Swimming lessons for Beginner triathlete.

tripper167

Hi Everyone,

I'm new to the forum and to triathlon. I've been trying to motivate myself to begin training for a triathlon for a while now and finally began back in November, I've been running and cycling a bit and building my fitness up slowly. At the moment I have a niggly knee injury and am resting it up.

Now at this point I realise that I need to learn how to swim which I think would probably really help with the knee injury and strengthening my legs.

I was wondering if anyone knows swimming pools around Dublin city centre who offer lessons to beginners?

Also, when these have been completed, do you recommend taking advanced lessons to prepare fully for a triathlon distance swim? If so, if anyone knows of such lessons that would be a great help for me to get ready.

Thanks a million!

microgirl

My colleague, who is also a beginner triathlete, is getting lessons in Total Fitness at Clare Hall on the Malahide Road and is finding them good. Though to be honest, I think you'll find many, many swimming pools have adult beginner's lessons. They're not hard to find. Have you tried your local pool?

catweazle

I compare swimming lessons to golf lessons.....I used to go to a class once a week over ten weeks for say 100 euros and I might get 5 minutes max with the teacher, I never got anywhere with them.

I think you are better off paying eg 20 euros to a teacher for a private session. Get an hour with him/her perfect what she has taught you and in 2/3 weeks go back and get another lesson.

I think you progress faster!

Iron Enthusiast

Hey Tripper,

Check out the below link and contact the chap listed. Belvedere Pool do weekday and weekend classes for swimmers. I've trained with them myself and found them very good. It's also a great location if you work/live in the city.
http://www.swimmersguide.com/query/Detail.cfm?PoolID=10559

tripper167

Thanks for your replies, the most local pool to me is Ballymun and I think they do kind of generic lesson on Mondays, seems to be just turn up no matter what level you are. The private lessons seem to be the way to go as I'm usually a slow learner when it comes to these things.

It seems the Mespil pool are offering private lessons, its pretty easy to get to from here so I'm going to give them a ring and see if they'll do them.

If anyone is interested in giving me private lessons also please PM me. Thanks.

kingQuez

Hi tripper167,

It sounds like you've got yourself sorted but I'll chip in my 2c.

I learned to swim last year coming from a background where I could do a length or two of slow breaststroke with my head always out of the water but not much else. I did the intermediate adult classes in the national aquatic centre (run by the NAC), and as the weeks went on the class got smaller and smaller so it turned out to be really good value for the 80quid (by the end there were three of us and we were doing lengths rather than half lengths).

After finishing up with those lessons I could swim a couple of lengths continuously using front crawl but it was hard work. About a month or so later triathlon ireland announced a set of swimming sessions for those new to tri (also in the NAC but coached by different people). I signed up for those too, was worried I wouldn't be able to keep up with the class, but it worked out really well. We were up to swimming 750m continuously by the end of the 8 weeks. I'd suggest you get yourself onto the TI new to tri email list incase they organize something similar this year -- for me it made a huge difference.

Anyway, best of luck with it!

Dotcomdolly

There is an excellent private instructor who works out of the Carlisle gym in kimmage. Asfair she mentions triathalon training in her leaflet....If you give the gym a ring they will give you her number.

lizdell

tripper167 wrote: »

Thanks for your replies, the most local pool to me is Ballymun and I think they do kind of generic lesson on Mondays, seems to be just turn up no matter what level you are. The private lessons seem to be the way to go as I'm usually a slow learner when it comes to these things.

It seems the Mespil pool are offering private lessons, its pretty easy to get to from here so I'm going to give them a ring and see if they'll do them.

If anyone is interested in giving me private lessons also please PM me. Thanks.

Hi Tripper, dont know if you rang Mepsil yet or not, but the adult beginners courses are very small and you get a lot of attention. There is an improvers course on at the same time and you can progress to this class if you are improving and want more of a challenge. You can practise in between for a reduced rate and they have a sauna and steam room to relax in after