Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.

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2009-08-02 11:41 AM

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Subject: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
I had planned a swim of pyramid intervals (100/200/300/400/500/400/300/200/100) at below, i.e. slower than, T-pace today.

I got started and the first thing I noticed was that I was swimming faster than my old T-pace with minimal effort--I'd changed my head position, entry, etc. etc. and was just moving much more efficiently. I tried to slow it down a little just to be sure I had enough in the tank for the whole workout.

After the first 300m interval I'm still feeling good from a form standpoint, but then comes the 400m interval. Less than 100 into it I'm feeling really sick to my stomach. Not dizzy or anything, just nauseated. I stop, take a break, realize that I need to cut things back a bit, and decide to start descending and do the second 300m interval--and I barely get through that. 

Now it's been about an hour and I still feel queasy. I had a good breakfast, but I did drink perpetuem for the first time while swimming--I ride/run with it all the time, though, so I doubt that played a role. Maybe it was hydration, because it was extremely warm as usual and I didn't really drink a ton of fluids this morning. It's been about a week since I've been to the pool, but I wouldn't expect myself to decondition that fast.

So frustrating--Ended up only swimming 1300, feel like crap, and I have my first oly in a month. I really, really hope this was a one-time thing.

Edited by DrPete 2009-08-02 11:43 AM

2009-08-02 12:47 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.

I used to experience that occasionally when I was short on sleep for several nights.  I found I could swim through the queasy feeling at a much slower pace and eventually (after 2k yards or so) I would start to feel a little better.  If I got out of the pool while I was still feeling queasy, I wouldn't get over it for hours.  My best guess is that the onset of that horrible queasiness was the result of sleep deprivation.  It used to hit me on my swims about once a month when I was working and pursing an advanced degree at the same time, and 4-5 hours of sleep a night for many nights in a row was not unusual for me at that point.  I haven't experienced that problem again since.

2009-08-02 1:16 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
Sometimes our bodies betray us; good days, bad days, everybody has them. You might be tired, dehydrated, underfueled, could be any number of things that conspire to make your body do this. Rest, hydration, and food is combined cure.
2009-08-02 1:33 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
Man that's crappy...we all have our good and bad days...Just in case you wanted to know I remember reading in my exercise physiology book that you loose most of the gains that you make with endurance in about a week (if you stop training)...of course if your still running and biking I wouldn't expect you to struggle that much...hope it gets better I have those days all the time with my swims, but I haven't gotten sick.
2009-08-02 1:46 PM
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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
meblack - 2009-08-02 2:33 PM Man that's crappy...we all have our good and bad days...Just in case you wanted to know I remember reading in my exercise physiology book that you loose most of the gains that you make with endurance in about a week (if you stop training)...of course if your still running and biking I wouldn't expect you to struggle that much...hope it gets better I have those days all the time with my swims, but I haven't gotten sick.


Yeah, I've been running and riding, but have just had a lot of trouble getting to the pool in the past week. I was all excited to finally go and had a good workout planned. Crazy thing is I'm not even tired--I felt better in the water than I have in a long time. Until I started wanting to puke, that is.
2009-08-02 2:04 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
Join the club. The wife and I went for a brisk walk to the local gym, she was not doing anything major, so I thought I would fit in a quick 40min swim, and at my normal pace that should be around 2000m. I got out the pool 40 min later and only 1750m. This type of thing always make me think, what did I do yesterday or earlier today that could affect my swim? I did a 2 hour bike the day before and I really tried my best there so maybe that effected it, or maybe it was because I did not eat a proper breakfast . I am sure there is a lot of factors, I know if it cold around here my run normally ends up being a bit slower than normal. (We South Africans are not used to cold at all)
So I would not be to worried about being slower for one or 2 sets of training, we are not machines.

2009-08-02 4:31 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
Sucks about your swim. I am going to suggest that perhaps the Perpetuem was the culprit. Maybe what you can handle on a ride or run from a nutrition standpoint is NOT what your body cares for in the water. Just a thought.

BTW......that stuff makes me puke just to taste it......got a whole container here that I cannot stomach. Blech.
2009-08-02 4:59 PM
in reply to: #2322254

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Subject: RE: Absolutely miserable swim today... can't figure it out.
I learned the hard way that although solid food (like part of a Cliff bar) is fine, I can stomach ZERO sports drink prior to a swim.  I'll spare you the graphic details -- let's just say that I went beyond 'feeling' like I needed to puke.  (No, I didn't do it in the pool.)

So yeah, I agree with aquagirl that it could have been the drink.
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