This morning was absolutely freezing. A suburb not too far from home recorded -1 degrees celsius overnight. And I would say where I live it was not too far off. We had severe frost all over the lawn and on the cars again, enough frost that even the morning sun was not melting it and we needed to get the hose out. And I half started to contemplate going back inside, putting on my PJ's and getting back in bed. That thought was far more logical then going to the pools for a swim, but logic was not going to win this morning and I was going to get in the pool regardless of the external temp. I can't pike out when the going get's tough in my races, this training in adverse conditions is what is going to make me tough.
Heading into the pools my car thermometer recorded 4 degrees external ambient temp and as I reached the pool I could see the steam coming off it like some beautiful blanket. I was lloking forward to getting into a nice bath like pool. HAH, bath like, what a joke. This couldn't have been further from the truth. I jumped in thinking it was going to be like my last swim - 28 degrees (almost too warm to swim in) and what I was met with butt freezing, breath taking, just tepid water. The lifeguard took one look and said "The boilers can't cope with the cold and are struggling. Water temp is 26.3 degrees celsius and dropping". Great. Oh well, I'm in, time to get cracking on my session so you can get out quicker.
Here's how it went:
It took me a good hour to warm back up again, even after a hot shower. My toes were burning, it felt like they were on fire. When I got home, I got changed into my PJ's and some nice fluffy socks and veged on the couch. Ah bliss.
Heading into the pools my car thermometer recorded 4 degrees external ambient temp and as I reached the pool I could see the steam coming off it like some beautiful blanket. I was lloking forward to getting into a nice bath like pool. HAH, bath like, what a joke. This couldn't have been further from the truth. I jumped in thinking it was going to be like my last swim - 28 degrees (almost too warm to swim in) and what I was met with butt freezing, breath taking, just tepid water. The lifeguard took one look and said "The boilers can't cope with the cold and are struggling. Water temp is 26.3 degrees celsius and dropping". Great. Oh well, I'm in, time to get cracking on my session so you can get out quicker.
Here's how it went:
- 700m Fr/s Warm up
- 3 x 100m Bk/s kick with flippers
- 3 x 100m Fr/s. Easy 50m increasing to sprint in 2nd 50m
- 4 x 200m Fr/s turning at the "T"
- 12 x 25m Fr/s breathing every 3,2,2,3
- 8 x 50m Easy Br/s up, Fr/s sprint back.
- 200m Fr/s cooldown.
It took me a good hour to warm back up again, even after a hot shower. My toes were burning, it felt like they were on fire. When I got home, I got changed into my PJ's and some nice fluffy socks and veged on the couch. Ah bliss.
BRRRR I hate cold pools, but at least you were inside.
ReplyDeleteWow--you are swimming OUTSIDE in that?! Impressive. All of our outdoor pools shutdown at the beginning of fall, so we never do that.
ReplyDeleteBrave Barbie! Any chance of wearing a wetsuit when it gets that cold?
ReplyDeleteFlatout Jim: Me too, but I do like breathing in the fresh air when in an outside pool.
ReplyDeletemisszippy: This pool is normally nicely heated but it was struggling big time yesterday.
Kovas: I would love to but I don't have one. There are so many things I need to invest in.
You could lather yourself in whale blubber like thy used to do in the old days (or better yet a modern day synthetic equivalent). Never mind, kind of gross, and the pool guy would probably have something to say about it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good idea - Vaseline, a thin layer. I think that's what Susie Moroney (Aussie long distance swimmer) used to use. Mmmmmm food for thought :)
ReplyDeletethat is still bathtub hot! all of my open water swims are done in water between 15-20 celcius. I would be struggling with water temps that warm. Way to get the work out in although it was freezing outside
ReplyDelete