USB no longer was recognised by the computer so I couldn't load more audio books onto it. Absolutely devastated. Swimming is so boring now. My advice? get a spare as they all seem to have problems. Check Amazon reviews.

 

[Fuffs]

My partner was a competitive swimmer. He and his sister swam for Nuneaton and Coventry and even got to go to Florida too.

He is still very slim, but not as fit as he was. But when we got in a pool a few months ago, everyone stopped to watch him. Even the guards. I was very proud

Then a lady from a Masters team who was also a guard, asked him to join their team. She said he is very fast and could do the fast races. He was going to, but his lack of confidence in his ability was something he has yet to overcome.

I will try my best to push him, as he comes alive in the water

 

[HiddenBeauty]

I can't wait to go swimming and bowling

 

[newcy]

I'm convinced those of us who used to swim competitively when we were young put on weight more than other people when we stop ! I didn't used to eat that much when I trained but by golly I used a lot of calories. I'm sure it's left me very calorie efficient i.e my body makes the most of every one ! I'm seriously thinking about training for a triathlon once I've got this running business sorted as it will be such a challenge. I haven't swum in open water ( other than belly boarding in the sea lol) since I was a kid but it really appeals.

I totally agree - I didn't have a pick of fat on me when I was swimming competitively but the minute I stopped I put weight on. I was still just a teenager so it was more puppy fat until my Mum put me on ww and I've been dieting ever since.

I don't think my thighs and upper arms would be as big either if I hadn't swam but hope that when I start going again I can turn that back to muscle - fingers crossed x

 

[Bellydancer57]

My MP3 is the Speedo one. Got it cheaper on EBay. Shocking pink with waterproof earphones, I download audio books from my local elibrary for free & obviously music. Had so many people stop me in the pool to ask about it. No experience of lap counter sorry.

 

[newcy]

A waterproof MP3 player? Genious! What make modelis it-I need one right now.
Also- can anyone recommend a lap counter. I've looked at the ones you wear on your finger and click and a watch that detects when you turn but don't know which one to go for. I'm terrible at day dreaming when I swim and lose count !

Just found this lap counter on amazon for £10 - gr8 idea!
Swim Lap Counter: Amazon.co.uk: Sports & Leisure

There's loads of waterproof mp3 players and some have a lap counter installed in it too. You can get waterproof bags if you want to use your normal mp3 but I might be nervous to do that x

 

[Bellydancer57]

We're positive 'dolphins' now! Splash splash! X

 

[Channel Swimmer]

I have one of the finger lap counters for the bits of sessions where I could easily lose count. Generally I can remember the set that the coach writes on the board for us though. The finger one works fine, but if I had the choice I'd get the one that automatically counts so that you can really zone out.

The talk of MP3 players has just reminded me of my first channel swimming season. You can't use MP3 players on an actual attempt, so I don't use one in training so that I get used to other ways of occupying my mind or just zoning out. These days I just zone out but that first year I felt a need to fill those long (6-7 hrs) training swims. The last thing you want is one song stuck in your head, especially when you only know part of it. So I tried counting strokes, but got frustrated when I'd zone out for a second and forget where I got to! So then I'd do work in my head, but that was just plain frustrating. So eventually I decided to sing songs in my head but they had to be at the right tempo to swim at and the best thing I found was o learn the lyrics to the Joseph musical. It was the right tempo and the whole show would take about an hour which is the time between feeds - perfect. I can't listen to that music anymore!!

 

[HiddenBeauty]

We're positive 'dolphins' now! Splash splash! X

Not nefarious porpoises?

 

[Bellydancer57]

Andrew Lloyd webber has a lot to answer for LOL

 

[Channel Swimmer]

Andrew Lloyd webber has a lot to answer for LOL

Absolutely!!!! :argh:

 

[Mazza]

Another previous competetive swimmer here!

You absolutly must wait for all wounds to be 100% healed before you get back into that pool - think about all the things people 'do' in the pool :jelous: so if its 6 weeks, then so bit it

I waited 6 weeks after my hysterectomy and my band.

I used to train for an hour before school and and an hour after for many years.

I still love swimming and loved beating (mostly men) at laps, when they took one look at me at my biggest lol

I just cant do 'fun' swimming so my daughter doesnt enjoy coming swimming with me as much as she does with my OH

I hope those of you who feel too self conscious to swim at the moment feel confident enough to soon!

 

[Channel Swimmer]

You absolutly must wait for all wounds to be 100% healed before you get back into that pool - think about all the things people 'do' in the pool :jelous: so if its 6 weeks, then so bit it

Don't worry, I absolutely intend to wait until it's healed, I was just curious as to when that might be.

I had the horrid experience of having an infected wound after my ovarian cyst was removed (not from the environment but from the surgery itself) and it took 14 weeks to resolve. During that time I had the delights of daily visits to the hospital, drainage bags with 50ml of gunk a day, further surgery to try and resolve it and a drain fitted after about 3 months. I have no intention of risking a repeat of that!!!

 

[Mazza]

Good for you x