I'm 63 and now cleared by my Drs. for swimming (not running or biking) after some major medical problems. Vascular and cardiovascular side effects from treatment come into play as I begin building endurance in the pool.
I'm fortunate to have the best coach (and the busiest) in the country to work with. As important as what my coach will do to bring me along, will be the help of a sports oriented Cardiologist.
Does anyone safely compete at a high level with ongoing guidance and input of a Cardiologist with satisfactory results? By satisfactory I mean age group competitive.
Are there reliable wrist heart monitors on the market? I haven't been in a pool in so long, I wasn't aware that the swimming community is made up of such great people - they're so much more laid back and sociable than marathoners.
Sorry if this topic has been discussed elsewhere. I'm still getting familiar with all that's available - it's intimidating.
Thanks,
Steve
Hey Steve - I have an autonomic nervous system disorder which affects my heart. I exercise under the guidance of a cardiologist, so I think I can somewhat relate to you. I have what is called postural orthostatic tachycardia. One of the symptoms of this medical condition is exercise intolerance. I have to be careful with how much I do and the type of workouts that I do.
I was diagnosed in August 2006 and have been seeing the cardiologist once a year since that time. Each time I meet with him, he has me go over my current exercise program, typical workouts, response to workouts, and competitions I have participated in. Since my diagnosis, I have obtained a top ten time in 50 LCM fly. I have had to focus on shorter events and have to be careful to not overdo it on yardage as fatigue only aggravates the condition I have. During peak training, I keep my workouts to 4 times a week and average 3,000 yards a workout. In some workouts, I will do 4,000 yards of aerobic type work and in other workouts, I will do 2,000 yards of intensity or drills.
As my cardiologist has stressed, the main thing is to be sure that I am well-hydrated with a gatorade type (or Accelerade) beverage before I swim. I keep a bottle at the end of the lane and sip on it throughout my workout. A big no-no is going too hard in excessive heat. If the pool temp is above 85 or 86, I generally keep my workout to easy drills. I use a Timex Digital Ironman Triathlon HR Monitor. Seems to work fine in the water. Some guys complain about the strap flopping around when they push off though.
I have a blog if you want to get more specifics. You will see in my posts that there are times I talk about having to back down due to my condition. So far, things seem to be progressingly along. It has been an adjustment to not train for longer distances or triathlons, but I have learned to be grateful for the fact that I can swim and compete. Lately, I have started to run again and have been very pleased that I am able to do it. It is not something I can do a ton of because of my condition, but ironically, a little bit seems to actually help me with orthostatic intolerance.
In any case, I hope some of my swim workouts will be helpful to you. I wish you the best of luck in your training and hope that you can achieve your goals.
Hey Steve - I have an autonomic nervous system disorder which affects my heart. I exercise under the guidance of a cardiologist, so I think I can somewhat relate to you. I have what is called postural orthostatic tachycardia. One of the symptoms of this medical condition is exercise intolerance. I have to be careful with how much I do and the type of workouts that I do.
I was diagnosed in August 2006 and have been seeing the cardiologist once a year since that time. Each time I meet with him, he has me go over my current exercise program, typical workouts, response to workouts, and competitions I have participated in. Since my diagnosis, I have obtained a top ten time in 50 LCM fly. I have had to focus on shorter events and have to be careful to not overdo it on yardage as fatigue only aggravates the condition I have. During peak training, I keep my workouts to 4 times a week and average 3,000 yards a workout. In some workouts, I will do 4,000 yards of aerobic type work and in other workouts, I will do 2,000 yards of intensity or drills.
As my cardiologist has stressed, the main thing is to be sure that I am well-hydrated with a gatorade type (or Accelerade) beverage before I swim. I keep a bottle at the end of the lane and sip on it throughout my workout. A big no-no is going too hard in excessive heat. If the pool temp is above 85 or 86, I generally keep my workout to easy drills. I use a Timex Digital Ironman Triathlon HR Monitor. Seems to work fine in the water. Some guys complain about the strap flopping around when they push off though.
I have a blog if you want to get more specifics. You will see in my posts that there are times I talk about having to back down due to my condition. So far, things seem to be progressingly along. It has been an adjustment to not train for longer distances or triathlons, but I have learned to be grateful for the fact that I can swim and compete. Lately, I have started to run again and have been very pleased that I am able to do it. It is not something I can do a ton of because of my condition, but ironically, a little bit seems to actually help me with orthostatic intolerance.
In any case, I hope some of my swim workouts will be helpful to you. I wish you the best of luck in your training and hope that you can achieve your goals.
