May 31, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Lake Monsters, Swim Reports
Having the alarm clock sound off at 4:30am on a Saturday morning doesn’t make much sense to most people. And if you tell them that you’re doing so in order to swim a mile in 56F lake water, you’re bound to get some very strange looks. But the sunrises are astounding this time of year, and the spring swims are by far the most memorable.
I took out my camera to get a few shots of the awesome sunrise from Lincoln Park, and I was horrified to discover that my camera battery had run out power. After vitriolically cursing of the gods of irony, I rode down to Ladder #1 and found Chris already there. Carol joined us a few minutes later as did new Lake Monster Danny.
The water was calm and clear and came in at a crisp 56F. I was testing out my new Xterra fullsuit, and Chris and Carol opted to go with wetsuits as well. Danny and Amanda (who arrived later), however, did their swims in just swimsuits. I’m working my way up to that, but I may have to reach the 60F mark before I go the distance in just my jammers!
Post-swim was a fun celebration as always. There was plenty of hot tea and good conversation to go around, and we were all happy that we got in a swim before it became overcast again. See what you missed out on?
Me, Carol, and new Lake Monster Danny
May 28, 2009 / by Steve / 7 Comments / Filed under Tips & Techniques
Kevin Koskella of Tri Swim Coach has an article at Active.com on “8 Ways to Handle Swimming in Cold Water.” Here are his recommendations:
1. Wear two caps. You lose most of your heat through your head, and doubling up your “capage” helps you to keep your heat in.
2. Wear a neoprene cap. Neoprene is better suited for cold water than standard latex.
3. You also lose lots of heat through your feet. Neoprene socks are a good idea, but you may want to use these mostly on training swims, as they can be a hassle when it comes to transitioning to your bike on race day.
4. Wear a wetsuit—but more specifically, a full suit. The sleeveless suits allow heat to escape through your armpits. I learned this the hard way when doing the Alcatraz swim in 52 degree water with a sleeveless, Farmer John-style suit. By the time I finished, I was in the early stages of frostbite. Keep in mind that, according to USA Triathlon rules, wetsuits are allowed at triathlons with water temperatures of 75 degrees Fahrenheit or below.
5. Put in earplugs. When the water drops below 60 degrees, I think earplugs become necessary—and they do work well in keeping your core temperature up.
6. Practice swimming in cold water in the weeks before your race. At first, it can be a shock to your system that can lead to hyperventilating or a panicked feeling. You will want to swim slowly until you catch your breath. The first time you experience this it can throw you off, but with practice you will get used to it and be able to relax into your swim.
7. Do a significant warm-up the morning of your race (10 to 15 minutes, minimum). This will minimize the shock effect that cold water can have and allow you to get into a stroke rhythm much faster.
8. Blow bubbles before taking off on your swim. When the cold water hits your face, the shock causes your lungs to contract, causing breathing problems. Go waist deep into the water and submerge your face to blow bubbles. This helps alleviate the shock of the cold water.
These are really good tips, especially the part about taking it slow early on in the race. Just a few items to add to this list:
9. “Prime” your body with a progressive cold shower 30-45 minutes prior to immersion. Train the water on your head, face, neck, and upper torso since these areas contain the greatest concentration of skin temperature receptors. If done correctly, you can easily forgo the ear plugs, neoprene cap, booties, and even the wetsuit in water as low as 50F.
10. Avoid dehydration (i.e. alcohol, caffeine consumption), low electrolyte intake, and sleep deprivation 8-12 hours before the swim. These things compromise your body’s ability to manage colder temperatures.
11. Smile and have fun out there!
May 26, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
We were hoping for a nice sunny Memorial Day morning at Ladder #1, but overcast skies and gusty winds made the swim area a veritable washing machine. I had my wetsuit with me “just in case,” but I was still pretty beat from Sunday’s Bike the Drive. So I drank tea and chatted with Carla and Dave, totally content with staying out of the cold, chaotic water. Until Chris showed up…
Chris came out already suited up and jumped right in the drink. Not wanting to miss out on any fun and adventure, I donned my wetsuit and leaped in as well. The water was a bit chilly but a total blast nonetheless. We didn’t swim too far away from Ladder #1, but we sure got a workout treading water and navigating the whitecaps! Here are the shots:
Choppy water
Chris in mid leap
May 23, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Lake Monsters, Swim Reports
Sunrise came at 5:25am, and Chris and I were there early to snap a few shots. The official water temperature came in at 55F with some mild waves keeping things interesting.
Dave, Carol, and new Lake Monster Amanda showed up at Ladder #1. Amanda, who is preparing for a gigantic Hudson River swim, opted to go sans wetsuit. I was still smarting from a pretty ferocious afterdrop after my swim on Thursday, so I stuck with the wetsuit this time.
All four of us completed the out-and-back to Oak Street Beach, and we ventured more away from the wall and into the open water this time. The water conditions were slightly wavy but crystal clear. I’m excited about summer, but I have to say that springtime swims are by far the best!
I’m planning on being out Monday at around 6:30am, but Dave and Chris should be in the drink tomorrow morning. If you come out on Sunday, be sure to wish Chris a happy birthday!
Pre-swim huddle
Amanda, Lake Monster #26 (Congrats!)
May 22, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Great Lakes
There’s an ugly rumor going around that summer begins in late June. Something to do with a “solstice” (whatever that is). Well I’m here to tell you that this is a dirty, rotten, Communist lie! Summer starts here when the beaches open – and they just did at 11:00am today.
I’ll see you in the lake!
May 21, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
Dave, Chris, and I all got in a swim today sans wetsuit. Dave and Chris hit the lake early in the day and did a 3-mile out and back to Ohio Street Beach. Per Dave:
may 21 09
chris and i decided on trying to pull off a swim sans wet suits… as we hit the half mile mark we kept going to ohio street beach to see how much cooool water we could take. after a quick stop at ohio st we headed back to finish the 3 miler. i am sure we hit everything from 48 to 57 degree water on the way. there were some very very cold spots. i wished at times to have worn the 3 mil but we did survive. friday 11a.m. beaches open…
I was out at Ladder #1 at around 6:30pm, and I opted to go with just my jammers and thermo shirt. While I can definitely confirm the presence of some much cooler pockets of water along the swim route, the bracing lake water felt fantastic! Plus the show was amazing…
The highrises on the west side of Lake Shore Drive had mostly blocked out the sun. This created an abundance of shady areas alongside the retaining wall where huge schools of minnows had congregated. And as I cut through the sparklingly clear water, they would swarm about all around me – sometimes darting suddenly in between my fingers mid-stroke!
The only glitch was that I didn’t bring my camera out to capture any of the images. And one that I would have liked to have shared is the sudden appearance of Ladder #2 through Ladder #12 out at the swim site. That, in my humble opinion, is the true harbinger of summer!
May 17, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
Per Chris:
Okay this is the official swim report for sunday may 17th… after watching a brilliant sunrise from ladder #1, I proceeded into a slightly rolling lake michigan, after the beach landing and heading back to ladder one the gentle undulating waves almost lolled me into a deep trance like state of mind, this could be because i only logged about two to three hours of sleep, so for all the rest of you lake swimmers, drop and give me twenty. Not making the weekend morning swim is considered as an unauthorized absence, therefore for your next swim a half mile extra is due, more than that is considered X-tra credit. After completing my mile swim i decided since i didn’t perish from saturdays 1/2 wetsuit dunking, i completed a 1/2 mile plus just bathing suit swim in the 53 1/2 degree water. For all swimmers next weekend the beaches officially open.
May 17, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Swim Reports
Carol, Chris, Dave, and I all met at L1 really early to get in a quick mile. We stopped at Oak Street Beach for a few minutes and regrouped before heading back. The water was a crisp 52F and completely calm. The sky was overcast with a slight misty drizzle that moved in after we had finished swimming.
Dave and Chris did a bit more swimming around L1 sans wetsuit. I gave it a shot as well – but only for about 30 seconds. Overall, a real fun time out at the swim site!
Carol and Chris post swim
Dave and Chris
May 14, 2009 / by Steve / Make A Comment / Filed under Cool News
Check out the article in today’s Sun Times. It looks like Vince Deur’s efforts to expand beach access to non-motorized sports are starting to bear fruit. So far the Chicago Park District has agreed to consider the possibility of allowing offseason surfing at areas such as Montrose Beach, Rainbow Beach, and 57th Street Beach. Year-round surfing would be allowed at 41st Street Beach.
Per Deur:
” “We are taking baby steps in the process and hope to get more beaches in the future…Now that we have a toe in the water, so to speak, we want to do it right and keep a good thing going…Surfing is not a crime.”
And neither is swimming!
May 12, 2009 / by srhernan / Make A Comment / Filed under Fitness & Training
Take a look at the following graphic:
(click to enlarge)
This is from the Medscape CME article “The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Hormones and Metabolism“ which was published in April 2005 (click on the link in Google Scholar). It’s a bit technical in some parts, but it’s a very good overview of how sleep deprivation affects the pituitary-dependent hormones.
In a prior post, I discussed the impact of sleep on human growth hormone (HGH) levels. This piece will focus on the role that sleep plays in the production of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and how this influences your performance in open water swimming.
If you take a look at the top series of graphs, you can clearly see how sleep deprivation significantly lowers the levels of TSH produced in your brain. TSH regulates the endocrine function of the thyroid gland and stimulates the thyroid gland to secrete the hormones thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). Consequently, insufficient sleep leads to lower levels of thyroid hormone production – something known as hypothyroidism.
While this type of hypothyroidism is mild and temporary, it can nevertheless have a substantial impact on your ability to function in open water environments. This is because one of the primary effects of hypothyroidism (be it temporary or chronic) is cold intolerance.
In other words, even mild sleep deprivation can negatively impact your ability to swim in colder water.
I can tell you from first hand experience that this is right on the mark. And I can also relate that the colder the water temperature, the more rapidly you lose the ability to effectively thermoregulate if you are sleep deprived. When we were out in the lake with water temperatures in the sub-40F range, that one half hour less of sleep made a huge difference in one’s comfort level in the water.
So make sure you rest up properly the evening before any swim in the lake (or any open water event for that matter). Because one half hour of sleep in either direction can make or break you in the water.
