Cold water swimming

Nope, I'm not doing it! Nosirree!

I just came across an online brochure published by a local club, the Chesapeake Paddlers Association. It addresses the dangers inherent in the body's responses to immersion in cold water. One part that caught my eye said:

"Exposure of the head and chest to cold water causes sudden increases in heart rate and blood pressure, which may result in cardiac arrest. Uncontrolled rapid breathing (hyperventilation) follows the initial gasping response and may also lead to unconsciousness. The victim must attempt to recover a normal breathing rhythm as rapidly as possible."

Hey, I've experienced that even while swimming in a nice warm wetsuit when starting out in cold water!!

It also states: "Strong swimmers, without thermal protection, have died before swimming 100 yards in cold water."

Yikes! I suppose my decision not to do any more ocean-swim events in cold water without a wetsuit makes perfect sense after all!

Ready for open water swims

I bought all the new gear online for it and it should be arriving within a few days:

Neoprene socks (I'm quite sure they're going to be sexier even than Geekgirl's toesocks)
Neoprene swimming hood
Neoprene webbed gloves

I'm going to be channeling the Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Sexy or not, it's still going to take me a major act of will to step into water that will probably be in the upper 40s or lower 50s. Swimming with my face in the water may be out of the question.

I'll let you know how it goes. . . .

My butt got kicked today

My training buddy David and I did our usual training ride today to Claiborne and Tilghman Island and back. I started out bundled up warmly and feeling strong. It was about 27*F with little wind when we started out. But. . . .

On the way heading south we were riding into the wind and you can see my heart rate climbing and climbing as my pace declines steadily. The wind was increasing as we rode, up to about 10 mph with gusts to 15 mph. You can see a squiggle where we rode over the Knapps Narrows bridge (at miles 16 and 21) and then got into the shelter of the wind a little bit on the island.

After the turnaround (visible in the graph at about Mile 19) we were able to pick up the pace a little with the wind at our backs, but the last five miles I totally bonked. I was feeling tired and my back ached and my heart rate went nuts while my pace went into the gutter. It's nice to have the heart rate data after the fact, though, so I know I wasn't totally dogging it at the end - even though I was going slowly my heart said I was still working hard! That, dear readers, is what a bonk looks like!

Fortunately David, who is training for Ironman Coeur d'Alene next June, was able to ride off the front and get a little faster workout in before the end of the day to deposit in his account in the Bank of Ironman!

I found my limit

My limit for riding outside in winter is now officially 22 to 26*F and 10 to 12 mph winds. That's how cold it was for our ride today and while we had a very good workout, I don't think I want to brave it out there in anything very much colder! When the water in my aerobottle tube freezes up and the anti-splash pouf freezes in place, and the water freezes my teeth when I drink it, that's cold enough!! Plus it's kind of difficult to ride with three pairs of gloves on and your glasses fogging up every time you slow down. The small exposed area of my face got quite windburned, too, and stung when I took my hot bath upon my return home.

But the worst cold day outside on the bike is still better than the best day indoors on the bike trainer, by a long shot! We checked out the ice on the waterfront, saw a couple of hawks, and talked to my training partner David's brother-in-law the waterman, who was out working on his boat.