Swimming is Easy - Here's How

Struggling to Swim? Good for You - Seriously

2012-01-17T17:00:00.000-06:00

Yesterday, as I was swimming my laps, feeling kind of smug as I zoomed past some guy who was really kicking up a storm and getting nowhere, it dawned on me that that guy was probably getting more exercise than I was. Yes, the guy who was doing 10 laps (maybe fewer) to my 50 was getting more out of his workout than me. Why? Pretty simple physics, actually. He's working harder than I am. Probably 10x harder than I am for every meter. Sure, I know how to swim well. That's why it can be easy for me. I don't have to work nearly as hard. I can cruise through my workout and get out like I just got out of bed (pretty smug, huh?). So, here's my salute. If you are in the pool and you are pushing yourself (struggling perhaps) and you see someone swim smoothly past, just know you are getting as much or more out of your workout as that "good" swimmer. Unless they are kicking their own butt so they come out fatigued - having worked their cardio and other muscles like you - you're doing more for yourself than they. Good for you! Seriously!

Best Bathing Suit Ever

2011-09-29T20:52:00.000-05:00

See it here.
Take note that I did not call this a swim suit.

Source: Reddit

New Zealand Emperor Penguin Swim

2011-09-07T16:49:00.001-05:00

OK so the Diane Nyad swim from Cuba to FL tanked before it could really get going. My heart still goes out to the old gal. Still, we were all stoked to see this happen so I was beside myself when I found a new distance swim tracking opportunity to share with you guys.

Whoever has seen the movie Happy Feet knows about the cute animated penguin that swam a great distance to save his flock ("flock" is that what a penguin group is called? Whatever). There is a real life Happy Feet emperor penguin that somehow made it to New Zealand. Some good hearts got it in their minds that they ought to take this real life critter and get it back on track to the arctic. They've put a tracking device on it's back (just like in the movie), dropped it into the middle of the sea and now you can track its progress as it moves across the Arctic Ocean to home, we hope.

Here's the link. Click on "Map" when the page opens, then drill down using the "+" sign. Clicking on the points between the blue lines gives you the date and time of the last geo-location tag.

OK, so this isn't the kind of distance swim I usually discuss here, but what the heck. Good luck, Happy Feet!

How to Swim On Your Back in a Straight Line while Outside

2011-08-31T09:13:00.001-05:00

I've been getting a number of comments at my outdoor pool about my ability to keep a straight line while swimming on my back, so I decided it might make for a worthy inclusion here.

We've all seen those swimmers who when on their backs weave back and forth across the lane. That's fine if you have the lane to yourself, but just imagine if you are sharing the lane with that swimmer! Until a couple of years ago, I was that weaving swimmer, but I've cracked the nut on how to deal with the problem.

Let's start with why swimming on one's back in an outdoors pool is harder than doing so in an indoor pool. The answer is pretty simple, outdoor swimming offers few cues to allow you to keep track of where you are.

My indoor pools (I visit several each year) have any number of ceiling features that generally line up with the lanes. At my pools there are ceiling panels, ventilation pipes, fire suppression piping (yes, in the pool room!!!), wood planking, etc. All it takes to keep a straight line is to keep yourself in line with the selected feature and you're good to go. If you see yourself going left or right of the feature, you're not swimming straight and you need to make a minor correction. Easy, right?

But outdoor pools, generally offer none of the above except blue sky, if you are so lucky, so what's one to do?

My technique is to swim as close to the lane line as I can without rubbing against it. Every few strokes, I'll allow an elbow or hip to gently brush the lane line, just so I'm certain that I am where I intend to be. That's it. Very simple. It will work in any pool that has lane markers.

A couple notes to keep in mind. Make sure you keep your leading fingertips pointed away from the lane marker - you don't want to jam a finger. Secondly, this technique is solely for training and recreation purposes. For obvious reasons of speed, you don't want to use this approach in competitive swimming as it may subtract from your time, even if it is only for a brief micro-second.

Lebron James - 10 Meter Platform High Diver?

2011-08-25T12:42:00.000-05:00

This is what you get when you put a basketball court next to a high-dive platform. Personally, If this had been me, I would have been tempted to jump to the side and splashed the DJ guy in the left side of the screen after he started yelling "jump, jump, jump".

Diana Nyad Calls it a Day Before Dawn

2011-08-09T10:59:00.000-05:00

At 12:45am, this AM, Diana called it quits. NYTimes has a good article describing the circumstances behind the decision to end the marathon swim. Apparently Diana developed asthma, shoulder pain, and was nauseated after 29 hours in the sea. Still, 29 hours in the water while 61 years old - no shark bites, too! - I call that lady, one tough broad. Good job, all the same.

Diana Nyad's Cuba to FL Swim has Begun

2011-08-08T10:12:00.001-05:00

Diana began her swim last evening. Here is a link for a tracking map courtesy of CNN.

See my prior post for details about Diana's swim quest.

Edit: Here's the tweet feed from Matt Stone who is following along in a boat.

New Pool Activity - Leisure Diving

2011-07-19T10:05:00.000-05:00

Check out this hilarious web site devoted to photos of people doing what people do best at the pool ... no, not swimming (I wish). They like to be leisurely.

Oh, I forgot to mention one key feature ... all photos are of "people of leisure" taken as they are high up in the air after jumping off a diving board (or other), in full relaxed pose.

See the gallery of photos here.

"Old" Woman Plans World Record Ocean Distance Swim

2011-06-28T09:02:00.000-05:00

Diana Nyad plans to swim from Cuba to FL - a world record swim. Oh, yeah ... she's 61 years old. In this video, Diana shares some of her philosophies on aging, laments and goals. Good luck, Diana and thanks AOL Video for the embed code!

Martin Strel Completes Grand Canyon Swim

2011-06-24T14:53:00.000-05:00

What do you do for fun when you've already swum most of the major rivers in the world including the Amazon? How about a dip in 46 degree water for 19 miles down the Grand Canyon? (Best feature ... no anacondas or piranha)

Extreme swimmer, and favorite extreme swimmer hero highlighted in this blog, Martin Strel has another fin to add to his back with this accomplishment.

Link to Martin's web site and lots of pictures.

Ingenious Lap Pool in Oklahoma

2011-05-20T19:38:00.000-05:00

See it here. Oh, it's the governor's? Word.

Memo to Staff - Please Install "No Diving" Sign

2011-05-19T11:07:00.000-05:00

A Question About Goggle Sting

2011-05-18T10:15:00.000-05:00

My well-sealed goggles burn my eyes (not the chlorine). Any ideas why and/or how to fix?

My trustworthy clear goggles that have served me well since September have started to split at the gasket, given me fair warning that I should be looking for a new pair. Given that, this AM I wore the pair I use outdoors which have a blue sun-glasses like tint to them. They are a good pair given they fit snug and have no leaks, but today when I wore them (first time all indoor season), my eyes began burning (and still are) as if I were soaking them in a chlorine bath. I had no such problem with the older clear goggles, and I recall having the same trouble with these blue goggles last summer, though at the time I blamed the pool chemicals. Perhaps I misplaced the source of the problem? Now I'm fairly convinced that the problem lies with the goggles.

Question: Has anyone else had burning associated with their goggles? Important, mine aren't leaking yet apparently make my eyes burn!

Best Above Ground Pool Ever

2011-05-05T17:05:00.002-05:00

Like all above ground pools, there are drawbacks. They can fall apart. pic and story

Rebuilt, filled and ready for laps : Best above ground pool ever

Source for 1st pic: en.wikipedia.org
Source for 2nd pic: reddit.com

Why You Don't Screw Around at the Pool

2011-05-02T11:46:00.000-05:00

Screen shot below says enough, but you might want to watch what leads up to this. I have no idea if the guy is ok. I'm guessing some back trouble may be in his future.

Swimming Pool Toss-In Fail - Watch more Funny Videos

A Familiar View?

2011-04-21T21:08:00.000-05:00

What I look at an hour a day.

Source: ?

Best Pool Signage Ever

2011-04-21T13:23:00.000-05:00

Click link to see the sign.

Little Boy SavesTwo-Year Old Sister with CPR

2011-04-19T19:26:00.000-05:00

Great story, great hero ... but what's the deal with the reporter standing in front of a crappy hotel pool when it appears this happened at someone's house shown in the video.

Solution to Swimming Slow Like a Snail

2011-04-16T12:17:00.001-05:00

Sometimes I feel like I swim like a snail. Here's a solution I found online to overcome the problem on my slower days. I imagine anyone could do this. Check out this gif here to see.

Source: Unknown. If original source known, please advise so I can provide credit.

Rest Period to Include All Swimmers Says Govt Health Official

2011-04-01T12:13:00.000-05:00

A new law hits swimming pools across the nation this summer that will impact swimmers of all ages and abilities.

Citing the success of 10 minute rest periods for children, starting summer 2011, all swimming pools will be required to enforce rest period for all persons, regardless of age. The new law, written at the close of last year's season, hit the books April 1st. "We believe this will enhance the economy by stimulating the snack bar business," said a Government spokesperson who asked to remain anonymous.

;)

When Lifeguards Have the Day Off

2011-03-29T19:42:00.000-05:00

Check out this link to see what happens when illiteracy, lifeguard inadequacy and parental stupidity mix together.

Sorry, I don't have a credit. If known, please advise.

Prediction ... Breathing Liquid Air is Our Future

2011-03-21T19:42:00.001-05:00

Expert believes that breathing liquid air is not only possible, it's been proven to work, and he believes he knows how to make it practical and has plans to do just that. Oh, by the way, the expert is a retired heart lung physician.

Check out the article by Jerome Taylor, from The Independent.

For anyone who wants to hear what smart, albeit less experienced, persons think about this topic, check out the reddit.com link with an interesting discussion of the topic.

The Zen of Water ... Be the Water

2011-03-14T20:39:00.001-05:00

I saw this, laughed, and knew I had to post this right away ... A master (of another discipline) speaks of the zen of water.

If you are too young to know who this is, it is Bruce Lee. BL, now deceased, brought the martial arts to the consciousness of the western nations back in the early 1970's before it was all faked in the movies using CGI. The guy is an amazing athlete. If you want to see more, just go to youtube.com and see dozens of videos about him.

Yesterday's Tsunami Event in San Francisco Bay

2011-03-12T16:50:00.000-06:00

If you were an open water swimmer in SF Bay yesterday, this is what you may have encountered. Thanks to the publisher of this clip.

Tsumani Watch Live - California Coast

2011-03-11T12:44:00.001-06:00

Here are two sites I found that are useful for tracking the tsunami warning for the California Coast. This first one is a Live Blog: Bay Area. The second is a web cam view of Half Moon Bay shot from Sam's Chowder House. As of this posting things are pretty calm. We're praying for you guys!

If waiting and hoping for nothing to happen is too boring, here's a mini-tsunami that hit Half Moon Bay back in February, all caught on video. Watch it here. Warning, this one is a bit graphic.

Edit: For anyone who thinks I posted this out of pointlessness, check out this video what happened in Japan from the same event. Amazing and awful. Credit to SkyNews for the source.

The Importance of Lung Capacity to Swimming Well

2011-03-10T14:29:00.000-06:00

Your lung capacity can have a huge impact on your swimming dynamics. This post discusses the hows and whys of maintaining good lung capacity while swimming and how a beginning swimmer can learn this trick with ease.

To anyone who thinks at all about swimming dynamics, this post is fairly self-evident. If you are like most casual swimmers, you probably haven't given this much thought, but it can be one of the many keys to becoming a better swimmer ... so pay attention!

My ah ha moment came in the bathtub two days ago. I was suffering from a cold and wanted to soak in a warm bath so I'm lying there trying to get as deep as I can in the shallow tub when I notice my body rising and falling with each breath. Now I don't mean my chest was rising and falling ... I was actually floating and sinking with each breath. With nothing better to do, I took deeper breaths and noticed that I could really float well if I just breathed in a bit deeper and I could maintain that float by letting out and breathing back in only sips of air (rather than the full in/out thing). I then recalled that this is how I swim. I don't take huge breaths with each stroke. Instead, I take these sips, maintaining the air in my lungs so I can keep afloat better.

I've been cognizant of the importance of lung capacity for years, but this little self-evaluation showed me just how easy it would be to demonstrate the importance of good breath control to beginning swimmers. By doing this in a tub, you can practice your breath control in a safe place.

OK, now go ahead and try it. No one is watching!

Lightening and Open Water Swimming

2011-03-02T17:08:00.001-06:00

In case you were wondering why you've got to get out of a large body of water (e.g., lake) in a lightening storm when all that nice lightening is going to be attracted to the trees on shore, think again. Check out this picture. Thanks lohengscorner!

Edit: It appears that this has been taken down.

To "S" or Not to "S", that is the question

2011-03-01T16:17:00.001-06:00

Should you use the "S" pull technique or not?

A locker-room regular who was trained in an elite youth swimming program and is now getting back into swimming as an adult told me today that he understands the going theory on freestyle pulling is to pull straight through rather than using the old stand-by "S" pull. I had not heard this before. I've certainly noted the differences ("s" uses only a little more than half the stroke the sequence following the "s" motion and can lead to a faster stroke down to the hip ... after the "s", while the straight pull uses the full motion of the stroke*), but am not familiar with the research.

Anyone care to enlighten the group?

* These are my observations.

New Template

2011-02-25T20:48:00.000-06:00

After five years of writing this blog, I finally took the plunge (there's a good word for it) and updated this blog's template to something more blog 2.0ish. Hope you like it. Let me know if you find any problems. Thanks for everyone's support!

Your Spouse Wants a Sun Room - You Want a Pool

2011-02-04T16:34:00.001-06:00

What's a rich guy to do. The wife wants a sun room and you want a pool. How about a sun room where the floor sinks down at the touch of a button and gives you a pool?!

Check out this web site from Hydrofloors.

Oh, but what about the wet floor? "Honey, can you throw me another towel, please."

Is Swimming Under Water Faster than Surface Swimming?

2011-02-04T10:08:00.001-06:00

Is Swimming Under Water Faster than Surface Swimming? Hill Taylor, aka Dolphin Man, from the University of Texas, proves that yes it is. It's just not technically legal in an NCAA sanctioned swim meet. In this video, he beats the world record in backstroke by a full minute (cough cough).

Like my last post, I got this from the Wired feed. Don't know what's up with these geeks. Are they suddenly cool to be around?

Water Jet Packs - How Rich People Have Fun Above It All

2011-02-03T10:58:00.001-06:00

Here's a video I found on Wired's RSS feed showing what the rich do when they get bored on the yacht. Yes, this is another jet pack video - Enjoy.

How to Make Your Swim Goggle's Lenses Like New

2011-01-21T17:06:00.001-06:00

You can make your swim goggle lenses so they are like new again by following the simple steps in this post.

When you use a new pair of swim goggles for the first few times, you'll find they improve your vision under water dramatically over your old scummy goggles. But over time, pool chemicals and water scum (white film) builds up on the lenses. Try this tip and you'll probably find you see a lot better underwater without forking out another $10 - $20 for a new pair.

Tools: toothbrush with soft bristles (tougher bristles might work, but could scratch the lens ... try at your own risk) and toothpaste (I used Crest paste with whitener).

Just apply a dab of toothpaste to the toothbrush and scrub for about thirty seconds, rinse and enjoy. Be sure to do both sides of each lens.

What's happening? The toothpaste has a mild abrasive which removes the built up scum that will not come off with regular soap and washcloth.

Lifeguard in Action During the Australian Floods

2011-01-11T19:32:00.001-06:00

Check it out here. Now that's an Aussie, eh, mate?!

Martin Strel Announces His Next Challenge

2011-01-07T10:47:00.000-06:00

Just finished listening to Martin Strel on a BBC audio stream (listen here) discuss his Guinness World Record breaking Amazon swim where he swam the infamous stretch of water from end to end. Martin's portion of the clip runs for about 10 minutes, beginning at about the 11:30 mark.

Featured in the BBC discussion, Martin talks about what started him swimming in the first place (sad story here); why he prefers swimming in fresh water over salt water (I figured the latter would be easier ... he says no and why); How the Amazon swim was his dream accomplishment (no surprise there); what he thinks got him through the Amazon swim alive and kept safe (touching story); how the whole trip came to a near disaster on the final day (didn't know this and I've followed this guy every day during the swim); the diseases he caught; his 24/hr a day elixir (this still makes me laugh); how swimming is a mind game; how long he took to recover; and most exciting ... his next challenge.

Well worth the listen!

Dozens of Talented Divers All at Once

2010-12-24T11:39:00.000-06:00

Remember in the 2008 Olympics how the Chinese awed everyone with their huge show featuring hundreds - maybe thousands - of people working in synchronization to create an amazing showcase of talent? Well here it is in a platform diving presentation. Starts getting fun to watch at about the 2 minute mark. Enjoy!

What the Health Department and Scrooge Have in Common

2010-12-23T10:11:00.001-06:00

The pool where I do the bulk of my lap swimming in the cold months installed some new bright (LED?) lighting over the Fall months. It became clear over time that there was a new unexpected feature - the lights could change color. They could be set to blue, red, green, yellow or white. Or they could be set to rotate between selected colors. Go one lap and return and the blue is now green. Personally I thought this was a bit over the top. I liked some of the colors, but yellow made the water look like urine through my goggles. What good did it do? Well my attitude changed for the better as time went on - I got accustomed to yellow and the change in colors kept me from being so bored. And even better, as the Christmas season approached, the lights were set to red and green. Cool huh? So what happens? The health department shows up and says that the colored lights have to go. What's that about? Perhaps the Ghost of Christmas Pools needs to pay them a visit! Merry Christmas!

The Most Efficient Swimming Propulsion Device Ever

2010-12-10T09:47:00.000-06:00

Who do you go to if you want to develop the most efficient swimming propulsion device ever conceived? Darpa, of course. That's the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. They bring you simple new innovations, like say, the internet. Anyway, they've put their minds to work and developed a cool way to send the Defense Dept's swimmers through the water faster. Thinking a better kind of fins? Think again. Check out the video below.

Tiger Woods has a Lap Pool - Pic at Link

2010-11-14T11:42:00.000-06:00

Tiger Woods has just finished updating his new home that he bought for a mere $35 million and he's put in another $15 million to touch it up. So did he do what every other gajillionnaire does when they "upgrade" their estates and first thing remove the lap pool? No! Tiger has kept his and it's a dedicated lap pool (check out the pic and story here) and appears to be 50 meters! And yes, ladies, he's single.

Removing a Buffalo from Backyard Swimming Pool - Raw Video

2010-11-12T10:35:00.000-06:00

Georgia pet buffalo gets loose and falls through pool cover. Gets out at 1:08 with some cowboy action, after that he/she thrashes around a bit acting like, well, a buffalo. Gets a bit sad as the film progresses. More to this video than you'll see on the TV news.

Power vs. Efficiency

2010-11-09T16:49:00.000-06:00

A retired NCAA swim coach I've quoted here from time to time has added another aha moment to my life-long lesson in swimming. It was late in the summer and the morning sun was blinding as I tried some backstroke kicks. The old coach was in the next lane and watching all us regulars as he is inclined to do. He saw me weaving in my lane as I had my eyes closed to keep the sun out of my eyes. He advised turning to my side with one arm extended, lifting my butt and kicking from the hip. The first instantly solved the blinding sunshine/lane weaving problem as I wasn't facing the sun so directly anymore; the rest of the advice seemed odd as it virtually did away with my flutter kick. "Is that for more power?" I asked. "No more power," was his reply, "but you'll be more efficient." He's right. It took me a while to really get the feel for it as the whole position, leg kick thing was new to me, but after one and half months I can say, I go further with each kick than I did before. Am I more powerful? No, but perhaps with the strengthening of my core by lifting my but (back muscles here), and using my hips more (more core and more whole leg), I will eventually be more powerful. Time will tell.

Marathon Swimmer Dies of ...

2010-10-24T14:03:00.000-05:00

Fran Crippen, a marathon race swimmer (10K swimmer) from Philadelphia died earlier this week due to some undefined complications related to a swim he was participating in the United Arab Emirates. This article, courtesy of CNN, cites several causes 1) severe fatigue 2) heart attack and 3) water and air temperature, oh and let's not forget 4) they took two hours to find his body (2-hours ??? on a pre-determined race course ???). Anyhow, I can't but help to think that a primary cause had to have been the temperature. Water temps over 80 degrees F. in any race, much less a race of endurance, is asking for trouble. The water temp was cited at 87 F. and the air temp, 100 F. The race organizers are lucky others did not fall out. It is my opinion that to hold a race of endurance in such conditions is unconscionable.

Look like crap in a bathing suit? Get in line

2010-10-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

Get your butt off the couch, out of the chips bag, and in to the pool. Your excuses are over. OVER. You can't give yourself excuses. If you do, you won't go. Go to the pool for five straight days. Give yourself two days off as a reward and repeat (no, not the two days off ... the five days at the pool). Don't worry about your speed, don't worry about what you look like. Honestly, no one at the pool in the off season really cares. None of us have a real tan by November. Those who swim indoors know, if you do fit in your swim suit and can still look good, you are the exception. Once you are in the water no one really notices anyhow. Wear a towel like everyone else until you jump in. Indoor swimming is not the beauty contest outdoor swimming between 10am and 4pm can be. Indoor swimmers are usually only there because they want to work out, loosen up, or cool down from a dry land workout. The time of day does not matter. The pool temperature does not matter. The intensity of the sun ... does not matter. Indoor swimmers have no excuse. Just swim, people. Swim!

Lifeguard Makes Pool Rescue - All Caught on Film

2010-10-01T17:42:00.001-05:00

Click this link to see a play-by-play water rescue. Notice the refined use of the frog kick to get extra power. Note: Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Want Ad - Female High Diver. Must like Horses.

2010-09-27T10:55:00.000-05:00

Beware of the Death Ray at this Swimming Pool

2010-09-25T21:19:00.000-05:00

Do you like those fancy glimmering buildings in Las Vegas? You know, the ones with beautiful swimming pools at the foot of them? Beware. One of them has what some are calling a "death ray" that appears when the sun hits the building and reflects down onto the pool area creating a super hot spot you are strongly advised to avoid. Read more here.

Yes, You Can Dunk in this Swimming Pool

2010-08-20T16:13:00.000-05:00

I found this video to be one of the most fun I've ever posted on this blog. Enjoy!

Pool Domination 2010 - Watch more Funny Videos

Tips to Dry your Swimsuit

2010-08-20T15:59:00.000-05:00

A reader asked me for tips on drying a swimsuit and I figured the question would certainly make for a good post, since if you don't do it right, or at all, you'll lessen the life of your swmsuit many times over.

Well, there are probably a million ways to dry one's swimsuit, but I have my preferences, some of which I've learned the hard way. Here is my swimsuit drying Do's and Don'ts list and a few tips to go with them:

Do Not:

Leave your swimsuit in your bag if it is damp - the bacteria that survives the chlorine will eat away at the elastic and will thrive in the warm dark place that is your bag (do this just once and you'll see what I'm talking about)
Let your swimsuit dry in direct sun light - this will fade the pattern/colors faster than you might imagine
Routinely dry your swimsuit while you are wearing it - this will stretch the fabric and you won't even notice it until one day when you get out of the water and it falls off your a**.
Hang your suit from a clothes line or hook as this too will stretch the fabric (duh).
Wring (ring?) your swimsuit out - this will stretch the fabric

Do:

Rinse the suit in cold clean water to get out the chlorine and other pool chemicals (I just do it in the shower after my workout)
Dry the suit on a flat surface - I use the shower floor at home works great, or on a dry towel which you one can do just about anywhere (e.g., in the back of your car, etc.). Sometimes your suit won't be dry in 24 hours but will almost always be dry in 48 hours, so I keep a second suit in my bag for the next day's swim. Then I just swap out suit from the drying place when I'm done.
To speed things up try using a spinner. They work like a salad spinner and do a great job whicking the water away from the swimsuit. Spin the entire cycle, i.e. don't stop until you hear the unit click.

If you must get the water out of your suit manually - maybe because you don't have a spinner, or a plastic bag or towel to wrap the suit up in when you leave the pool - I suggest scrunching it into a ball and squeeze the water out (once again, do not wring it out).

These are just a few of the things I do and/or recommend. Other suggestions always welcome.

Another Great Swimming Picture from the Past

2010-08-13T22:28:00.000-05:00

Huntington Beach, CA circa 1928. Honey, will you put some oil on my back, please. (source unknown)

Why Some Swimmers Wear Watches in the Pool

2010-08-10T11:47:00.000-05:00

Have you ever noticed that there are a lot of pretty good swimmers who wear their watches in the pool? There's a good reason and it isn't just because they spend a lot of time in the water and need to know when to get out in time to get to work, home for dinner or their next appointment.

If you look closely, most - if not all - of the watches are digital. Most digital watches have a chrono function (stopwatch), a timer (lap counter), an alarm and several other functions.

You don't have to be a great swimmer to take advantage of using a watch in your workout. Even the slowest swimmer can find creative uses for the functions that are available. I personally use the stopwatch function daily. I just push start at the beginning of my session and track lap-times during my flip turns (yes, under water) to be sure I'm keeping a pace that I desire. Some people push a button at this time to count their laps and to use after their workouts or between sets to see how their split times compared.

There are innumerable watch choices out there. I've used many over the years and none are expensive. Currently I favor the Timex Ironman Triatholon. The numbers are large enough that you can see it underwater in limited light, the buttons large enough to press without injuring the nerve endings in your finger tips, plus their functions are fairly intuitive. The added bonus is that the strap is rubber (or something like that) so it instantly repels water. You can pick it up at Target and other big box retailers for about $39.95.

Finally, my two best reason for wearing a watch in the pool are:

It's too easy to think you are swimming faster than you really are - wearing a watch will bring you back to reality - fast.
The watch strap is a great place to put your ring(s) - I always think they are going to fly off my hand if I don't strap them down and I don't trust storing them being in my locker or pool bag.

Taking a Vacation? Here are some Cool Hotel Pools

2010-08-07T10:01:00.000-05:00

Taking a vacation can be a problem if you are a lap swimmer. You've almost always got to compromise. Here are some hotel pools where the compromise just might be worth it (several of these are reruns from prior posts)

Swimmers of Yesteryear had more Fun

2010-07-31T11:39:00.002-05:00

I've contended in prior posts that the sissification of swimming pools has led to a less enjoyable swimming experience. Lack of diving boards, shallow pools, etc. are just a few of my gripes. Here's photographic proof of the fun they had in the days of your great grandparents. Enjoy!

PS On the other hand, modernity has given us less horse-manure in our swimming water!

More Water Fun! - Waterbird

2010-07-11T17:57:00.000-05:00

Looks like you don't even have to know how to swim to enjoy this water workout!

Going to the Beach? Be Sure to Bring Along Bob

2010-07-10T12:00:00.001-05:00

If you are like me you like everything that keeps you around the water. Have you ever dreamed of having your own submarine? I sure have, but lets get real, I'm not a super rich Bill Gates or any of his ilk, but I still have my dreams and I'm willing to settle. Introducing BOB, a personal underwater scooter - sort of a combination of a Segway, diving gear and scooter. The concept is simple enough that it looks like anyone who wants to shell out a few clams on vacation can experience this. Gotta love the ingenuity. Check out the link.

Sharing a Lane - Did I Earn Bad Karma?

2010-06-30T10:47:00.001-05:00

OK, so two of my more recent posts to this blog were about lane sharing (the pros and cons). Well, given my luck this AM, it seems I angered someone - Poseidon, the Greek god of the seas, perhaps? Here's my story.

Started the day circle swimming with two other guys. Third guy dropped out after about 15 minutes so second guy suggests we swim our respective sides (parallel). I agree and quickly take my side for a full lap (up and back). But upon my second flip turn, I have completely zoned out, forgotten the new parallel routine and am circle swimming again. What good could come of this? you ask.

Well, I got what I deserve. As I type this, I am sporting a "shiner" where the second guy hit me in the left eye (goggled fortunately) at full freestyle reach. I got him on the top of his head in a similar stretch. It felt like a boxing match, to tell the truth. It didn't end there. Momentum forced us both forward despite the punches and we slammed heads together - think rams fighting over the top of the mountain.

In the end, things worked out. We both shook it off and stayed to complete our workouts, and laughed it off when we were done. My lane partner seemed concerned about the mark he'd left. I just chalk it up say "my bad".

Why You Can't Swim Like a New Fish - Blame the Old Fish

2010-06-24T11:51:00.001-05:00

So you want to swim like Michael Phelps? Do you have his genetic gifts? Then you probably won't ever be able to swim like he does. But lets not blame Michael. Perhaps he's just underdeveloped. Hows that? Read on.

An article in Wired Magazine cites a study conducted by University of Ottowa researchers that finds that the loss of a gene known as actinodin found in fish may have been the cause of the transition of fish fins to limbs.

So does this mean when they figure out how to safely conduct gene transfers that we can get back to the way God first made us? Just kidding, Texas!

Sharing Your Lap Lane - Yes, there are Benefits

2010-06-23T15:24:00.000-05:00

This past year I grew up. Really. I finally learned to share my lane and enjoy it. In fact, I am known to the guards at the pool as someone who is happy to share my lane - given the swimmer doesn't fall into any of the 10 points in my prior post. Here's why I am happy to share my lane:

Lap swimming can be VERY boring. Having someone else in the lane, even if you don't communicate with them verbally, keeps your mind a bit more stimulated just by the sheer fact that one must keep aware of where the lane partner is in the pool relative to one's self.
Your lane partner can spur you to swim faster. Who wants to be humiliated by someone in baggy trunks?
Your lane partner can make you feel like a fast swimmer, even if you are not - this of course requires your lane partner be a slower swimmer than you.
Your lane partner can provide you with a slip-stream if you want to swim along side them like a baby whale does it's momma.
By having a lane partner, your lane is less likely to be chosen by the next crappy swimmer who wants to get in your lane.

No, I didn't list 10 benefits. I'm sure there are more, but jeez, I never thought there was one good reason before this year. Give me a break!

Ten Reasons Sharing Your Lap Lane Isn't for the Faint of Heart

2010-06-18T16:31:00.001-05:00

Sharing a lap lane can be a real pain. Here are a few of the reasons sharing a lane isn't for the weak of heart:

the nail trimmer - hug the line too tight and nearly break your finger in the buoys
the navigationally challenged - those who use the whole lane (usually not on purpose) due to poor navigation skills
the leg men - those who use more of the sub-surface than you are expecting (they kick you)
the ax men - those who use paddles and like to chop you when you go by (I never realized swimming was a blood sport until one of these hit me in the arm)
the butterflies - these guys start the butterfly soon as you enter the pool area, just so you won't choose his lane (some even swim with their fists!)
the loose rope - just when you've got a straight line going, the line floats into your path (see #1)
the waterboarders - these are the swimmers who throw up a great swell as they pass, usually when you are inhaling
the jet boats - these are the swimmers who use fins. They blow by at high speed or if you're at the end of the lane and swimming circles, they force you to stop so they can go past - again and again and again - and they think they are faster than you when you know deep down they are just using them because they are really speed challenged
the loose barges - these are the slow swimmers who generally fit the category of #2 and #3 as well.
the endangered - these are the swimmers who apparently have a respirator ready at the end of the lane because they stop and recover for two minutes for each lap.

Feel free to add your favorites in the comments section!

In my next post, I'll touch on the advantages of sharing your lane.

Deep Water Base Jumping

2010-06-07T19:48:00.000-05:00

Hold your breath while you watch this one!

21st Sunscreen is Great ... or is it?

2010-05-24T17:15:00.000-05:00

I just came across this article today that among other things says that the FDA hasn't been telling us the whole truth about sunscreen. You know the basics, but did you know that your sunscreen might be causing you to GET skin cancer? I was floored. Here I am practically lathering up with sunscreen so I can enjoy a summer day at the pool and I read this? Oh crap. Guess I'll be going back to zinc oxide nose soon.

Would You Swim in a Hail Storm? Check this out.

2010-05-19T20:41:00.000-05:00

Be sure to watch from about 55 seconds to 2 minutes. Oh #!%*!

Pool Bombarded by Incredible Hail Storm - Watch more Funny Videos

Are You Safe in a Pool During an Earthquake?

2010-04-30T10:48:00.002-05:00

This video - which you need to watch with caution since it jerks around and could cause nausea or other video related health-effects - shows a swimming pool during an earthquake. Spoiler alert: Watch it all and see if there is a tsunami.

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com/video.

2,000,000 Meters and Counting

2010-03-26T10:16:00.000-05:00

Warning: Serious gloating in this post. I hit another mini-goal today, with the completion of my two millionth swimming meter since I starting adding up my laps a few years ago (I only started counting because I needed something to keep me going, thought it was cool when I realized 1,000,000 meters was attainable and now I've doubled that!). So what is 2,000,000 meters? It's 80,000 lengths and 40,000 laps (25 meter pool), too many flip turns to count and 804 workouts. Reality knocking ... serious competitive swimmers probably do this in 1/3rd the time or less. Much less.

Old Guy Tying New Stroke? Beware!

2010-03-12T10:34:00.001-06:00

OK, so I'm not Michael Phelps. But I do have a bit of his ego and I thought maybe I could try his freestyle stroke. No, not the one on the TV commercial where he plows through pavement. That's for the younger crowd. I'm talking plain old throw yourself up with each stroke like the a butterfly to get more reach and more body whip with each kick. Where did I land? On the couch for two days - unable to move. I learned my lesson, or so I thought. That was a year or more ago. But yesterday, I recalled a recent reply to that post where I first pointed out MP's freestyle leap. That reply suggested opening one's fingers to make the water slide through faster. Sounds logical (after you get past the part about giving up on cupping the water to get more pull). Well I tried it. Naturally, my arms came through the water faster - so did my elbow and almost instant tennis elbow pain that throbbed until I was about 3/4ths through my workout. So as for radical new stroke technique? It doesn't look good for moi. I guess I'm stuck in the slow lane with the guy in the waterproof leg cast.

So I'm Doing Laps When ...

2010-02-20T15:17:00.000-06:00

If you've missed my regular posts (that's a joke) there's a reason. Here goes ... So I'm doing my laps when I do my flip turn and I find this is staring me in the face ...

Mississippi River Mini-Goal Completed

2010-01-25T11:26:00.000-06:00

Sometime in late 2006, I realized I was cranking out the distance, but had never tracked it. I really had no idea how far I went over time. So beginning at the start of 2007, I opened up a handy spreadsheet and began tracking my distance for each swim. Seeing that the totals were adding up, I thought it would be cool to set some goals. My main goal was to keep swimming, so I set what at the time seemed to be an impossible goal ... swim to Hawaii from LA (via a lap pool). That surely would keep me swimming for a number of years. I told myself, I'd reward myself by swimming the last distance into shore at Waikiki (I can always dream). Realizing that I needed some mini-goals to keep the long-goal in sight, I added a bunch of those. Actually, some of them are far in and of themselves (e.g., swim to Bermuda from NYC, cross the USA, etc. - see list on left margin of this blog). Today, I completed one of those not-so mini-goals, the length of the Mississippi (Duluth to New Orleans) or 1,171 miles. It feels good to complete a mini-goal, but I'm still not even half-way to another goal I've added on top of Hawaii - the Atlantic Ocean. Maybe I can swim the last lap like Kramer did on Seinfeld, and swim in the river around Manhattan (Let's not get too carried away).

What metric is your swim workout worth vs. other exercise options?

2010-01-07T10:54:00.000-06:00

NewScientist published an article yesterday summarizing the science of fitness. One of the topics covered just what counts as exercise. They gave the example of golf and the age old question of whether it truly is exercise. Quick answer, yes - if you walk. Less so, if you ride a "buggy". How do they assess this? The article cites a compendium of data pulled together by university researchers (a Stanford researcher conceptualized the concept while the University of South Carolina developed the PDF cited below ) that details each type of exercise and its MET or metabolic equivalent, and yes, swimming is included. Not only that, but each type of swimming activity, ranging from general leisure (not lap) swimming, to easy lap swimming, to vigorous lap swimming is there. The compendium even breaks it down into type of stroke - breast, freestyle, and butterfly. You can check out the compendium yourself, at this link.

Just What Do Those High Tech Swim Suits Do? Illusions

2010-01-05T17:34:00.000-06:00

Late last month, I found myself swimming (indoors naturally) in a lane adjacent to a man who was wearing one of those new high-tech swim suits. The suit was a one-piece job with a rash-guard top (short-sleeves) and above-the-knee length lower half. The swimmer was nothing exceptional, but as he glided by me, seemingly effortlessly, I was shocked. Was I swimming in the same water as this guy? I studied him as we parallel swam for half a lap before he zoomed ahead. What was going on?! Well, I kept up this voyeurism until I got some ideas. Here's what I noticed. The suit held the swimmer a good two inches higher in the water than I. That alone eliminated some of the drag from the water.

Leaving that day, I wanted one of those suits. But thinking back on it now, I think not. Much like wearing fins - just for speed - a suit that makes me faster would do just that. It wouldn't make me a stronger swimmer. It would just makes me look like a stronger swimmer. In fact, it would probably make me feel like a crappy swimmer on those days when I wore a traditional suit.

Funny Polar Bear Plunge Almost Turns Tragic

2009-12-30T10:29:00.000-06:00

Just in time for Jan 1st, in case you were planning a polar bear plunge, here's one guy who finds out the truth. Scary about half way through.
Fat Guy Lake Cannonball Fail - Watch more Funny Videos

Calculate the caloric value of your swim workout

2009-12-22T14:21:00.001-06:00

I'm sort of a techie nerd and got myself on the mailing list for wolframalpha.com early this year when it rolled out. If you don't know what wolframalpha is, it is a "computational knowledge engine" - i.e. a search engine that is extraordinarily good at doing calculations. This means that you can ask it stuff and it kicks back replies based on the calculations it does behind the scenes. What does this have to do with swimming, you ask? Well in today's year end newsletter, the web site announced it has a fitness calculator. This is the cool part. I typed in "swimming 55min" and it kicked back a screen showing energy expenditure, fat burned, oxygen consumption and metabolic equivalent. It defaults to a body weight of 160 lbs, but you can enter your own weight and it will give you these results for your profile. If you're across the pond, you can have the results in metric equivalents.

Don't know if this will help anyone for the upcoming holidays, but here's something I calculated that I found useful for my 210lbs profile. WA says I burn 550 calories in my workout (at a leisure pace). That means I can eat two doughnuts at 224 calories each, and still be ahead! Awesome!

Mini-Goal Completed - Canadian Border via Great Lakes

2009-12-17T13:21:00.001-06:00

Today, I completed one of my mini-goal milestones on my way to swim the distance of the Atlantic Ocean from Leiden England to NYC (the same route our pilgrim forefathers took ... they missed Manhattan). The completed mini-goal was to swim the distance of the Canadian border through the Great Lakes region - Kingston to Thunder Bay - a distance of 1,134 miles (or 36,316 circular laps in a 25 meter swimming pool). This took 735 swimming workouts, begun officially on Jan 2, 2007.

My prior goals and future goals may be seen on the left of this page.

Idea for a gadget to help you swim more efficiently

2009-12-16T13:34:00.000-06:00

Do you swim in a straight line? Really? Sure, there are the novice swimmers that snake all over the place, but if you're well practiced, how do you really know? Most peoples' bodies swivel a little bit, and it can really make a difference for that efficient stroke. I try to hold the line but while my eye always follows the line in the bottom of the pool, I'm not so sure my body really does as much as I'd like to believe it does.

I've come up with a concept that some engineers out there might find interesting (or crazy). The solution is cheap and very high tech (i.e. cool factor! yeah, baby!) ... it uses lasers (think sharks with lasers).

Basically, my idea is that if a waterproof gadget the size of a quarter could be created, with an embedded toy laser (like those toys you buy at the pet store to give your cat something to chase) and that gadget was attached to the body (e.g., chest, belly, shoulder, or foot via a Velcro strap), one could see the exact line in the bottom of the pool as one swam, including the variability from center.

To add value to this concept, it could have several settings. Setting #1 would be a standard light that shows the dot on the bottom of the pool as you swim. Keep the dot on the side of the line in the bottom of the pool. A memory chip could be installed and setting #2 could record the track and play back the actual line swum in the prior lap during the next lap. Setting #3 could record the track without showing the track and play it back during the next lap, forcing the swimmer to practice the perfect line without the aid of the laser. The unit could use a proximity indicator, like in an iPhone so it could know when a swimmer has made the turn.

If anyone out there takes this idea and runs with it, please let me know. I want one.

How Swimmers Repair Dry Skin

2009-12-02T12:23:00.000-06:00

Chlorine and sodium bicarbonate can really take a toll on a swimmer's skin. Add in winter dry air and you might find your skin peeling off - and you thought a sun-burn was the only cause of that! I've been dealing with the problem for years and it's only gotten worse as I've aged and my natural skin moisteners have failed me. Of late I've had peeling on my finger tips - last place I ever would have imagined. I tried all sorts of remedies including udder cream - all which helped but none fixed things, then I remembered an old radio ad that promoted a product that Norwegian fisherman purportedly use - I think it was Neutregena Hand Cream. Anyhow, I bought a tube and found that if I put the cream on within about 10 minutes of drying off, it works well and the healing begins. The cream is thick and while moistening your hands it then seems to create a barrier that helps keep the moisture in your hands. If I wait too long, my hands dry out. While the cream helps if I put it on hours later, I don't get as good results. I may be wrong about that, but it's my observation. Vaseline may do basically the same thing but I haven't tried that. The barrier, seems to be key. As for the rest of my body, I haven't tried anything yet. Will post if I find something.

Note: Disclaimer ... I am a sample size of one. Your results will probably vary from mine. Neutregena and I have had no direct contact or business arrangement. These are just my observations. Neutregena and Neutregena Hand Cream are trademarks of Neutregena Corporation.

For my back yard, please

2009-11-28T16:09:00.000-06:00

If you know anything about this blog, you know I'm not looking at the building. Check out the blue thing to the left.

Coolest Job in the (Sea) World

2009-11-27T12:00:00.001-06:00

Are you skilled at using gravity to show off? This isn't an ad or any of that, but today I was checking out my (this) site to see if all was in order and one of my adsense ads just blew me away. It was for Sea World. The ad was seeking (I paraphrase) skilled spring board and platform divers for SeaWorld Viva show jobs. Having been to Sea World on several occasions, in FL and Hawaii, I got to thinking. Where do they have diving? Well they've got some that dive and assist with the killer whales show. I'm too old and floppy to have ever been a high-diver, but if you've got the skills, here may be your chance to be the envy of everyone who has ever visited a waterpark. Scoll through the adsense links above and maybe the ads are still there. If not, you might try Sea World directly or try googling whoever hires talent for the place. Apparently, they've got some openings that require someone skilled at using gravity to show off. PS I get paid if you click on the link. That's some new law, I have to tell you that. So ok, I've told you.

Danny Kunze - World Record High Dive

2009-11-19T17:10:00.000-06:00

Another one for the swimming heros award - I think I need to add a sub-category for the real whack-jobs. This guy seems sane until he starts going higher, and higher, and ... yeah, he's a whack-job, but he is still alive so ... hmmm.

Feeling Fatigue? You May be About to be Awesome

2009-11-18T16:36:00.000-06:00

I've heard about bio-rhythms for as long as I can remember, and as I age, I am starting to notice my own body cycles a little bit more. One particular oddity stands out in my mind and one I'm just starting to see as a pattern is in my body's ability to accommodate a hard workout. A week ago, and for the week prior, I noticed a discernible decline in my ability to get through a full-speed workout without giving out half-way or two-thirds of the way in. The workouts seemed to get progressively worse as time went by. Then a couple days ago, things went the other way - I was getting stronger and stronger, faster and faster - and on Tuesday I had one of the best workouts I've had in years. This has happened before but only now am I beginning to discern that indeed it follows a pattern. I need time to define what is happening, if I can. Is it my diet? I have had more protein lately. Is it my sleep? I've had some bad nights and some good ones. Maybe something else? Cue the Twilight Zone music.

Super Family

2009-11-03T19:11:00.000-06:00

I think I may have posted this before, but I stumbled across this on the web this evening and had to share it (again?). Enjoy and pass it on (oh, and emulate if you dare).

Does Swimming Pool Temperature Matter?

2009-11-02T18:21:00.000-06:00

We have a new pool director at the indoor pool I frequent during the cold season. She has added an innovation to our pool room, an information board. It includes among other things, the names of our lifeguards, the date, the weather (outside), pool activities for the week, and the pool temperature that day. The board is updated daily so it did not take us regulars long to realize something was screwy about the reported pool temperature. The reported figure never varied by but a degree, but we experienced swimmers knew better since the feel (to us) jacked around like a jumping bean. Generally if the temperature was 84 or more (think 85 - 87) the board reported it at 83. Below 83, same deal (though we only got to witness that once, but for a week). I asked a guard about this. The reply I got back was something to the effect that "she" (the pool director) didn't like to report temperatures when they were out of line ... the members just get mad. Well, duh. But we get even more upset when we're treated like stupid imbeciles. I've come to expect the warmer temperatures. The director seems to find it easier to appeal to the dippers rather than the swimmers. I enjoy jumping into warm water as much as anyone, but much after that and you can have it. We swimmers fatigue faster with warmer water. My time to the mile can vary by as much as a minute and a half dependent on the water temp. So given that cooler water temps are out of the question, I've taken to faking myself out by taking a hot shower before my jump in the pool. The hot shower makes my first few laps feel relatively cool, gets me going faster than I might otherwise. I still fatigue out faster than I might in cooler water, but at least I feel like I have some control.

Pushing Swimming Pulls

2009-10-19T10:39:00.000-05:00

No that title is not a typo - by swimming pull, I mean the pull in freestyle. (swimming pull - kinda cool name, huh?)

I wanted to talk about swimming pulls and pushes today because I am fighting myself to do them properly.

Done properly, the freestyle stroke begins as a pull down to approximately one's chin and following a transition point (the S) turns into a push back towards and to the thigh. Lots of people skip most of the push and bring their arm back up (to begin their reach again) prematurely (before completing the push). This simple error can eliminate as much as 1/2 of the stroke's power potential.

I'm fighting this myself. I naturally want to start my arm back toward the front as soon as I've reached my waist. If I concentrate on it, I can add an additional foot of thrust (push) to each stroke.

Unfortunately, it can be fatiguing if one is not accustomed to doing this additional work. I'm practicing when I go slow, with the hope that it will build the muscle for faster workouts later.

It's Flu Season - How Hard Should I Work Out?

2009-10-14T16:23:00.000-05:00

A fascinating article in today's NYTimes, titled, "Phys Ed: Does Exercise Boost Immunity", says that scientists have found a correlation between amount of exercise and immunity.

The author, Tara Parker-Pope, says that studies found that mice, exposed to viruses, who ran to exhaustion, were more prone to the negative impacts of the virus than those that exercised more leisurely.

Given the high virulence of H1N1, I highly advise reading the NYT article.

So I guess this is a "Don't feel so guilty this season when I do a half-assed workout" (get-out-of-jail free) card.

If you can't swim maybe you're trying too hard

2009-10-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

It never ceases to amaze me how hard people work when they are swimming or trying to swim. We've all seen these people - perhaps you are one of them. They flail their arms and legs, twist their bodies every contorted direction and push water around the pool so much so that a tsunami warning ought to be issued, yet they make little to no progress in propelling their body across the pool. And if they do get anywhere, they are wiped out within 25 meters of doing so. Meanwhile, the guy in the next lane over has gotten down and back in as few as eight strokes. What gives?

Perhaps you are trying too hard. The guy in the next lane can pull off the eight stroke lap because he is using the dynamics of physics to his advantage. If you look at anyone who can pull this feat off successfully, I can almost promise you'll see the following:
1. The good swimmer is keeping his body line straight throughout the stroke - this means as he goes through the water, he cuts through it like a knife so there is minimal resistance (unlike the contorted body swimmer who creates a wall of water between himself and his destination with each stroke).
2. The good swimmer keeps his hands and arms in line with his body - they do not flair out to the side like an owl. Think, which is faster in a dive, the owl or the eagle?
3. The good swimmer has a long pull, from the furthest point in his reach forward, to the furthest point he can reach behind. The flailing swimmer using only a small percentage of the available stroke distance.
4. The good swimmer uses little energy to propel himself. Fact is ... the good swimmer spends a huge proportion of time in the stroke gliding compared to the flailing swimmer. The flailing swimmer does not glide at all.

Leaking Swim Goggles Solution Needed

2009-09-24T19:35:00.001-05:00

I wish I had a solution for leaking goggles and am hoping some inventive swimmer out there would like to share his/her solution with the masses (and no, getting another pair is not the creative solution I'm seeking). BTW, I'll give you full credit or the solution!

I've got the problem in two new pair (an older third pair does not have the problem) and it drives me nuts. The leaks are both in the right-hand lens gasket (both are rubber molded frame goggles) which I thought might have something to do with the shape of my face, but I've ruled that out when I found that the seal between my face and the eye cup was at fault. When I wet my face and press the goggles to it to get a tight seal, I hear air sucking into the cup and the goggle falls off my face. This does not happen with the left side which holds a tight seal.

Anyone have a solution?

What to do if an owl falls in your swimming pool

2009-09-16T17:57:00.002-05:00

Yes an owl. I know this is something everyone wants to know, so I had to link to it. :) Here's the story. Nice pictures to go with it.

When to Get a New Swim Suit

2009-09-15T13:15:00.003-05:00

I had to buy a new swim suit last night after concluding the two I had been swapping between daily swims were both dead and gone beyond hope. How did I decide? If you are a regular swimmer, you know that the typical lycra suit lasts a given amount of time and then it just dies. Seriously, swim suits die. Mercifully, the death is usually quite fast if you know what to look for.

Here's how I know when my suits have died.
1. They don't hug tight to your body when dry. If they are barely loose, they are already dying. If they sag, they are dead.
2. They billow up when you are swimming. These are dead too. Stay in the pool and feel your performance fail you. Get out and watch what gravity does to your tightly toned buttocks.
3. They develop a molting look, generally in the seat area. This is where the fabric has lost its elasticity. If you look closely, you may actually see the broken elastic in the weave of the knitting. This eventually breaks down to the point where the suit is nearly see-through (especially dangerous with any non-black suits).

So, when your suit is dead, do yourself and everyone else a favor and get a new one ASAP.

One Mean Swim Coach

2009-09-02T19:11:00.003-05:00

Here is a man-made pond that I'd like to swim in. Nice, creative landscaping (humor). When going past this thing, I think I'd consider breathing on the other side.

Swimming Boredom Solution? MP3 player that gets wet

2009-08-25T12:41:00.003-05:00

I've been wondering about these MP3 players that go in the water and I came across this video today which was embedded in an ad inside Swimming World Newsletter. Excellent presentation and quite informative. No, I'm not endorsing the product - I've never used it. But this video is cool and makes me want to try it. Kind of pricey, though. Hey, Finis! Send me one to try and I'll post a writeup here on this blog.

Free Diving - Details Revealed from the Deep

2009-08-25T12:01:00.004-05:00

I just finished a great article in the Aug 24, 2009, issue of The New Yorker about the sport of free diving. It goes into tremendous detail about what happens to the body, mind, and of course, lungs, during a free dive. Excellent reading. Sorry, no link since it is available online only to New Yorker subscribers - I just found that out. Get this issue - you won't be sorry.

Underwater Rugby

2009-08-18T20:18:00.002-05:00

Looks like a good way to train - I'm serious.

Check out the cool pics on the Moof.com website.

Using a wet suit to train? Are you as worthy as this guy?

2009-08-14T13:10:00.002-05:00

How to get rid of cankles

2009-08-08T16:08:00.004-05:00

I'm no physical trainer but I feel I've found a remedy for cankles.

What are cankles? --> ankles that don't slim down below the calf creating the appearance of a seamless area between the knee and the foot. Great name huh?

The remedy? Swim! Put an emphasis on kickboard work. Even if you can't swim, you probably can do kickboard. (No kickboard? Loop a pool noodle end over end and point those ends forward, hold the sides just like you would a kickboard.)

When kicking, try to point your toes higher than your heels as you swim your foot up toward the surface. When you draw down toward or into the water, flop your feet. Try to create a splash.

All this will work the ankle/calf region and tone that area. Do this several times a week for at least 10 minutes. Expect this length of time to be a bit difficult at first - build up to it if you must. You will quickly become accustomed to kicking for distance.

You should start seeing results in a month. Stick with it a year and your legs should start really looking in shape.

For expert advice, ask a physical trainer or swimming coach.

Scared of Swimming? A good reason to not feel bad about that

2009-08-06T10:24:00.004-05:00

I found this link under the heading, "Why I'm Scared of Swimming".

Ordinarily I would argue, but in this case, I simply can not. The author has a pretty good argument (pics too).

How many lifeguards does it take to guard me?

2009-07-22T19:24:00.004-05:00

Woke this morning to the wonderful pitter patter of rain on my west facing window. It's a sound I love and I would have preferred to lie there and just enjoy the sound but my personal drive to not allow much of anything get in the way of my workout won over and I found myself at the pool. The Masters group was just leaving as the sun was coming up and those people (if you can call them that) - like werewolves and vampires - disappear at first light. I digress, anyhow, upon my second lap, I found myself with my own 50 meter pool - just me and (get ready) six lifeguards surrounding the pool (yes I said SIX). I completed about 7/8ths of my workout (about 50 minutes worth) before another person dipped a toe in the water. I really regret keeping my face under water (doing freestyle) that whole time. It really was quite special. I just have to wonder, if I had had trouble, which guard would have jumped in first, or would they all just looked at each other and continued to hug their knees under their towels that was kept the rain off.

A Guy Takes His iPhone to the Pool and ...

2009-07-17T09:28:00.001-05:00

Watch it to the end - that's where things happen. Ooops!

Pencil This In - How to Make Swimming Easier

2009-07-14T15:37:00.003-05:00

I've mentioned the pencil technique in past posts, but it's been a while, so I decided to revisit the concept after overhearing a lifeguard give a struggling (e.g., splashing) middle-age swimmer some advice about stroke motion, that while correct, neglected the rest of his body and surely left the poor man wanting.

Using the pencil technique in a nutshell is akin to swimming like a pencil - nose-to-toes straight like an arrow (point forward), minimal friction (minimal water resistance) on all sides, and side-to-side rolling (as one would turn the pencil from the eraser end keeping the point in the same spot).

The pencil technique is only the start, but if all aspects of the swim stroke include maintaining this one dynamic, I promise you or your swimmer-trainee will find swimming easier than without it.

You too can use Echolocation

2009-06-30T18:13:00.003-05:00

Wired Magazine is reporting a new way to tap into your inner dolphin. Scientists have confirmed that humans can learn echolocation or the ability to make sounds to detect objects in their immediate surroundings. Check out the article for more details.

No word if this would work underwater, so don't start thinking you are going to win all those Marco Polo games now.

Lifeguard!

2009-06-29T19:39:00.003-05:00

Check out the lifeguard station in the bottom right corner. Click link for a huge blowup of the picture (no pun intended ... pretty good pun though, huh?).

Yard Art

2009-06-28T18:04:00.001-05:00

This is just too cool for me to describe in words. Check it out.

Even shows good form!

Heavy Breathing Required

2009-06-22T18:45:00.004-05:00

Here's a video of William Trubridge doing a freedive that will absolutely make you feel like a whimp, I guarantee. Awesome. BTW, I may have mistitled this post. He doesn't even look like he's out of breath at the end. Watch how cool he is in his ascent (where I would ... if I could ... be freak'n out to get up).

Craziest Swimming Pool Trick Ever - I Promise

2009-06-14T13:57:00.003-05:00

I am guessing this guy understood the ramification of failure had he done this wrong. Scroll down to the fourth picture.

DO NOT TRY THIS!