Off the Deck

Well, it’s the last day of the year, so it must be time to reflect on the events of the past 12 months.

Certainly, this swim year was very different for me. It had a lot of challenges, but I did learn a lot.

I always prefer to end on a positive note whenever possible, so first the negative balance on the tally sheet:

The Not So Good Stuff of 2009
–Hands down, top of the list is: Lack of pool time/space. Finding decent training was one of the major frustrations of 2009 for me. Unfortunately, I think this reflects a growing problem though — too many teams, too few pools. My New Year’s wish? That all swimmers, coaches and pool administrators get really creative and come up hundreds of solutions.

–Dirty open water: More so than in past years open water venues were closed, or if open presented swimmers with lovely things like rashes and virsuses. Seriously — not a good trend. We need to turn this one around pronto, not just for swimming, but also for the sake of a healthy ecology.

What’s a Wash for 2009
–Tech suits: I remain of two minds on this subject still. Yes, it’s brought a lot of excitement and new fans to swimming (and no doubt inspired people of all ages to join the sport) but I don’t like the cost-restrictive factor or the “let’s set a record everytime I swim” element.

–My summer break: I learned so much about myself this year by not training to compete for over four months, especially during my beloved outdoor LC season. It was one of the hardest things I’ve sat through on all levels: mind, body. But I also think it was one of the most important gifts I’ve given myself — time to sort things out, time to let my body rest. The upside, of course, is the lessons I learned. Hopefully I will do a good job of applying each and every one to my swimming in 2010 and beyond.

The Good Stuff of 2009
–There was so much more swimming on TV than ever before, on “regular” channels (i.e. not cable, which I don’t have), and at normal viewing times. Let’s hope this trend continues into 2010 and beyond!

–The number of dual sanction meets are up across the country. I just love this idea! Everyone in the family can spend the day doing the same, healthy activity. Not only that, I hope that masters are inspired by watching the kids and that us fossil-swimmers are sending a key message to youth: you are never too old to do a sport.

–I hope this is true: the many changes I made this year (i.e. sleep more, Vitamin D supplements, summer break, started cross training via running, re-tooled diet, etc.), kept me healthier than ever before. I am really excited and proud to say that for the first time in I don’t know how long (ever?) I was not out of the water for 2+ months due to some plague-like illness. Seriously, this is HUGE for allergy-asthmatic me.

–O.K., this one’s going to sound goofy: Better “products.” I found that I prefer latex to silicone for caps (ahhhh, cool head!) a great new anti-chlorine shampoo/conditioner brand, a fun, an affordable suit brand (Swim Club: cute prints, good fit and you can usually score them for under $20 on sale one line. They are perfect for little local meets, wearing under your wetsuit or hitting the pool/beach on vacation) and my cool post-swim Chammyz pull-over.

What’s in store for 2010? I don’t know yet because I’m waiting on two things:
1) Are the changes I worked so hard for this year here to stay or are they a fluke?
2) Can I find good training and enough to consider going to Nationals?

Happy New Year Swimmers!

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

First and foremost: a shout-out to Kenny Allen who called to let me know this was on NBC, not Universal Sports. Although I missed the begining of the coverage, I did catch quite a bit — about 90 minutes or so.

And, without further ado, here’s my recap, in my favorite “random comments” format:

–I have to wonder if everyone is analyzing their strokes sans tech suits right now since they are going away January 1. Honestly, I am really curious to see who continues to do well and who might not do so well sans tech suits.

–I said it during the summer Olympics broadcasting and I’ll say it again: Great Britain is building to have a very strong showing in swimming when they host the Games in London, 2012.

–After watching Michael Phelps squeeze out yet another fly victory by mere fingernail margin, I would love to work with his turn/finish tech coach. (Or perhaps Bowman does it all?)

–The bathrobes are kind of funny. Although, I also kind of feel that they are leaning a bit too much towards the Playboy-mansion-sleazy-lounging-around affect.

–The “European Select” team name makes swimmers sound like a beef grade. Surely there were other titles on the table?

–This meet was a nice refreshing mix: caliber swimming by happy, at ease swimmers. Well, except for Mark Gangloff. Is it just me, or does he always look like he’s going to yak behind the blocks prior to each of his races?

–It was also nice to have underwater shots during this coverage, something that has been missing from the meets covered on air recently. I love to watch the underwater technique!

–Speaking of “wondering” I have to rumminate a bit on how Jessica Hardy might be faring. It seems unlikely that she will ever get to the point where her name is not immediately associated with “doping suspension.” I wonder how the other swimmers treat her. Speaking of bonding, I also wonder about the friendship status among the Europeans during the meet. Relays are always a great opportunity to make new friends on your “team” but of course this Duel in the Pool didn’t offer the full slate of relays. Did they mix it up on deck and beyond, or did the Europeans pretty much hang with their own countrymen?

–Rebecca Soni’s two WRs were a very nice show of consistency since Beijing. Kudos!

–Warm fuzzy moment: Mike Alexander wins while representing the USA for the first time.

–On a personal note: I am totally annoyed that this nice facility was not around when I lived on the NW coast of England and was desperate for a decent pool (the one 25m pool I had access to literally had rope to define lanes and was open on such a spotty basis that it was always MOBBED — you couldn’t even get in one 25 on pace.) And after catching the “glamour shots” of the city, I can’t say that I’ve missed the cloudy, dark skies and dreary soot-covered buildings one bit since moving back to the USA. But I digress on a cranky note…

–One embarrassing note to these “Duels in the Pools” — the final scores are always a crazy landslide victory for the USA. Although, to be honest, I love being on the we-rock-swimming side of things!

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

One of my fave gifts from this holiday season is the “classic pullover” by Chammyz.

Yes, of course, it’s a sweatshirt-like hooded pullover. But the key is the material — chamois. The company specializes in gear for water-enthusiasts (think: swimmers, divers, surfers, sailors, etc.), so my new hoodie is supposed to wick away moisture while I wear it.

I can’t wait to try it out! Two key uses come to mind immediately: after open water swims so I don’t freeze on the way home (our primary training spot, the “gravel pond” does not offer changing facilities. However, the new hoodie is large enough for me to be able to change under it. Hmmm…But I digress…) and situations where I am wearing a suit all day, such as at meets and stroke clinics.

In a soothing deep blue color, the fabric is soft, light and “breath-able.” And, after a quick peek at the website, I also learned that the material has a 50+ UV factor rating.

The line does seem to run large though — my “small” hits mid-thigh, and the sleeves are very long. Oh well — better coverage means more warmth, right?

If you want to check out the Chammy line visit: www.chammyz.com

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

p.s. after continously checking the T.V. for the “Duel in the Pool” coverage from Manchester, England today I realized I was checking the wrong channel — augh!!! Maybe I can catch a repeat on Universal Sports and post about it soon.

About a week ago, Kat wrote in suggesting I try PoolHead Products, a line of hair care devoted to restoring chlorine-damaged hair and protecting healthy hair from the ravages of the pool lifestyle.

After a false start (I couldn’t pull up the website the first day I tried), I was able to get in the next day and request free samples.

Foremost, I can’t say enough about PoolHead’s level of customer service. In this day and age, it seems like “customer service” is a thing of the past. But I was pleasantly surprised to receive a personal email within 24 hours from the company, and the samples arrived within 48 hours via snailmail.

Yes, in this case I was the slacker — it took me a few days to find time to first review the site fully to learn about the different samples PoolHead had sent and a bit about their company, and then to actually try the samples.

But yesterday was the day — I tried the “pretreat,” shampoo and “recovery” conditioner.

Their pre-treat is easy enough to use — simply wet your hair (using water from the tap or shower, not the pool as that would defeat the entire “protect against chlorine purpose!) and apply.

I have tried similar products in the past (especially during the summer). One key reason I’ve given up on them is the “slippery-hair” effect: Once you apply the product, your hair becomes so slick that your cap flies off in the pool. Amazingly, PoolHead’s formulation somehow side-steps this problem — my cap didn’t budge for the entire practice.

Certainly, I have also tried many, many shampoos and conditioners in my time. The most noticeable difference about PoolHead’s shampoo and recovery conditioner is texture — both are thicker than average and lack that typical filmy-oily essence.

The other key factor about the PoolHead products for me, a person with asthma and allergies, is that the scents don’t seem to aggravate either condition. Many products have a very strong artificial, cloying scent that I can’t tolerate. I did read on PoolHead’s site that they are particular about using natural products, so that may be the big difference. The shampoo has a slight minty odor while the recovery conditioner has a fun but subtle tropical scent.

Post shower and after air-drying, I noticed my hair has much more body than it’s ever had and it’s already lost some of that high chlorine-shine (oh, how many swimmers think that is a sign of healthy hair. No, no, no — it’s damage!).

And this was just after one application. I did let each product sit on my hair for a full minute as directed on the web site though — I figure I still have a lot of build up on my hair, recent 8″ trim or no…

Right now, I’m really curious to see what kind of results I’ll get when I use all three PoolHead products a few days in a row, or even, gasp! on a regular basis. Maybe my hair will even survive a summer for once…

If you are curious about PoolHead products, visit their site at www.poolheadproducts.com. Simply click on the free samples link on their homepage to request a shipment.

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

Well, it’s been more than six months since I began running earlier this year.

During that first awkward, jerking-around-the-park loop, I had hoped that adding running into the mix would provide several perks. It’s time to check in and see which of my initial assumptions about running have proven to be true or false.

1) Add a new cross training element: True. Running has definitely become a regular part of my routine. During my summer break, I ran as much as four times a week. Now that it’s winter though, I’m lucky to get in two sessions per week.

2) Have another fresh air exercise option: True. Swimming will be always be my primary outdoor exercise choice. But the outdoor swim season here is so short. Having a new activity that I can do year-round outside has been such a positive influence — it just feels so much better to be outside on a regular basis through each season.

3) Have a stress-free exercise option: True. Earlier this year I was beyond frustated with pool closures, tight lanes, bad commutes, lack of coaching, etc. Running has proven to be a terrific “recovery” mode from “trying to find a decent practice” stress. It’s as easy (and cheap) as throwing on my run togs and heading out the door for a challenging and refreshing workout. Even better, if I have time I can skip the local loop in favor of a new-to-me park or trail, all of which provide gorgeous vistas!

4) Stonger legs will make me a better kicker in the pool: Alas, false. I am no better at kicking than I was last year at this time. My kick interval has not dropped. I still need fins to keep up with my lanemates on all kick sets. I still call “last” on sets that are a kick-drill-swim mix. Kind of vexing. I am now beginning to suspect that “strong legs” is not the key to a good kick. Maybe it’s big feet. If that’s the case, I’m out of luck with my sixes. If “flexibility” is the answer however, well, then, maybe I have a slight chance for improvement…

5) I will svelte out: True/false. I have not become one of those bony, tiny, bird-like female distance runners. But that’s O.K. — I don’t think it’s a healthy look on anyone. Certainly, my legs and hips have trimmed up a bit, which is to be expected. I don’t think any amount of running will translate into twig-arms and shoulders though. I am a swimmer foremost; my swim-y shoulders are here to stay and I am proud!

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

One day last week we finished up the main set with 15 minutes or so to spare, so Teri Jean, coach of the day (and super fast swimmer) suggested a mini-set of 12×25s. To mix it up a bit though, she had us start each one from a dive.

Although I got through the set fine (they were on a minute so we had plenty of time to climb out and catch our breath after every 25), I noticed the next day that my masters’ body took a beating. And let me clarify: we were just going from the deck, not the blocks.

Absolutely, my starts aren’t pretty. I certainly could save myself some wear and tear by learning once and for all how to enter the water super-streamlined. But similar to my other main weaknesses (sluggish turns and a kick pace that old ladies wearing floral chin-strap caps beat), they’ve been bad since I was an 8 & Under.

Except that as an age-grouper, after a two hour a.m. practice I then spent the rest of my summer days jumping and diving in and out of pools, swimming around until it was time for afternoon practice. And I never experienced diving whiplash.

A few decades later and I feel like a total fossil the next day — twacked out neck, and I swear I smacked my head into that water enough to create a sore spot.

I need to get a handle on starts STAT. Or else I will be one of those “water starts” masters before I hit 50…

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

Thankfully, I’ve never had the worst-case scenario swimmer’s hair I’ve ever seen: a very distinct shade of green. True story from my age-group days; it was during one of our summer seasons. First my teammate’s hair turned white-blonde, then green. Being an adolescent boy at the time, he didn’t care much, but his mom was slightly concerned. The ultimate soultion? An aggressive cut right before the first day of school.

But, I have heard over the years from various hairdressers that the massive chlorine exposure I subject my hair to makes it “sticky.” This translates to dryness, end-splitting and bleaching out in the summer. (I am probaly one of few females who actually goes into the salon for “low lights” every fall. By then I just can’t handle the summer brassy-blonde any more.)

For many, many years I have had the typical girl-version of swimmer’s hair though: long, wavy. It’s just all too easy to toss it into a messy knot after practice. About a month ago however, I cut 8″ off.

Well, O.K., I didn’t cut it, a professional did. Don’t panic — I still have quite a bit of hair still, all the way to my shoulders. (When you have fine, wavy hair, you have a lot of hair. Prior to my shearing, if you pulled it straight when wet, it fell well below my mid-back line.)

Why did I cut it? Primarily I was tired of raking out my hair for 15-20 minutes post practice. All of a sudden it didn’t seem healthy to keep it that long, even though I tried to “save” it as much as possible over the years by skipping the dryer and other forms of hair styling.

Now I wish I had done it sooner. I feel so much lighter, like my hair is no longer wearing me. It’s so much easier to deal with — less to stuff under a cap and wash/comb out post practice. It’s so much healthier and stronger. And, now that’s it’s more manageable, I find that I have a little more fun with it now — maybe throw in a clip, do a quick twist or braid. To sum: it’s been pretty liberating.

The next test? Will it stay healthy over the summer…

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

Thank you so much for the emailed suggestions since I posted about my weird “over use” injury on my ear.

I think it is from swim cap pressure. Yesterday at practice, as I was peeling off my cap, I was really aware of how much tighter it feels over my left ear vs my right.

So now in addition to figuring out how the heck to heal this thing (and no one had better suggest six-months off from swimming!), I am suddenly wondering about the why. Is my left ear growing? Is my right ear flattening out more than my left since my right is my preferred “sleeping side?” Is my head becoming lopsided so my caps aren’t fitting evenly? Yikes!

I did follow up on the Poolhead Products “invisible swimcap” suggestion from Kat posted a few days ago. Unfortunately, the website did not pull up. For kicks, I entered both terms into a few of my fave virtual swim shops, but nothing turned up there either. Drat.

Joe also wrote in. He suggested smearing some anhydrous lanolin on my ear. I’m going to give that a whirl as soon as I find some. I have to admit, coating my ear with some close-to-nature type substance is vastly more appealing than having the dead skin carved out…

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist

CF:

The pool simply isn’t the same without you. Please focus on nothing but a speedy recovery — we miss you!

Since they say “laughter is the best medicine,” I will do my best to keep my posts as humorous and entertaining as possible until I see you next, in the pool!

RF

Last week I posted a bit about my um, “sluggish” turns. Yesterday I discovered a great new incentive to improve my streamline off walls — it’s safer under water!

Let me explain…

Yesterday I dropped in on another team practice since my primary team pool was closed (age group meet). Except that I had to travel to a different rec pool for this workout since their Saturday training pool is closed until January for repairs. (Yes, pool space is ever in demand here).

Absolutely, some sort of practice is better than no practice. But it was very tight yesterday: narrow lanes, a big old ladder spanning two lanes in the shallow end, and an entire team squished into just four lanes.

We did the best we could under the circumstances (3 vs 5 seconds for send offs, moving to the middle of the lane to stand sidways as soon as you touched the wall, etc.) But there were still a lot of collisions (clipping hands, smacking the ladder as you flipped at that end, and more), as well as waves.

That’s when I started seeing how long I could streamline before surfacing. I wanted to clear as much wash, thashing arms, legs, elbows and feet as possible off the walls. While swimming under these conditions may not be great training on a regular basis (it’d be super hard to get distance or stroke work in for one without killing each other) it is great to work on my turns!

Until next time,
Rebecca, swim evangelist