why does swimming give such horrible cramps

[Tri Girl]

Good mystery to solve - maybe what makes you cramp makes me slow and we could both benefit from the solution

I like that line of thinking. Maybe you'll hit on something that will make me speed through the water like Phelps (nah- I don't think so).

Cramps in your toes!! OW!! I can't even imagine what that feels like, but I think of it as a kind of hitting your funny bone thing. Maybe pins and needles after your foot falls falls asleep.

Yeah, it's quite pleasant. I always have to stop swimming when it happens. I can't overcome it. It makes a toe (usually the one next to my big toe) curl downward toward the bottom of my foot, and the cramp then shoots up my calf causing the whole bottom leg to cramp. I tried asking my swim coach last year what might cause this and he looked at me like he had no idea what I was talking about. I must be the only person to have ever suffered from toe cramps. Go figure.