Women's Locker Room

Couldn't agree more. I had to buy a whole new upper wardrobe to accommodate the shoulders and back when I started swimming. Everything is alwaysway too big in the waist. Buying jeans is a challenge too. I dunno. I don't think my wife would complain all that much about getting to go out and shop for clothes. She'd be like: :groovy::groovy::groovy: Skip

I don't think my wife would complain all that much about getting to go out and shop for clothes. She'd be like: :groovy::groovy::groovy: Skip Well, see, if she got to buy the clothes and then feel fabulous wearing them, she would surely be like :groovy:. But if she spent hours trying things on that looked fabulous on the hanger but terrible on her body, she'd be more like :frustrated:. It's true what Ripple says about the French and Italian pants, though. They are generally very comfortable and flattering.

On another topic: European women must have really skinny arms. The more and better I swim, the harder it is to find clothes that fit. In clothes designed for Americans, my main problem is that tops, jackets, or dresses that fit across the upper back and shoulders are often too big in the waist. Yesterday, though, I was in a store with a lot of clothing designed for the French and Italian markets, and all the jackets I tried on were super-tight in the upper arms. Shoulders and waist were OK, but the arms looked like sausages and wouldn't really bend at the elbow. It's not really a good business look. Clothing patterns are drafted with different methods in Europe, and yes, the fit is closer to the body and the sleeves are tighter. On the other hand, the pants draft is terrific, much better than the North American version. :) I find off-the-rack is usually too big in the waist as well. I think they are trying to fit as wide a range of people as possible and that range consists of the ever-increasing number of waist-less women. Buying as good a quality as you can afford in North American tops and jackets and getting them altered at the waist is probably your best bet.

There are just too many body variations for mass-produced clothing to fit everyone - and they aren't designed on real human beings anyway. A $30 alteration can make all the difference between frustration and being able to just put it on and forget it. Especially if the garment was a great bargain from a sale rack in a high-end store.

I didn't start swimming masters until my 40's and I feel better now than I did in my 30's, but a big part of that is being a lot more fit and having my life in better balance. I don't do the kind of yardage I did in my teens, but I wouldn't want to - we really overtrained then. My period hasn't changed yet. I do notice some temp swings, but I still sleep well. The 40's have been great, better than the 30's. Very fun discussion group. --mj

I didn't start swimming masters until my 40's and I feel better now than I did in my 30's, but a big part of that is being a lot more fit and having my life in better balance. I don't do the kind of yardage I did in my teens, but I wouldn't want to - we really overtrained then. My period hasn't changed yet. I do notice some temp swings, but I still sleep well. The 40's have been great, better than the 30's. Very fun discussion group. --mj I'm glad someone likes the 40s! For me, the best thing about the 40s is NOT being pregnant. How are we doing ladies? Ready for Nats? Not freaking about the taper? Taper bitchies in check? I had taper bitchies and taper munchies the first week or so. Much better now. Now I just feel like a slug. Haven't tried on my replacement Pro yet. I can't face the wrestling match.

I am very much a slug now. Shoulders have almost calmed down but my lower back is a problem again. Luckly a little tens in the morning should cure that problem. Can't sleep on my stomach or my lower back will hurt, can't sleep on my sides or my shoulders hurt. I just can't sleep on my back at all. I just choose to stay on my stomach and fight the back pain with tens treatments. I'll be easy to find since I will be the one ZAPPING myself at Nat's!

I am very much a slug now. Shoulders have almost calmed down but my lower back is a problem again. Luckly a little tens in the morning should cure that problem. Can't sleep on my stomach or my lower back will hurt, can't sleep on my sides or my shoulders hurt. I just can't sleep on my back at all. I just choose to stay on my stomach and fight the back pain with tens treatments. I'll be easy to find since I will be the one ZAPPING myself at Nat's! I can't sleep on my back either, Donna. I tend to sleep on my left side, which aggravates the left shoulder. How does one learn to sleep on one's back? Is it muscular pain or joint pain that is in your lower back?

Major case of the taper bitchies yesterday. Mr. Spoiled was away for the weekend, leaving me to shuttle the kiddies and shop for formal dresses with my daughter (no stress there, right?). I unloaded on him when he got home, and he only half deserved it. LOL.

I have the same low back problem sleeping on my stomach so I am a side sleeper and have been dealing with shoulder pain when sleeping. Put a pillow under your torso up to your arm pit and two under your head for good soine alignment. This takes the body weight off the shoulderand reduces the strain. It works.