For me, it's now going on four weeks since my last swim. We were in Turks and Caicos March 7-14 for spring break where I was doing daily open-water swims along the beach. My last swim was a 3-miler on March 13. When we got back to the U.S., we had to go into mandated 14-day quarantine so I wasn't able to get out to go to the pool before they all closed. Who knows when I'll swim again...either open-water warming up (I live in RI), or pools opening again. I am maintaining fitness with bike rides, and a run here and there. And I know I there is other 'dry land' training I could be doing. But my concern when returning to the water is injuring myself because of doing TMTS. I'm just that kind of athlete. Raise you're hand if you think you're a candidate for a TMTS injury too.
Dan
I'm going to be having arguments with myself :bitching: every time I complete my "last set" of each workout and want to do just one more. It will take some serious self-discipline to hold back and build up slowly, because I hate getting out of the pool!
It makes me feel sorry for those poor souls who can't get motivated and hate to exercise. I just can't imagine that!
But my concern when returning to the water is injuring myself because of doing TMTS. I'm just that kind of athlete. Raise you're hand if you think you're a candidate for a TMTS injury too.
Dan
Ha! Oh yeah, that is precisely what I was just getting over. I mean, JUST getting over it when this happened. Ranted about it here: forums.usms.org/showthread.php
But my concern when returning to the water is injuring myself because of doing TMTS. I'm just that kind of athlete. Raise you're hand if you think you're a candidate for a TMTS injury too.I'm actually not concerned. Throughout my Masters career in the US, I almost always trained to race for two of the 'seasons' (e.g., SCY and SCM) and took the other 'season' easy (typically LCM). But, back in 2012, when I was 45, I decided to gun it HARD for all three seasons, in part for the opportunity to race LCM at the Omaha pool. Through that, I developed a shoulder injury (first in my entire swimming career) that was so bad I had to skip much of 2013 ... and I never really got back into full recovery until 2016. Since then, I've really learned to respect the slow slog of getting back into shape. I try to follow an old 10 Percent Rule from running (e.g., www.active.com/.../the-10-percent-rule-how-to-make-it-work-for-you) and it seems to work well for swimming volume.
I was training for part of the SCAR swim series (in Arizona) when I had to abruptly stop. When I heard of things starting to close, I was treating each swim as if it might be the last, and all of those were longer than normal.
That said, even though I only swam 17 days in March, I still got in 52+ miles (it would have been a huge month for me).
A friend told me about an open water option, where he's been swimming, and I finally decided to check it out today. It had been 2 weeks and 5 days (Wednesday would be 3 weeks). I told myself to take things easy... try to get in 30 minutes and no more than an hour.
As it worked out, I swam about 50 minutes and knew it was time to stop. I got in about 2 miles (it is a beach-type area, and I was going back/forth between 2 docks). Water temp was 64F, which was a bit on the brisk side for me (I'm used to swimming at Barton Springs, which can get down to 68 in winter), but it was survivable. We just had a cool snap over the weekend, which might have brought the water temp down a bit, but weather is warming up, and I'd imagine it will be 70F and higher before I know it.
It is a distance to drive there from home, so it isn't something I can do every day, nor would I want to. But I'm hopeful that I can go 2-3 times a week. I'd like to build back some sort of base and maintain that.
SCAR is cancelled this year, but I am registered for Swim the Suck in October. That would require getting in some decent swims, starting to build by mid-August. The open water options here will be way too warm, but with any luck Barton Springs will re-open long before that point.
I have been moving boxes, crates and all sorts of household things for 4 weeks now. We are moving from our home of the last 46 years.
I found old kick boards I had hidden - why? I don't know.
That seems to be my workouts for now.
It's still coldish here in Chicagoland so open waters not here yet and pools are all closed.
In 2013, I had an overtraining event in my right shoulder. In 2015, I smashed my left shoulder in a bike crash. They both seem to be in the same condition as the other now, so I'm thinking it likely best described as age-related degen eration.
In my 50's (I'm 67), my big even was an anual 2.25 mile race across a lake at the end of July. After not wimmign for a few years, at the beginning of July 2018, I started trainging (300 yards, 3X aweek) for the 2019 race. Which I did.
But I was lucky to finish (and it's a jackass thing to do an open water swim that you need luck just to finish), and both my shoulders were very sore for months. They felt OK after the race, but...
SXo, I've tried to swim 3 X per week about 1200 yards. When I ramp up, I get sore.
I'm hoping this enforced break will allow my shoulder to heal. I THINK they'll just age some more, but I'm hoping they'll heal.
I'll be starting very gingerly. It's important to me to be able to pop in a lake and swim 500 or 1000 yards and that doesn't seem like a sure thing anymore.
I'm fortunate to live in Florida and have a 20'x10' pool at my house. I jury-rigged a tether using my Finis parachute and an old bicycle inner tube tied to the ladder on one end.
Not ideal, but better than nothing.
It had been 2 weeks and 5 days (Wednesday would be 3 weeks). I told myself to take things easy... try to get in 30 minutes and no more than an hour.
As it worked out, I swam about 50 minutes and knew it was time to stop. I got in about 2 miles (it is a beach-type area, and I was going back/forth between 2 docks). .
After being good on Monday, I went back today. The water was about 68F, so noticeably warmer. There were 2 others, and we were sharing the roped off area. Then a 4th person came, and she had a tow buoy... So all 4 of us went for a little adventure up the river, about a mile. It felt great swimming downstream on the way back.
But now I know I swam a bit much, my shoulders (and triceps) are already feeling it. Oh well, it felt really good while out swimming!
About 90 min today, and over 3 miles.
I'm fortunate to live in Florida and have a 20'x10' pool at my house. I jury-rigged a tether using my Finis parachute and an old bicycle inner tube tied to the ladder on one end.
Not ideal, but better than nothing.
Here in southern New England is still a bit too cold to open residential pools. I have one in my yard and may have to resort ot opening it a little earlier than usual. I have a stationary swim tether that I take with me when traveling so that worst-case-scenario I can get in a little swim in hotel pools. But in reality, for me, tethered swimming is akin to running on a treadmill, or riding a stationary bike. After about fifteen minutes I'm ready to stick an ice pick in my temple. The tether I have is the one at this link which, interestingly, is listed as "currently out of stock."
www.swimoutlet.com/.../
Dan
