When we return to swimming.

Oh, man. You know how to have fun. Wow, that's a drag. My last swim was March 16 - 3500 yards of a good, strong workout. Had the pool all to myself, and was beginning to wonder if I was crazy for being there. Two days later, our parks closed. This would normally send me over the edge, but while at the park (prior to closing), I detached my retina. Had to have emergency surgery in the hospital, in a county that was experiencing one of the hardest hit counties of COVID in our state. (Tri-state area). Needless to say, I spent one full week on my stomach after surgery, with head face down all day every day, with a 15 minute break every hour. I thought I would lose my mind. I have a waiting period of 3 months before I can rest assured that the retina has not detached again. No weights or rigorous exercise for 3 months. This is torture. The only thing that is preventing me from losing it, is that if this had to happen, better now when I can't swim anyway.

Lol. When the world turned up-side-down in mid March, I automatically assumed 6 months off swimming. After 13 months on, I figured I could live with that break. But, I'm hopeful that it will be sooner. My little running experiment ended in failure. I AM A SWIMMER, DAMMIT. I was a runner for 30 years. Needing a knee replacement, I was able to put that off by swimming 5 days a week. I would give anything to be able to run now that all the pools are closed.

Thanks, Elaine! That's the last thing I ever expected to happen. Can't wait until my 3 month probation period ends. How are you doing?

Thanks, Elaine! That's the last thing I ever expected to happen. Can't wait until my 3 month probation period ends. How are you doing? I am missing swimming as well, but I'm doing ok. I've been keeping up on my usual dryland routine, but I added walking as my aerobic exercise to replace swimming. Thanks for asking!

Hmm, some Austin parks never closed. I'm swimming in a lake from/at an Austin park :angel: I did find this story from a few days ago. I hadn't really thought of a lifeguard shortage, but it makes sense. Barton Springs and Deep Eddy keep a slim staff over the winter months. I swam there through winter, nearly once a week at one of them, and there were maybe 4-5 lifeguards at 'peak' times, when in summer there would be 2-3 times that many. I use that term peak in quotes since the winter peak at Barton Springs (say noon or so) might have 15 people in the water. On a typical summer day I wouldn't want to go near the place then. Thanks. I have swum at Barton Springs a few times when visiting my daughter in Austin. I usually go early in the morning before it is open and before the guards get there. I have trip planned next week and hope I can get in a couple of swims there. RK

Current times have definitely been a drag swimming-wise, and as much as I try to focus on the big picture, I really miss the pool! My last swim was March 15th. This is the longest I think Iâ€ve gone without swimming since 2016! Iâ€ve learned two things very quickly: 1. Going a week or two without swimming isnâ€t the end of the world. 2. But going without it for months on end, nothing fully replaces what swimming was. Trying yoga, running, walking, biking or core as my new primary exercises, while better than nothing, has resulted in a long-winded, grumbly list in my head about how much better swimming is to me... (For example... i. People are supposed to SWEAT?! when they work out? ii. So much noise and distractions... where is my quiet, turquoise meditation? iii. Wait, my arms canâ€t move me forward on land? iv. Cardio is horizontal, not vertical v. Are there four types of running like thereâ€s four strokes? No? Ok... But free/***/fly/back are like the four Hogwarts houses, or the four elements so I canâ€t just forget who I am vi. Iâ€m so good at holding my breath, look! (Holds breath while running on land for 25yds) Still so impressive right? (Nonswimmer friends roll eyes at me) ... and on and on.) In short, my inner mermaid is very beached. :( Gratefully, Iâ€m staying with my parents who live a 5min walk from a big, swimmable freshwater lake in the state of Washington. Once temperatures/bacteria levels arenâ€t a problem, Iâ€ll be in open water heaven. Will still miss those few months I would have had with my college club in my last semester. But weâ€ve been doing leadership meetings virtually and I really hope they get to swim together as a club this fall! I will live vicariously through my friends†college swimming, and I will find a new Masters workout group while chilling out in WA with my family. Not sure when yet. But before I know it, I hope! :)

... But going without it for months on end, nothing fully replaces what swimming was. Trying yoga, running, walking, biking or core as my new primary exercises, while better than nothing, has resulted in a long-winded, grumbly list in my head about how much better swimming is to me... I feel your pain and totally sympathize. I have found these most excellent hiking trails and I go on 5K to 10K jaunts through the forest and they are really quite good, even great ... but they are not swimming. I totally get the shinrin-yoku / 'forest bathing' buzz (time.com/.../), but I need some real swimming bathing ;) ... I will find a new Masters workout group while chilling out in WA with my family. Not sure when yet. But before I know it, I hope! :)You will. There's a great Masters scene in the Pacific Northwest.

Thanks. I have swum at Barton Springs a few times when visiting my daughter in Austin. I usually go early in the morning before it is open and before the guards get there. I have trip planned next week and hope I can get in a couple of swims there. RK Shoot me a PM and I'll give you the info on where I'm swimming if you'd like. It is a bit of a hike out of town though. But definitely worth the drive. Normally on a weekday I see 4 boats or less while I'm swimming. Today I saw that many in the first 15 minutes, and they kept coming. Oh well, I guess chop makes for good training swims. Has anyone else started o/w swimming? It sounds like things are starting to warm up around the country.

Has anyone else started o/w swimming? It sounds like things are starting to warm up around the country. I did about 500M today. Just to get out there and see how it was, before working out an arrangement for the kids and some of their (club team) peers. I struggled a bit. Core temp wasn't bad, I had a sleeveless wetsuit on. But my face was stinging from the cold, and I had to do *** stroke until I could stop hyperventilating. But I had a really tough time breathing. Didn't force myself to exhale completely, so was breathing too often. And then I started holding my breath. I'd catch myself, and correct, but I need some more time getting used to it enough to get in a true workout.

Doesn't the risk of transmission have more to do with what happens above the water and not below? If you're standing in close proximity to and having a conversation with an infected person with a vat of sodium hypochlorite between the two of you, wouldn't you still stand a good chance of contracting the virus? Crowded warm up lanes and dozens of bodies behind the blocks as heats go off would be my concern. Anyway, my hope is that antivirals that can shorten the duration or severity of symptoms will become available (maybe that has already begun, Remdesivir?) I suppose you are mostly right although I would imagine with 2 people covered with chlorine water transmission is still very difficult...and if I can feel your breath on my back in a swim workout, throat punch is next covid or not. I wouldn't lay too much hope on science. If vaccine becomes available, it will likely only impart partial immunity. Remdesivir supposedly decreases symptomatic time from 14 to 11 days (whoopie!)....price tag 4500 dollars--capitalism went off the rails about 30 years ago when CEOs decided they were worth 100s of times more than their employees (rather a more modest 3-4 times). I've been doing postal swims for 20 years...the wave of the future I guess.