Pain in the Neck!

I had this happen to me before. I determined it was caused by head position and movement for me.

I was turning my head, and holding it up higher than the rest of my body, rather than keeping my neck
straight and turning/rolling my whole body. I was also swimming more breast stroke, which I was holding
my head up out of water ( holding it back actually ).

Moving to a head down swim position, and rolling my body, the neck pains stopped for me.

-Chris

I had this problem when I first started swimming and eventually took a lesson.  My problem was that I was very tight and tense in the upper back and neck when I swam.  Not surprising since I was trying to swim 25yrs w/o drowning and I had one speed.  I worked on relaxing my whole body and now no neck pain/strain.  Work on your head position and work on your balance in the water, each of these should help. 

It happens to me, too, for the first few laps, but it does go away. I have to consciously create the image in my head of stretching out and just letting the water hold me up. I think of it as a big giant bed. That helps me to stop fighting with the water, and using my neck muscles to hold my head up. The water really will do that for you.

Andrea

Like other muscles, those that haven't been worked in a while will get stiff/sore/painful until the body adapts.
Keep at it. I agree with having a coach or other veteran swimmer give you feedback on your positioning in the pool.
Are you lifting your head out of the water to breathe?

Yep, dyhte.... same for me.
Looking up when in the aero position causes pain for me.
Not only in my neck, but shoulders and low back sometimes as well.

I will get a sore neck if I am sharing a lane. It is because instead of looking at the bottom of the pool, I am looking ahead so I don't hit the other person. After I realize that they are staying on their side, and I am staying on mine, I relaxe and the pain starts to go away.

As for biking with areo bars, I get some pain in my neck because I am looking up again. I have read that you shouldn't ride in the aero position too long. I switch every few minutes to stretch my neck and back. It also helps my arms stay fresh.

I find that the pain in my neck is because I am not looking down at the lane lines, but instead looking far ahead in the pool. Once I relax and just watch the bottom of the pool then the stiffness begins to subside.

I agree with the riding on the aero bars for too long even though I am only a novice rider. I often move up and down every few minutes all over the handlebars--from the aero bars, to the top, to the drops and to the top of the Shimano gear changers. I have discovered by accident that my hands, arms and back fatigue less as well.