In line with the competitive swimming, and marathon running, event preparation has resulted in a lighter load in the swimming pool. I would like to say that this was a planned taper, but it was helped by pool closures. Wish me luck at the weekend!
This week’s experiment has been with ear plugs. I think I must e one of the last to catch on with gadgets for swimming. In the pool, I’ve watched people hide these discreetly under their swim caps and swim on. This week I thought I’d try some for myself. The benefits go beyond keeping water out of the ears, for some children they make an enormous difference to a swim session, and some ears problems are caused by water. One retailer goes as far as saying they are “swimming essentials”.
To try these out, the initial test was in the pool. I was fairly confident that if they fell out or became annoying, the problem could easily be resolved. No problem, they stayed in perfectly, and I was happy that I wouldn’t lose them as soon as I started swimming in the lake (zero visibility). however, I was very conscious of them and took them out after a short while.
In the lake – this is where I thought they would come into their own. Lakeside, I could hear a friend’s conversation, though it was a little muffled. In the water, I soon forgot they were there. The water was fairly warm (22 degrees), so the cold was not a problem. The big test would be wading out. Last week, I staggered out, wondering how triathletes manage to run out of the water, ride a bike, then run further. Transition from swim to bike might not be quite as simple as it sounds, even for a swimmer. Is this a common problem?
This week, with ear plugs, I’d like to say that I ran out of the water, but I was taking things one step at a time, no problems.
Do all triathletes wear ear plugs? Do you?
just Trying to Swim...and Run... 