Swam 4800 yards in Lake Michigan this a.m.--w/out wet suit. Don't know the exact temp, but I'm guessing based on past swims it was about 60. I'm not a great swimmer, but am usually close to middle of the pack in tris and the few open water swims I've done. This summer I've done a lot of lake swims, and swam the 1.5 mile Alcatraz Challenge on 7/12 "nekkid."
It seemed like it took forever to warm up this a.m.--about 200 yards before I was willing to consistently keep my face in the water. Blood rushed to my chest, but I've had that cessation before. My feet were cold the entire time and three hours later remain a little sore.
I know, I'm a baby.
I've had some tenderness on the outside of my upper left arm for about 3 weeks, and the pain flares up when I swim, but I can make it through 2-mile pool workouts. Anyway, about 3200 yards into today's swim I noticed the fingers on my left hand wouldn't stay together. Try as I did, I couldn't get them back together.What a weird feeling. I swam most of the last 1200 yards with my left fist clinched.
After I was out of the water a few minutes, I could put my fingers back together. My fingers remain stiff and the underside, outside of my left wrist has a dull pain. I've take about 600 mg of Ibuprofen.
Sorry for the long-winded explanation, but any ideas on why this would happen?
No real idea. I remember when reading Marcia Cleveland's book Dover Solo she related swimming in water in Long Island Sound that was cold enough she and her training partner couldn't really use their hands for awhile after getting out. I think in some cases she had to ask a passerby to unlock her car for her.
You did much better than me this morning. I stepped in walked around for a moment, then got back out. My feet were killing me from the cold. I would have guessed around 60 as well. Riding home from work yesterday some flags along Clark Street were flying straight out, pointed east. I imagine there was a fair amount of cooling due to upwelling in the past couple days.
Skip
I have had this problem all three times I've swum in cold water, including this morning (about 61-62 degrees in the SF bay). Of course, I only swim for about 45 minutes each time and have this problem about 25-30 minutes in. I take it as a sign that I'm getting too cold and it's time to get out. Others I swim with that have much more experience cold water swimming tell me the same.
Yesterday the board at Lee Street Beach in Evanston said it had been 67 on Thursday. (Apparently they didn't check the temp Friday.) This afternoon they had 58 up on the board. That's what I tried to swim in this morning!
S
I was swimming in Highland Park at Rosewood Beach, right between the two Swim Area: Stay Out buoys. I spoke with someone this evening who boats in Wilmette and they said the water there was 52. Granted he was further out than me, but I contend that the water was at Rosewood was about 60. I started swimming about 7:30 a.m. Evanston's only about 8-9 miles from HP and smontanaro reported it was only 58 there today. Yikes.
Anyway, I apprecaite the feedback. Perhaps I because I was wearing down physically the cold water compounded the issue. Just so weird that I only had the problem with one hand.
I'm with SwimRobin. I'm swimming Big Shoulders in 4 weeks. Sure hope the Lake's a lot warmer by then. I'd settle for Chicken of the Sea's 68.
Thanks to all.
I was swimming in Highland Park at Rosewood Beach, right between the two Swim Area: Stay Out buoys. I spoke with someone this evening who boats in Wilmette and they said the water there was 52. Granted he was further out than me, but I contend that the water was at Rosewood was about 60. I started swimming about 7:30 a.m. Evanston's only about 8-9 miles from HP and smontanaro reported it was only 58 there today. Yikes.
Anyway, I apprecaite the feedback. Perhaps I because I was wearing down physically the cold water compounded the issue. Just so weird that I only had the problem with one hand.
I'm with SwimRobin. I'm swimming Big Shoulders in 4 weeks. Sure hope the Lake's a lot warmer by then. I'd settle for Chicken of the Sea's 68.
Thanks to all.
Les Grandes Épaules is September 12. That's late in the season for a long OW swim; ordinarily the lake has started cooling down by then. Wind direction will have some influence on lake temp, and the air temp will have some influence on your general comfort level.
:)
Poor little babies what would you do if you had to train in a river a few days after the ice went out. My friend and I would swim 5 miles in the Bostonais River with snow on the banks. Frozen hands for sure. Your hands formed claws.
Yes, but Big Shoulders is in the playpen at Ohio Street Beach. I imagine its breakwater protects it a bit from the upwelling that drags the cold water up from the depths.
S
