Sunday, March 7, 2010

I smell like Chlorine!


I’m assuming most people that read this know me, but for those that don’t, I’m also a divemaster and I tend to smell like chlorine from May – Sep. I work with classes and I can just never get the smell out of my hair or my SKIN. This year, I’ve entered into the chlorine zone earlier than usual! I do try to explain this to at least the women in my dive classes. First, be sure to use special pool shampoo – the chemicals dry your hair, not to mention if you’re blond, you can turn GREEN!!! The second thing is that it just destroys your bathing suits. I totally make fun of “kids today” (yea I’m old) for wearing their pants around their butts, but I feel like my bathing suits end up there very quickly because the elastic lasts about 8 weeks tops!

The worst though, is that I CANNOT get the smell of chlorine out of my skin. I can scrub and scrub and its still there. UGH!

BUT – onto the good news. TI (Total Immersion) swimming is going well. We had another lesson on Sunday but it was another 2.5 hrs in the pool with not a lot of strong activity. People forget that you CAN get hypothermic in 90 degree water.

We spent the time learning and drilling. I’m still at the stage where I am thinking WAY too much.

• Where is my hip?
• Where is my arm?
• Is my outward arm at the right angle?
• Is my head facing down?
• Is my other arm coming up and switching properly?
• Are my arms in the wide track?
• Are my hips stacked or are they at 45 degree angle?
• Is my body streamlined?
• Am I kicking from my knees or hips?
• Am I breathing?
• Am I letting my hip FALL?
• Am I shoving my shoulder down (like I’m not supposed to)?
• What stroke number am I on?
• Am I going to kick Alexis in the head?
• Am I going to run my head into the wall?
• Am I going to get a snout full of water?

THANK GOODNESS I don’t really have problems breathing while swimming, I swear I was a fish or sea turtle in a prior life I don’t want to have to consider trying to add that to what I have to think about.

We did a 1.25 hr spin class followed by drilling in the pool today. I did about 1000 yards of straight drills. I think I did about 500-800 yards on Thursday (I didn’t count).

I’ll stay out of the water tomorrow and will get back in to freshen up my ode-de-pool on Tuesday!

2 comments:

  1. I have been doing my training at Gold's. The pool there is 18.5 meters long (I believe), so there are a lot more turns, BUT......they do not use chlorine. Their pool is salt water. I am fortunate to not have the same dilemma you face.

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  2. Kevin that's awesome for the smell, but your bouyancy will be different once you get to fresh water :). John and I thought about changing our pool to a salt water pool, it was too expensive to switch it over!

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