Allergies and swimming

I swam for an hour yesterday, and today I'm sniffling and sneezing. Could be because they're out there cutting the grass. Renie, do you think those guys were part of your community, or just visiting? That's pretty rude of them. They obviously saw you were swimming and just didn't care about getting in your way. It's hard not to get angry. The lifeguard is supposed to keep that stuff under control. I had a very similar experience with rude idiots on Sunday. I was swimming in a double wide lane (apparently, they do this when there's a class). One guy and his girlfriend swam under the ropes and ran into me. Though they apologized, they were laughing. They moved into the shallow end, and the guy started hanging onto the ropes sticking his legs out into my lane, looking at me and laughing. The pool was like a madhouse on Sunday. One of my former swim teachers said he thinks a lot of families from other countries come and don't know the basic courtesies because they're not used to swimming in a pool with lap lanes. That makes sense. I've recommended posting something at the front desk (in several languages) because you can't be angry with people if they don't know what they're not supposed to do.

Allergies--my sympathies to all who experience them! I was having huge trouble a few months ago when I swam at my Y in particular, but I notice lately with ramped up training, I have far less of an issue, often none. At my Y, though, I can see why I've had problems: VERY strong chlorine smell, which I'm told is b/c of poor maintenance. As it turns out, though, I joined a masters group that swims elsewhere, and now we're outdoors. I usually can't join the outdoor swim except on weekends--schedule just doesn't work out. But one night a week we swim open water, and I can do that. Both the outdoor pool and the open water swim seem not to cause any (or very few) symptoms. Further, when I swim on my own, I use pools that have extended hours--like one Y that has lap swim lanes all day, and a local h.s. that will have stretches of 5-6 hours at times that work w/ my schedule. In no place else have I noticed the nasal allergies the way I noticed them in my y. However, now I seem even to be able to swim there w/out a problem. Maybe my body adjusted or something. Maybe after a while, for pool-related allergies at least, one does adjust. Pollen, maybe not. But might be worth looking into different pools/groups.

I went to the indoor pool yesterday and came out sneezing. I wonder if there's something they put in the water in summer to counteract all the germies from the classes and camps.

I've definitely noticed a difference in my sinuses since I returned to a chlorinated pool. I had a sinus infection for 2 weeks, and now, almost another week later, still feeling groggy, can't taste, and sneezing. Allergies are high here which doesn't help.