NEW TOYS TO PLAY WITH - simplyswim.com

A short while ago, I was approached by Simply Swim (http://www.simplyswim.com) who had seen our blog and like it, they wanted to see if I would like to buy some of their products...not a seconds hesitation and I replied yes please. Emails duly arrived, now given that I am part of a group, I did not want to purchase goodies 'just for me', but products that others could buy and get the same benefits from as me. Now the difficult bit....what to buy. I swim in the open water during the 'warmer' months (April through to Oct) and then return to the pool for winter training. There were certain things that I have never had a play with so here was a clear opportunity.

Fingers flying across the keyboard and like a child in a sweetshop I eagerly set about my task, phoning the customer care team to get advice and further information. The staff's knowledge is impressive and they are polite and courteous through and through. With a final push of the enter button and there I had done it...now to wait for the postman.

Later that night, another email from the Swim people,  other products that  I might be interested in so off i went shopping again....the excitement doubled at the thought of the 'other' things that I wished I could have got were now winging their way to me.

With in 48 hours the parcels arrived, the packaging soon ripped off as with almost childlike enthusiasm I wanted to see the toys. So what did I get...I will tell you. Ear plugs, gloves, fins, drag shorts and drag swimming costume.....Oh which to try first....pool or open water....it was sunny so the open water won hands down. Phoning my friend Janette Mosley,  I virtually demanded that she meet me at the lake so we could play.

Driving down (within speed limits) was exciting, would they make a difference to my speed, performance etc. Being the typical female.....i had got the open water goodies to match my 3.8 Orca wetsuit..black and orange! Do I look like a pro...I hope so, do I swim like a pro....I wish...but every second knocked off a time is a bonus.

Duly changed...the water beckoning so in we went, the gloves are the webbed swim gloves, now these I have used before but not this make, what would they be like for fit and comfort. Pretty good, not too tight or loose, the fingers did not go numb, and the velcro wrist strap is ideally placed so that it would not chafe. In the water they really gave my shoulders and arms a workout, even feeling it in my wrists this time. This type of glove helps  with upper body strength and given the pleasant soreness I felt the next day, I can recommend them, unlike plastic paddles where some pools don't allow them, these you could use in the pool and open water.

Next the fins, I will admit the first time I used them my legs did not obey what I wanted them to do, being in a wetsuit meant my legs were higher in the water, so my attempts to power along were pretty futile. I think I must have looked like one of those wind up toys in the bath!!!! The second attempt I got it right, kicking slightly from the knee allowed me to get my ankles further under the water and all of a sudden the speed was there. What an adrenalin rush, 'bombing' along with so much ease was fantastic, Janette had brought her fins too so the pair of us from a distance must have looked like a pair of dolphins gliding through the water. If only I could swim that fast without them. Janette did admit to laughing at me under the water as all she could see where orange and black (Head) fins going like the clappers in front of her! But what a hoot, the legs did not feel tired at all while we were in the water...back on land though it was a different story. There was me thinking 'how much of a workout am I getting', trying to walk down the stairs the next morning I found out, the ache basically stretched from ankle to thigh. Wonder if the race organisers would notice if I raced in them!!!! Love them to bits and have already encouraged the group to buy them which I know some have already done so.

For anyone who has suffered with their ears you will know the value of good earplugs and over the years I have tried them all, foam ones, silicone, rubber you name it I have tried it. As most swimmers will know, at some point you will end up having 'issues' with your ears if you submerge them in the water for years on end...and I am no different. The left ear being worse than the right...to the point of being painful and with hearing loss as well..Getting the perfect fit is vital so that you don't get any water in. So with that in mind I selected several different makes and gave them a go over the course of several swims. One of the main things with ear plugs is getting the fit right and making sure that they are comfortable. With this in mine I got two different types, Speedo ergo and Maru, tried them both in the open water and the pool, and must find them impressive, the Speedo's seem to 'fit' my ears perfectly and not a drop of water got though, the Maru's are marginally externally and didn't seem to fit me as well, my partner tried them...instant success for him with these so my advice is to try several different types. The rubber ones now are much softer, more comfortable to wear to the point that you can forget that you are wearing them. Don't think I will swim again without them, and a word to the wise if you are new to swimming or even been swimming for years, for most it the ears that are affected to the point of stopping you from getting in the water, so invest!!! One of the team also bought them after I told her how comfortable they were, she wanted to see if if would help with the occasional dizziness she gets....again success!!!
The drag suit and drag shorts were for pool use..so off I went to brave the chlorine again. First time I wore the suit,  it felt strange at first but I soon got the feel of it in the water and it did 'drag' me as I was swimming along, you can notice the difference in the amount of effort required to swim along as you would normally so. The fit is fab and just as you would find with any other suit. The shorts came next, worn over a normal costume, initially I felt a little awkward  entering the pool area but then I thought, well in for a penny in for a pound. The shorts came off in the first few strokes......I had forgotten to tie the drawstring!!!! School boy error!!! Cord duly tied I set off again. An hour later and it was time to get out. My upper body using both these training aids really did feel like they had been worked (normal distance for an hour's swim would be 1 mile, drills then another mile). I really had to work hard to get the distance in in the allotted time span so both suited the purpose and will be used long and hard in the winter months!
So my experiences of Simply Swim - I am highly grateful to them for allowing me to try goods that I have always wanted to experience but never got round to doing so. The items I have tried have suited the purposes which I intended...to the tee! The company were superb in helping me choose, and delivering them in such a short period of time. The team are now able to buy on recommendation, goods that they have seen in action, played with themselves and know that they will benefit from. The website is easy to use and the range of products has me salivating!!! Thanks so much for allowing me to use your products, I highly recommend this company...oh and if you forgot the address http://www.simplyswim.com/ - truly grateful for them giving me the opportunity to try goodies out and definitely plan to buy from them in the future :)