Training - Swimming
Please note - You should be able to swim at least 100m continuous free style to benefit from our coaching sessions. Please check the suitability of each session in the descriptions below before coming along.
If you are new to coached swims please attend the Friday session at Trinity School or the second session at St Joseph's on a Tuesday.
You will need fins, kick-board, pull buoy and hand paddles. See swim kit below.
Coached sessions cater for all abilities and can be amended /adapted for the ability range present.
Please do not enter the water at St Joseph's or Trinity School until a coach is on poolside and has said it is OK to get in.
Please complete the attached Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire and hand to the coach at the first CPT session you attend.
Tuesday - St Joseph's College
1st session - 20:00-20:55
2nd session - 20:55-21:50
Coached swim - St Joseph's College, Beulah Hill, SE19
See training fees for session prices.
1st session - This can get very crowded as we only have half the pool. Please do not attend if you are a weak swimmer or want to concentrate on technique.
2nd session - Suitable for all abilities. If you are a novice triathlete, new to coached swimming sessions or feel you would benefit from receiving more personal attention from Jon, our coach, please attend this session at 20:55.
We also have a junior session at 19:00-20:00 where there will be at least one lane available for adult members who wish to participate in an uncoached swim while juniors use the pool.
St Joseph's term dates 2011-12
Wednesday 4 January - Friday 30 March (First swim 10 January)
Monday 16 April - Tuesday 17 July
The pool is open during half-term holidays but not during the Easter, Summer or Christmas holidays.
View the training schedule.
Thursday - The Bridge
19.45-21:00
Coached swim - The Bridge Leisure Centre, Kangley Bridge Road, Sydenham SE26
Coached by Jon
See training fees for session prices.
Suitable for all abilities.
We go to the Moon & Stars in Penge for a couple of drinks and curry afterwards.
View the training schedule.
Friday - Trinity School
20:00-21:00 or 21:30
Coached swim - Trinity School, Shirley Park, Croydon CR9 7AT
Coached by Phil/Jon
See training fees for session prices.
Suitable for all abilities including novices and improvers.
Please note: bikes are not allowed in the changing rooms. Bikes must be locked up outside.
View the training schedule.
The adult session will start at 20:00. Please be on poolside and ready to swim at 20:00. Do not enter the pool before then without the permission of the lead coach for the evening as CPT only have limited use of the pool before this time and Trinity members must take priority. The full session will be 90 minutes, finishing at 21:30. For those who do not feel ready for this just yet or with juniors to get home there will be an optional end time at 21:00. Please pay on poolside before the session commences.
Monday swim sessions (uncoached)
We have managed to secure two swim lanes on Monday evenings at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, between 19:30-20:30.
Lane 1 is aimed at those swimmers who normally swim in the top two lanes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and / or are capable of a sub 7:15 400m.
Lane 2 is open to all other swimmers.
Juniors are able to attend this session if they have the prior approval of the head coach.
See training fees for session prices.
This session is uncoached, but a swim set will be provided. Be on poolside for a 19:30 start prompt.
Check the GLL website for public opening times.
Swim kit
To get the most out of our swim sessions, you will need fins, kick-board, pull buoy and hand paddles, although don't be put off if you haven't got all the equipment to start with, you'll just have to work harder!
Don't forget to put your name on these items with a permanent marker.
There's all sorts of kit available, but make sure you buy the short style fins for swim training, rather than the longer scuba/snorkelling type fins. You can buy a separate pull buoy and kickboard or a dual purpose board. All items can be purchased from SwimShop (where purchases earn money back for the Club).
Monday - Haysden Lake - Open water swimming
7Oaks Tri Club have access to Haysden Lake, near Tonbridge, on Monday evenings for open water swimming.
Sessions will take place every Monday evening 6.30pm - dusk, from May to the end of September.
Please follow these instructions:
- Non 7Oaks Tri Club members must be current members of the BTF and produce their card when signing in.
- No swimming without signing in and safety equipment in place.
- Swim in anti-clockwise direction on designated routes.
- Wear brightly coloured swim hat
- Novice open water swimmers make themselves known when signing in
- Under 16s must be acccompanied by a parent or guardian
- Do not swim near the lake edge except when entering and exiting lake
- Follow marshall/lifeguard instructions
Location map. Directions to the lake and parking instructions can be found on the 7Oaks Tri Club website.
There are also early morning open water swimming sessions at Heron Lake in Wraysbury. These sessions are organised by Open Water Swimming and help raise funds to keep The British Disabled Water Skiing Association (BDWSA) running.
Open Water Guidelines
Please read the Club's open water guidelines (32KB)
SwimShop
If you require any items, such as fins, kick board etc. these can be ordered from the SwimShop.
Lido swimming
Tooting Bec Lido
Visit the SLSC website for opening times and membership details if you would like to swim there during the winter months. The Lido is open to the public from the end of May to the end of September.
Phil has very kindly put together a couple of documents with ideas for creating your own swim session and an Ironman endurance swim session.
Useful swim-related links can be found on the Swimming links page.
400m time trials
Phil has collated the 400m time trials from September, November, December 2006 and March 2007 and put them all into one spreadsheet so you can monitor your improvements. This will be updated each time we do another time trial.
Pace chart
Phil has has provided a pace chart so that you can work out 100m splits based on your 1500m, 750m, 400m and 200m times.
Use the Calorie Calculator to find out how calories you burn whilst swimming.