Does anyone actually workout in the outdoor pool with these inhuman water temperatures of 90+? Last week it was 86, and I was so uncomfortable, cramping constantly, despite bananas, Vit 3 and tons of water. I've had to go indoors, which is killing me, since I suffer through winter, living for the summer, but this is brutal. I'm on the East coast. This week the air quality is bad, and heat index is in the triple digits as well. Should I tough it out and just accept that the workout will be quite poor? :doh:
If you can... move your practice to as early in the AM as possible. Also, talk to your pool manager about if/when they are adding water to the pool, and if they can do it overnight. (They have to be losing quite a bot to evaporation in those conditions.)
I'd really complain to the pool management about the temperature, but it probably wouldn't help much.
In my case, there is no pool heater at the outdoor pool. It's heated by God (or alternately your deity of choice) and is pretty much in the upper 80s/right around 90 from July through the beginning of September.
The Master's group in my area swims at 6:00am in a 50m outdoor pool during the summer, with workouts beginning around Memorial Day weekend. Usually there are about 2-3 weeks when the water is nice, but around now it gets a bit too warm to merit getting up to swim at 6:00 for me.
I wouldn't consider it a "poor" workout either. The conditions are changed to make it more stressful. Your body will go through the same levels of exertion. You just won't be breaking any personal bests.
I can anecdotally confirm this. The pool I swim in has an average temperature of 84-87,° and occasionally they like to crank it up to 89-90. I can tolerate the 84-87, but when it gets to 90 I'll swim slower and have to take more rest between sets. One possible benefit from working out in warmer water is that it's really nice to swim at meets with 78-80° pool temps.:D
I'd really complain to the pool management about the temperature, but it probably wouldn't help much. But if you don't voice the concern, nothing may change.
We were "outdoors" last summer while the indoor pool was getting a new roof. Temp went as high as 93 in the pool. Hydrate a lot and be careful... you can overheat. Take long breaks in between sets. After a few weeks, I adapted pretty well.
I wouldn't consider it a "poor" workout either. The conditions are changed to make it more stressful. Your body will go through the same levels of exertion. You just won't be breaking any personal bests.
I *hate* warm/hot water too.
It's possible to die from heat exhaustion from swimming in hot water, so be careful, it was a good thing you posted.
You can take a cold shower after though, hopefully the tap water is a bit cooler. Another option is to freeze your water in a water bottle and use that bottle to cool you off (by drinking it, dumping it over you, whatever it takes).
That being said, find an AC'd indoor pool though if you can, so many pools are on google maps now. I did a search the other day, after getting fed up with my current pool, and discovered that two great indoor pools within a 10 min drive opened up recently, with waaaay more lap swimming hours.
Yes, the workout is going to be slower and more difficult than it would be in good water conditions. First if your hair is short enough to get away with no cap, don't wear one. It really traps heat. Another thing that helps me is to take a break of sorts every 750-1000 and do an extremely slow 50 sculling while floating on my back- even though I have to wear a cap for sets, i take it off for this.
There is an indoor pool that I belong to, but even that was terribly warm (83) this past week.
83 isn't terribly warm. You can definitely get used to that. 90, on the other hand, will never be comfortable to workout in.
Water can be cooled with an aerator. Our Y has several that they use at night. Here is a link to a company that makes one -
livingwatersaeration.com/
Aerators only work when the air temp and humidity are low.
Even with running aerators here, many pools get close to 90F by mid-July, and stay that way through mid-September.
And people still get in the 83 degree pool and complain it's cold!
See, that's the problem. Anyone other than lap swimmers will complain. Most pools aren't solely used for lap swimming so there's some give and take involved. 83 is definitely better than 85 or 86, after all!
