Hello all,
I just swim for cardio since I have flat feet and can't run much. I've been swimming 30 mins each session for about a year now and noticed some things with some of the equipment.
Swimming jammers
- start fraying and becomes slightly see through in between the legs (Speedo) and have to buy a new one every 6 months or so. Is this normal for all? Like is this normal wear and tear or should it last longer or shorter. Have any suggestions on jammers that last longer?
Goggles
- all have the anti-fog advertisement, but every pair i've had starts to become foggy after about a month...so to reduce my cost I've been using the saliva technique, but would love a pair where it will be truly fog free for a longer time. Or is it the way I take care of them? I just throw it in my gym bag after i swim and leave it there.
MOST IMPORTANT: WATERPROOF EARPHONES
- when I used to run, i was able to watch shows and such but with swimming you really cant...and I came across some mp3 players that were waterproof and bought em. Problem is, the earbuds won't stay in my ear and disrupts my workout. I've tried three different brands and it doesn't work well. Anyone have a student cost effective yet good one they would recommend? I've gone through 2 mp3s and 3 waterproof earphones totaling about $60...now I have to spend more for earphones that are worth it. Thinking maybe i'll just get a new set to last me years. It may be my ear canals that are weird....so maybe some kind of headphones are available as well? I've searched on google but want true user reviews...
Thanks all in advance!
Can't help with earbuds, however...
I just wash my goggles with that foamy soap from the dispenser in the locker room. Wet, soap, rub it around a bit, rinse it lightly (leave just a smidgen of soap, not enough to bother my eyes). Good to go. My goggles stay clear through my workout.
I'm just guessing here, so if I'm way off the mark, ignore what follows...
I have never had the urge to listen to music (or NPR, or AM Talk Radio, or TED Talks) while swimming. I break my workout up into small, but meaningful, chunks of time so I don't have to think too hard for too long, but still need to concentrate just a bit to not completely lose track of where I am. If boredom is why you want to listen to music, that might be an alternative to consider.
For example, I have no trouble counting to 2 or 4, but much beyond that, it's quite possible I will slip, especially while tired. Here are some games I play.
Suppose I want to swim 12x50. Twelve is a big number when I'm tired, but like I said, I can (almost always) count to four. (I am reminded of Watership Down. The rabbits could, as I recall, only count to about three. Anything bigger was "many.") So, I might pick an interval that I can cruise doing free and a decent amount of rest, say 1:10 (I'm not too fast, these days I might hold :45s/50). Swim the first four free. Easy peasy. Swim the next four back, still pretty easy, but a little tougher, because I don't swim back quite as fast as free. Swim the last four ***. Now we're talking more like :53s-:55s/50, and I get much less rest. The free/back/*** part breaks the 12 50s up into three sets of four. Nothing bigger than four. And, I effectively just descended by swimming faster to slower strokes. (You fly types can get to 16 with the same (il)logic.) If I want to do more than twelve, just repeat the free/back/*** part enough times to get where you're going. I can get to 48 without ever having to count higher than four. :)
If you have plenty of pool toys available, gather a few up at the side of the pool. Guard them jealously. With four pull buoys I can count to sixteen in binary before I'm back to zero. On edge for "1", laying flat for "0". The lifeguards will think you're nuts, playing with your toys at the edge of the pool between starts. Unless they are computer science majors. :)
Use the (analog) clock, Luke. If you can see a swim clock on deck with a second hand, set up your intervals so your start time is on a different number each time. A 1:05 interval would have you starting on 00, then 05, then 10, etc. Similarly, a :55 interval has you starting on 00, 55, 50, ... It works as well with a digital clock, but you won't have the circular geometry to remind you of where you are.
HTH. Ignore if it doesn't... :)
Can't help with earbuds, however...
I just wash my goggles with that foamy soap from the dispenser in the locker room. Wet, soap, rub it around a bit, rinse it lightly (leave just a smidgen of soap, not enough to bother my eyes). Good to go. My goggles stay clear through my workout.
I'm just guessing here, so if I'm way off the mark, ignore what follows...
I have never had the urge to listen to music (or NPR, or AM Talk Radio, or TED Talks) while swimming. I break my workout up into small, but meaningful, chunks of time so I don't have to think too hard for too long, but still need to concentrate just a bit to not completely lose track of where I am. If boredom is why you want to listen to music, that might be an alternative to consider.
For example, I have no trouble counting to 2 or 4, but much beyond that, it's quite possible I will slip, especially while tired. Here are some games I play.
Suppose I want to swim 12x50. Twelve is a big number when I'm tired, but like I said, I can (almost always) count to four. (I am reminded of Watership Down. The rabbits could, as I recall, only count to about three. Anything bigger was "many.") So, I might pick an interval that I can cruise doing free and a decent amount of rest, say 1:10 (I'm not too fast, these days I might hold :45s/50). Swim the first four free. Easy peasy. Swim the next four back, still pretty easy, but a little tougher, because I don't swim back quite as fast as free. Swim the last four ***. Now we're talking more like :53s-:55s/50, and I get much less rest. The free/back/*** part breaks the 12 50s up into three sets of four. Nothing bigger than four. And, I effectively just descended by swimming faster to slower strokes. (You fly types can get to 16 with the same (il)logic.) If I want to do more than twelve, just repeat the free/back/*** part enough times to get where you're going. I can get to 48 without ever having to count higher than four. :)
If you have plenty of pool toys available, gather a few up at the side of the pool. Guard them jealously. With four pull buoys I can count to sixteen in binary before I'm back to zero. On edge for "1", laying flat for "0". The lifeguards will think you're nuts, playing with your toys at the edge of the pool between starts. Unless they are computer science majors. :)
Use the (analog) clock, Luke. If you can see a swim clock on deck with a second hand, set up your intervals so your start time is on a different number each time. A 1:05 interval would have you starting on 00, then 05, then 10, etc. Similarly, a :55 interval has you starting on 00, 55, 50, ... It works as well with a digital clock, but you won't have the circular geometry to remind you of where you are.
HTH. Ignore if it doesn't... :)
