Is your pool too hot !

average sea temperatures near Fujairah in October are high 80’s

Rob Copeland will probably reply to this post so... I know I am an outlier, but still...I love swimming in warm to hot water. Some of my best practices were 6,000+ yards in 92 degree water. Started out easy and by the end, I was shivering because I got rid of so much body heat. And, never drank an ounce of water. And, in case, you were thinking I was going slow, I was not - HR floating around 160-170 the entire time. Yes, I know, not the norm. Just passing this on, so you all know that there are some who love warm/hot water. :) Paul

And it is considered dangerous for lap swimmers at anything over 82. That seems like a drastic overstatement. Just because over 82 is outside the recommended range doesn't make it dangerous. I think you'll be hard pressed to find many pools that are used for various activities that keep the water temp lower than about 84.

That seems like a drastic overstatement. Just because over 82 is outside the recommended range doesn't make it dangerous. I think you'll be hard pressed to find many pools that are used for various activities that keep the water temp lower than about 84. Yeah, you're probably not talking "dangerous" for a healthy person (from a heat standpoint, not buildup of bacteria/ickies like Mike cited) until about 90 or so. Skin temp is cooler than body temp, maybe like 92? So you can still get some heat transfer until you get to that temp. Obviously not ideal for performance, though.

Paul, I'm with you on that. I'd much rather have a warmer pool and do better than most in one. I guess it's what you get used to. When I did Key West several years ago, the heat there didn't affect me hardly at all, while many others complained about the temps there.

My normal pool is closed right now due to maintenance so I've been swimming at another pool. The water temp in the new pool is probably close to the same as my old pool (85 or so), but the deck and locker room temps seem to be considerably higher. To a certain extent I feel like I've adapted workout-wise, but I start sweating after practice and can't cool down for about an hour. Since I'm swimming there before work it's kind of disgusting since I show up looking like I just finished running a marathon. :)

Paul, I'm with you on that. I'd much rather have a warmer pool and do better than most in one. I guess it's what you get used to. When I did Key West several years ago, the heat there didn't affect me hardly at all, while many others complained about the temps there. Am I really abnormal then? I am complaining about the temperature when it reaches the 80s where others are still doing well, and I actually prefer the upper 60s for racing. In the upper 80s, I will need to get out of the pool in the middle of the training to cool down myself. In the squad, when it is in the 70s, I am placed in the middle of the slow lane and still feeling strong when the set is finished, while in the upper 80s, I can't even catch up the back in the slowest lane and can't complete the set.

Am I really abnormal then?I don’t know you well enough to make an informed opinion about this. However, I do believe that water temperature affects people differently; both from comfort and from capability. This summer our pool has reached into the low 90’s on a couple of occasions and thankfully being Masters we adapt the workout to the conditions. Some folks don’t seem to mind the temperature while some of us definitely feel the drain. Note to Paul – Some of my best practices were 6,000+ yards in 92 degree water.I’m going to start calling you Water Bear (Water Bear or Tardigrade, the king of extreme temperatures, capable of surviving highs of more than 302°F) Fran Crippen died of heat stroke in 84 degree water.I believe Crippen’s official cause of death was drowning. Albeit the heat likely was a huge factor; but since he wasn’t found for almost 2 hours after the race, determining an accurate actual TOD body temperature isn’t reliable.

Could that particular variety of "too hot" be cured with a cold shower? (the classic "too hot needs a cold shower" CANNOT. I've tried.) It seems counterintuitive, but a warm or lukewarm shower will be better than cold. When hot, your body sweats (which evaporates & cools), and sends blood out to the skin & extremities to get cooled down When you take a cold shower, your body says "uh oh, we're COLD, better keep all that blood in the vital organs so we can live." Taking a cold shower after exercise makes your body try to warm itself instead of cooling. Taking a lukewarm shower encourages the body to continue its cooling response.

Am I really abnormal then? I am complaining about the temperature when it reaches the 80s where others are still doing well, and I actually prefer the upper 60s for racing. In the upper 80s, I will need to get out of the pool in the middle of the training to cool down myself. In the squad, when it is in the 70s, I am placed in the middle of the slow lane and still feeling strong when the set is finished, while in the upper 80s, I can't even catch up the back in the slowest lane and can't complete the set. There is a triathlete who swims at my gym who is like you in that she prefers the water to be pretty cold. I haven't swum in very cold water in a long time, but I recall eventually getting used to it. My problems with the elevated temperature are two fold. One is that yes, it affects my endurance. I can't make intervals at 86 that I can make at 82 without a problem. Two is hydration. If it gets too hot, I can't finish a workout without going through all of my water, whereas normally I drink less than half for a "distance" workout (i.e. longer intervals), and half to 3/4 for a "sprint" workout. I don't have the time to cool down in the middle of a workout, then warm back up again and continue. Either I have to go pick up my kids from their practice, or one of the classes starts up around the time I normally get done.