Catch a wave...Or the swimming thread

[Miranda]

[QUOTE=tribogota;397880]

I've been told many times I should swim as a great cross training that's non-impactive.
YOu can do acuathlons, bike and swim!

NOW, you have me fired up...

I have always wondered that. I had heard of the bike and run only. But not the swim and bike. I asked a tri acuaint in passing and she just mentioned doing like a relay. Someone else run, me bike/swim, etc. If there is such a beast.

Check back with me another time, I'll be hiding under my bed at those words.

Well... despite my fears, that would indeed be quite an accomplishment. From the little girl who could barely swim well enough to get out of the deep end once off the diving board. Hmmm... I'll have to research.

Thx

EDIT: Off to my research already...

When I googled that term it came back swim and run. When I found this page, it list it as "aquabike" (states for injured athletes that can no longer run). Hmm, interesting! Linky below...
http://www.usatriathlon.org/content/index/60

[Miranda]

I've been making the pool twice a week thus far. I figured out the distance with the pool length and laps. Each time I've done a little over a half mile.

The pool has a record keeping box for the swimmers to log their laps. I officially started myself a card.

At the end of the year, they post the swimmers accomplishments. I think it will help with my motivation to stick with the pool. It will be interesting how far I've swam by the end of the year!

[eclectic]

I thought I had posted this but in my frozen January brain I don't think I did. Fogive me if it is redundant.

As I mentioned before I swim in the morning w/ Dagny Knudson. ANYWAY since she was at the PanPacifics in Guam in Jan and broke records and won many golds she is now being touted as the fastest under 17 female swimmer in the WORLD ! ! !

Last week a trainer from USA swimming in Colorado springs came up to see how she was training and what she was doing differently to drop that many seconds.

. . . . . and to think I choke on the water she swims in

[kelownagirl]

Anyone ever had an allergic reaction after swimming?

The last two times I went this week, I began sneezing and had itchy watery eyes and nose for about 16 hours after. The first time I thought I was getting a cold but it disappeared the next day. The second time I made the connection to the pool. I called the YMCA to see if they'd changed chemicals or anything and they admitted they were having some trouble with the chlorine dispenser. This last bout was enough to make me think twice about going back but I have to. I may call first before I go. Hope it's not a lasting thing. Has it happened to anyone else??

[colby]

Anyone ever had an allergic reaction after swimming?

The last two times I went this week, I began sneezing and had itchy watery eyes and nose for about 16 hours after. The first time I thought I was getting a cold but it disappeared the next day. The second time I made the connection to the pool. I called the YMCA to see if they'd changed chemicals or anything and they admitted they were having some trouble with the chlorine dispenser. This last bout was enough to make me think twice about going back but I have to. I may call first before I go. Hope it's not a lasting thing. Has it happened to anyone else??

I always get the sneezies after swimming and can taste the chlorine as it drains. I use a sinus rinse/wash afterward and it really helps. My skin itches, my eyes itch, my whole sinus/nasal passages itch. The sinus rinse makes a big difference to the sneezing and dried out feeling - it feels like everything sticks in my sinuses and bothers them, until I rinse at what point I swear the saline stuff goes in but doesn't all come out (I MUST be really dried out). At this point, I swim twice a week at most, which is enough for me, even if it's not "to plan" (3x/week).

Didn't think to ask if they could adjust the chemical level. Family swim and swim team and all the fitness classes are done in the same pool, so I guess they are worried about germies.

[kelownagirl]

I always get the sneezies after swimming and can taste the chlorine as it drains. I use a sinus rinse/wash afterward and it really helps. My skin itches, my eyes itch, my whole sinus/nasal passages itch. The sinus rinse makes a big difference to the sneezing and dried out feeling - it feels like everything sticks in my sinuses and bothers them, until I rinse at what point I swear the saline stuff goes in but doesn't all come out (I MUST be really dried out). At this point, I swim twice a week at most, which is enough for me, even if it's not "to plan" (3x/week).

Didn't think to ask if they could adjust the chemical level. Family swim and swim team and all the fitness classes are done in the same pool, so I guess they are worried about germies.

Thanks for the feedback - I'm going to try the rinse next time. I had a good shower and washed and conditioned my hair and hubby said I still smelled like chlorine that night.

I've been swimming at this pool for a year and have never had the problem. That's why I asked them if they had changed anything.

[Pax]

KG - I had the same problem last week after my swim, I hopped into the nearby hot tub and after the initial "ahhhhhhh moment" I realized the chemicals were way off...it was like stewing in a chlorine pot. I felt like crap when I got home, I took a hot shower, washed my hair, and used a ton of saline nasal spray to rinse my sinuses. Nothing like having the thing we do to stay fit & healthy make us feel cruddy.

[colby]

Going to try swimming at lunchtime starting this week... a friend of mine is building to a sprint distance starting from no swimming (more or less), so we're going to hit the gym on Wednesdays and Fridays around lunch. I may or may not swim the 3rd day depending on how complete my midweek workouts are - since she's starting from zero, her swim workouts are very short but also have walking the same day, so we'll see what we work out. My workouts are around 45 minutes right now.

I have managed to cut some time off my swimming, probably just by sticking with at least once or twice weekly workouts as consistently as I can. My last 2500 yard swim was super-consistent at 1:50/100 - I mentally marked the time at 1000 and 2000 and then the end. I'm hoping I can carry it forward to longer distances - it's about 45 seconds per 100 off my IM swim time, or 20 minutes total so far. I don't feel very good at sprinting/shorter distances, so it's nice to feel good about something. Last year, my long swims, even at only 45 minutes, were good predictors for my IM swim - my IM swim was actually faster than my pool swims were and I wasted a bunch of effort getting sidetracked and frustrated.

I was REALLY punished by chlorine yesterday, ugh. I slept really poorly because I didn't give my sinuses enough time to drain after rinsing. The comments about outdoor pools being better reminded me that I didn't have these problems nearly as bad when I swam as a kid 5 days a week, but I was swimming outdoors. My worst problem was the chlorine in my hair, which I am really diligent about now.

Cheers to everyone swimming, despite the icky chlorine

[HillSlugger]

I've heard it said that you can't win a triathlon in the swim but you can lose one there. Of the three events it's the shortest both on distance and time. While it may be hard to pick up speed in swimming it may be more important to become more efficient in swimming so that you use less energy and come out of the water feeling fresher for the bike.

[eclectic]

I've heard it said that you can't win a triathlon in the swim but you can lose one there. Of the three events it's the shortest both on distance and time. While it may be hard to pick up speed in swimming it may be more important to become more efficient in swimming so that you use less energy and come out of the water feeling fresher for the bike.

Exactly!

And Syndirelah Whoo hoo on the muscle! No batwings for you when you are an old lady!

My stroke is pretty efficient and I can go a long ways holding steady. I am not fast by any means (I did 1:50/100 on our 20 min steady pace swim, could have easily kept going so really didn't push like I should have) I would have to work REALLY REALLY hard to even try to drop 5 secs off 100 anymore so I figure 5x5 = 25 secs on a sprint. W/ work I can drop 3-5 minutes off on the run because right now I am a REALLY bad runner so way more room for improvement

Also cycling is a great place to drop time but that is so dependent on course terrain and around here WIND ! ! !

The first tri I did someone advised me to stay to the side and count to 5 before starting out so I miss the chaos at the beginning of the swim. I took the advice - counted and started - I will never do that again! I ended up passing everyone (love wetsuits) Starting last I was still 14th out of the water w/o even trying to push it.
Now the run . . . . . that was another story

Another thought - If I was doing longer distance races like IM and HIM shaving a couple of secs off a hundred would add up if it didn't tire you out.

[crazycanuck]

I feel slow in the pool these days . I don't want to be the turtle

*sigh*

[NbyNW]

I've been jealously reading everyone's training updates - and struggles - for a few months. Had not been in the pool since I took a TI workshop back in November, because I came down with the flu and had a chest cold that wouldn't clear up.

DH and I are on a long trip now, and landed in Indonesia last week. We found a hotel with a 40-meter pool! With the warmer climate I finally felt my chest loosening up and started working on my TI drills.

It felt great to be in the pool again. We're back on the road, so I don't know when I'll get to swim again, but it sure felt great to start up again.

[rocknrollgirl]

Swim team practice ends on Tuesday!!! I can get back in the pool during the week.!!!!!!

YIPPEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[eclectic]

I've been jealously reading everyone's training updates - and struggles - for a few months. Had not been in the pool since I took a TI workshop back in November, because I came down with the flu and had a chest cold that wouldn't clear up.

DH and I are on a long trip now, and landed in Indonesia last week. We found a hotel with a 40-meter pool! With the warmer climate I finally felt my chest loosening up and started working on my TI drills.

It felt great to be in the pool again. We're back on the road, so I don't know when I'll get to swim again, but it sure felt great to start up again.

Are you on a pleasure trip or a work trip? - sounds very exciting and exotic either way. Keep us posted on where you are. I love to live vicariously through others travels (just let us know what strand you put it on)