i HATE jumping into a cold pool: what to do?

Originally posted by Conniekat8 We practice in an outdoor pool, and at 5 AM it's often not any warmer than 38-45F. It's getting out of the pool that I dread. Getting out of 40F weather and into a 75-80F degree pool is not-a-problem! I hear you!! This morning the air temperature was 34F, and the pool deck felt like ice. Getting OUT was the worst part. Brrrr! And that's worse when it's windy. One thing that is kind of neat - sometimes mini-tornados form in the steam that is rising off the pool when they take the covers off at 5:45 AM. Kind of pretty. And sometimes we get to see a glorious sunrise.

Originally posted by KenChertoff if a pool is comfortable when you first get in, it's too warm. Once you get started working hard, the warm water will make you tired and overheated very fast -- it doesn't make for a good quality workout. :D . I agree 100% with that! What I do is take a nice comfy warm shower ... a little longer than many (so my skin and hair are saturated with tap water ... beats pool water). Then I take a leisurely trip to the pool ... by the time I'm ready to get in I am chilly. Or, I sit on the edge with my legs in and rinse the baby shampoo off my goggles (great anti-fog) until I'm chilly in the air. Then, getting in either feels warm or neutral. And off I go.

I'll admit that the initial feeling of the cold water has kept me out of the pool for a whole month now!!! For some reason, I just can't stand it! And, now that it's winter, I really can't stand it. But, wimping out is over starting Monday, as an 8 month training program starts for a half ironman that's in August. Competition always keep my butt in check...if I don't have anything to train for--like a race, then there is no purpose (other than to look good, and that's really not reason enough long term), and training slacks off. But, now, this half ironman is a big deal--I've hired a coach and everything. Honestly, it's a little intimidating!!! But exciting too. We're all sooo blessed. Praise the Lord!! jerrycat PS, speaking of Jerrycat (my fat fuzzy cat)...we are getting a new couch today, so I bought Soft Paws so he couldn't scratch it...they work great! Just thought I'd mention it for those cat owners out there.

Jerrycat, I have a cat who refuses to use the provided scratching post. What is soft paws (I think that is what you called it)?

Hi Jean! Yea, at our pool they ended up closing one of the access ramps to the pool deck (from the parking lot) because it's a temporary metal railing access ramp, and the footinng was frosted, so it was too slippery to walk on. Our pool doesn't get covered overnight. But yea, the mini steam tornadoes do lift from the pool. It's fun to watch them while doing the backstroke. Sometimes, if they don't move around too much, you can even use them to line youeself up. They remind me of the little bigger 'dust devil' tornados that I saw in Arizona (and one that almost sandblasted my car...) Sunrises are just gorgeous! The deck, well, I figured out how to hop out of my ugg boots, onto the kickboard and into the water in couple of quick leaps, so I don't have to walk on the deck barefoot much :D Thankfully, our complex has a jacuzzy, so sometimes we make a mad dash to the far end of the 50M pool past the diving well, into the jacuzzi. Other days, running some 60-70 meters on a cold deck just doesn't seem worth the jacuzzi dip. And, huh, the office and the restrooms are under construction (delays) right now, so no warm place to dry off, shower and change. If we took the construction superintendent, dress him in speedo's, soaked him wet and made him run around the deck barefoot for an hour in 40 degree weather, and then sent him driving home soaking wet... I wonder if that would help the construction delays any??? ;) Or maybe that woud fall under the cruel and unusual punishment clause?

*for your reference...soft paws are nail caps for cats, and they prevent the cat from scratching up furniture or anything else. They can keep their claws, but just have a little cap over them to prevent damage. on the web, search for soft paws..that's the name of the product, and they were designed by a vet. It's worth the 17 dollars. When I put them on all three of my kids (er, uhm, cats), they didn't even really know it. And, the littlest rotten one was "scratching" on her favorite corner of a chair--and voila, no damage at all. She didn't even recognize that her nails had caps on them. Good luck Jean! It's the best hting in the world for cat parents!!!! j.cat.

I'm with you 100%, especially when we spend so much of winter trying to stay warm. When I get to the pool I dread the initial contact with the water. I know there is only one thing that will make it tolerable and that is swimming. When I start I focus on other things to take my mind off the cold water (technique, the day's workout, maybe other swimmer's workouts). Before I know it I am comfortable with the temp and it helps me keep going. It's kind of like pulling a band-aid off, the quicker you do it, the less it hurts. Just get in and swim.

Originally posted by Conniekat8 Hi Jean! And, huh, the office and the restrooms are under construction (delays) right now, so no warm place to dry off, shower and change. If we took the construction superintendent, dress him in speedo's, soaked him wet and made him run around the deck barefoot for an hour in 40 degree weather, and then sent him driving home soaking wet... I wonder if that would help the construction delays any??? ;) Or maybe that woud fall under the cruel and unusual punishment clause? Yes, it does sound like cruel and unusual punishment, but no warm place to dry off and no warm shower and driving home in a wet bathing suit (it does take a while for a car heater to kick in) sounds like cruel and unusual punishment to me! Makes me appreciate what I have. :-)

Georgia Masters offer each other "P.I.S.".....push in service!

Originally posted by jean sterling Yes, it does sound like cruel and unusual punishment,.... Well, I hear that the construction is due to be done in February. Who knows. It's been a moving target. I'm overhearing that the contractor is already paying some hefty fines for the delays. Now, here's something a person can try and write a useful thesis about. "How to motivate a contractor to finish a project on time and within a budget" Personally, I think the trouble is that we are dangling a carrot in front of certain people, when we should really dangle a case of beer to get them moving! ;)