I can finally see again in the water!

After two years of actively getting back into the pool, I have decided to buy some more equipment to help with my training.  I picked up a pair of pull buoys since the pair I use at the Rec Center are often taken, and I also bought some more tubing to replace my worn out ones for my hand paddles.

I also made some apparel purchases as well.  I had finally given up on the old Speedo Bikini trunks when I started back and moved to the square-leg style suits.  My trusty green mesh have seen me through many laps and still has held on to its color, but I made the splash to a pair of jammers (think bicycle shorts for swimmers).  Actually two pairs.  The main one that I will be using is made by Dolphin and has a special chlorine blocking material to help it hold up to the chemicals I jump into three to four times weekly.  I also picked up a suit by Speedo that will be used for competitions - not a tech suit but also not made from polyester like the Dolphin.

The coolest thing that I got was the pair of goggles below.  I have two pairs that work fine, but since I do not have my glasses on in the water I am practically blind!  I am always asking for the workout details or what time on the clock we need to leave for the next set.  I have tossed the idea around of getting a pair from the local glasses shop, but the cost is over $100 for individualized glasses.  It just so happened that I came across these need specs from Kiefer that allow me to see again!  They cost under $20, and you have to get the same strength on both sides - although me left eye is a bit worse than my right, the -4.5 diopter pair allows me to see again in the water!  I can now look at the workout board for the next set without disturbing my lane mates, and stun them by leaving on the correct intervals!

The one downside that I am getting used to is the fact that I see a little too well when I approach the wall for flip turns.  The last 2-3 yards get blurry so I have been working to time my turns better.  I am still deciding if I will use the optical goggles in meets or just for practices.  I used the "mint madness" goggles my twiny Jillsey gifted to me a few years ago - I will try out the possibilities when I swim again in the middle of February.  Other than that, I can now mean it when I say I will see you at the pool soon!

Click here to see what allows me to now see!

KIlpatrick Athletic Center Updates: Pool Updates 1/25-1/31

Kilpatrick Athletic Center Updates: Pool Updates 1/25-1/31: "Greetings From The Pool, I've ridden my bike through some pretty crazy conditions lately, but with the current Arctic Blast from the north,..."

Well, I was one of the Masters swimmers to brave the cold to attend the Pace/Maker's meet on Sunday, 1/23/2011.  My first competitive swim meet since August of 1996.  With Lena, Emma, Preston, and Madison in tow, we drove to Simon's Rock College in Great Barrington, MA, as the outside temperatures hovered in the single digits, passing through Pittsfield and Stockbridge (Norman Rockwell's old stomping grounds) with a few "shortcuts" in between.  Warm ups started at 12pm and the meet at one - a great facility that boasted an eight lane pool with electronic timing and lots of old folks ready to churn up the water.

We found the pool!

I met with Bill Meier, the aquatics director and masters coach at Kilpatrick, to introduce myself and get some info on the meet process before warming up.  My buddy Jon told me that Bill helps to organize some open water swims during the warmer months, and I am invited to join them on those Wednesday evening swims around western Massachusetts that usually finish with a potluck supper.  Bill suggested that I meet Jim, a retired Cape Codder that took part in his first masters meet last year at this event.  I talked with Jim as he was working on some crossword puzzles, his way of relaxing before the event.

After a long warm-up, during which I switched between two pairs of goggles to find the best fit as I got used to the layout of the pool, and some sprints from the blocks, I met with the other swimmers for a quick meeting with Bill and the referee for the event.  I volunteered to join in a medley relay with some swimmers from Pittsfield who were one person short, and then stretched out before the meet began.

I swam the backstroke in the 200 relay, and our team finished first with a very respectable time under 2:10.  Dan, one of the guys from Pittsfield, commented that he hoped I would get tired out before the 100 backstroke event later in the afternoon.  Quickly thereafter I took off for the 200 freestyle, and did well despite mucking up the turns due to curved ends of the pool.  Hey, I have to blame someone other than myself for flipping multiple times way too close to the wall!  haha  I finished first with a time on 2:06, so I was very pleased.  I can tell that my endurance is not as strong as it used to be when swimming 5-6 days a week in high school, but for a middle-aged, overweight guy practicing 3-4 days a week I am content.

Seemingly minutes later, I took off from lane 3 for the 50 butterfly.  I churned hard and fast, but was third into the wall for the turn.  I was able to edge out the guy in lane 2, but was beaten by the fast guy in lane 1.  So second place with a time of 28.34 was alright for me.  So at this point, I was feeling pretty tired indeed, and we all had a great time swimming hard with little rest.  I was able to sneak in a few easy laps before the IM's to strech out, and say hi to my lovely roving photographer wife and kids in the the galley above the pool.

Last up for the day was the 100 backstroke, with Dan swimming in the lane next to me.  I had a good start and went strong into the wall, then started churning the water hard.  The 50yd split was 32.34, which was much slower than the rest of the swim, so my attempt at negative splitting was basically a success, but practically a failure.  I finished out the second 50yd split at 30.76, for a final time of 1:03.10.

My first meet was now ended, and I learned a lot about getting back into the competition of swimming.  I am finding that the pace of the meets are much faster than my old times with the Marauders, as I was finished with the relay and my three swims in just over an hour.  Also, my lungs are shot and I need to work more on alternating my breathing and my lung capacity.  I am sure the extra 20 pounds since high school does not help the situation.  I also enjoyed the supportive atmosphere of the meet, as everyone was approachable and helpful as I dove back into the water for the first time.

I am looking forward to two more meets in the next couple of months.  I will be heading to Framington, Mass during the middle of February for an afternoon meet, and then I will complete the winter season at the New England Championships at Harvard University in the middle of March.  Now, time to keep training!

The Music is Back on Underwater ...

Lena and the kids have been great in encouraging me to change my shape from roundish to more vertical, and bought me a wonder gift for Christmas in 2008 - the Swimp3 device.  It gives swimmers an alternative to hearing nothing but the sloshing of water or their own wheezing attempts to breath for practices that can range from 30 -90 minutes.

I was excited to get this player because I had heard about it online as I looked at getting back into the water.  I remember back in 1988, my brother Bryan convinced mom and dad to buy him a waterproof plastic case for his Walkman tape player.  As I recall, it hook around the waist like my infamous fanny pack, and was the equivalent of a stronger, more dense Zip-Lock bag with a belt clip.  I think that it fared well in the water, but it required the use of earphones and was a bit bulky - after the swim, your ears felt like you were the recipient of 25 "Wet Willie's" and the plastic pouch dug a nice outline into your lower back.

Now we're jamming!

The SwiMP3 held 256mb (or about 60 songs), and was able to produce about 8 hours of playback from a three hour charge.  Music is transferred via Windows Media Player, iTunes, or direct dropping of music files through the computer.  I used Windows Media and had a handful of playlists that I can use to quickly add music based on the type of workout or mood that I am in.

I noticed that in early 2010 the music was not coming out the right side of the player (the non-control side).  This was ok as I was still able to hear from the left side, and I was happy with that.  Unfortunately, the playback started to get worse through the remaining side, and progressed to the point where the music would play for 10-15 seconds and then the device would shut down altogether. So a delemia - what to do?  I knew that the warranty was expired as the gift was two years old, but I decided to search their website for ideas.  I found a note from someone with the same problem, and they had sent the unit back for inspection.  I figured I'd give it a shot, too.

I got a hold of Finis support through their website, and opened up a return ticket.  Joe, one of the techs there, was very helpful in setting me up with all the info to return the unit for diagnosis.  I paid to ship it to them, and they paid to send it back.  After checking it out, Joe was not able to fix the problem so he sent out a new pair of SwiMP3's, which was awesome.  As a bonus, since my model was the "old one," I was upgraded to the current SwiMP3, which is 1GB and holds around 250 songs with a playback of 15 hours after charging!  I was so excited!

Visit the: Finis SwiMP3 website

I love sharing my experience with the SwiMP3 with folks at the pool, and also the strong commitment that the company has to keep swimmers jamming out during those long and boring laps through the water.  I definitely recommend anyone who spends a lot of time in the water (like me) to check into Finis and their SwiMP3 player.  If you ever want to give my a spin, please feel free to ask the next time you see me in the pool!