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Fishies- water temp and swim speed
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So there’s a nice chart for running that shows approximately how much you get slower as the temps deviate from ideal and I as slog along in the 86 degree tank that’s the only available pool for me, I wonder if something similar exists for swimming.
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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I think conditioning can change this a lot, but yeah 86 is pretty hot. Problem is, swimming being more technical, I'm not sure it's as directly linear as running.
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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I believe for the majority of people swimming in 79 degree fresh water is the fastest, thus the temp most competition pools keep their water on race days. Of course there will be a bell curve of who swims fastest at what temp, but until they can adjust the water in each individual lane they will have to go with a median or average..

My belief is that I do best in about 77 degree fresh water and about 68 degree salt water..
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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I think part of the “conversion” won’t be linear—I routinely swim in a pool that is kept around 88-90. I can swim at my normal fast pace until I start overheating —and that can take 1000-1500 yards depending on what I am doing. So...it’s ok for a while, but then you start boiling...and HR starts spiking, paces are harder to maintain.
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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There's a perfect temperature for training and competing that is probably not quantifiable, but swimmers know it by "feel." Ask them, and they'll describe it, maybe something like this:

Training: I definitely feel it when I get in, but it doesn't take my breath away. I know it will be a great temp for training during the first 25. It ideally takes about a 200-300 before it's perfect, and by that I mean that I'm aware at least a tiny bit of the water the whole rest of training. I'm not thinking, "damn, it's cold," or "it's sorta warm," or even that I'm just wet. I'm aware that the water is there. If there are breaks between sets, I should be slightly chilled waiting for the set to start, and maybe need a 25 to get back to it. I don't have a number for that, but it may be just at 80, or maybe 79.7, with some variance depending on air temp. It shouldn't be so chilly that I hesitate to get in.

Pool competition: I swim distance events, so slightly cooler is better. I'm racing, so I won't really be conscious of temp, unless it's too cold, something that I'll remember from warmup. If I experienced it too cold during warmup, I'll be behind the blocks for an event not focusing entirely on the race ahead, I'll be dreading getting in. 78.2 is great.

I don't wear a cap in the pool anymore, since I'm balding. Caps make it easier to swim in slightly colder water.

OPEN WATER: lots of variation there. Early May, 2017, Air and water temp were 68. I couldn't find my wetsuit. After pacing the shoreline for 15 mins after my friends got in ("it's warm right here!"), I finally got in. It really wasn't that bad at all after about 3 minutes. A few years earlier, similar conditions at a race, and I went without my wetsuit. A year or two before, I'd beaten a guy I had no business beating in the 4K, a recent college grad who was an all-American swimmer, because I wore a wetsuit. He looked so pissed in his finish photos. I haven't worn a wetsuit in any races since, even in 68 degree water.

I'll add this: a favorite description of cold water swimming among some of my masters and tri friends in Tulsa is "makes it look like a button on a fur coat."
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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In addition: I've been thinking about doing a LONG pool swim (12 or 24 hours). I guess I'd have to do long training swims to figure this out, but I wonder if it's better to be in slightly warmer water towards the end of the swim, because of the threat of hypothermia. I wouldn't be killing the pace, so it won't have to be too cool. But, as anyone who has ever taught kids' swimming lessons knows, a teacher can be in 87 degree water for 30 mins and still get out chilled.
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [Trexlera] [ In reply to ]
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I find that pools being even a few degrees warmer makes a massive difference, whereas running it's not noticeable. Running in 80 vs 78 is no big deal but swimming it's huge. Also important to remember that the ambient air temperature will affect things as well.
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [140triguy] [ In reply to ]
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Does it also depend on the ambient temperature? If I'm swinging my arms around in a cold breeze, I can handle it being a couple of degrees warmer.

'It never gets easier, you just get crazier.'
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [xterratri] [ In reply to ]
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Just anecdotally, 2 years ago we had a meet at a pool that was very very warm. Not sure of the temp, but they kept it at "recreational and seniors temp" for the meet, so mid 80's maybe?

A few weeks later I swam 22 seconds faster in my 400free at nationals in a properly temp controlled pool. I was shaved for nats, and the level of competition is higher which pushed me a bit more, but it doesn't make that much difference.

Swimming Workout of the Day:

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2020 National Masters Champion - M50-54 - 50m Butterfly
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Re: Fishies- water temp and swim speed [JasoninHalifax] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Jason. Everyone has contributed what the optimal temperature range is but the only pool I have access to is kept at 86 F due to the vocal water aerobics and swim lesson participants. Having taught swim lessons myself, I know my tolerance for temperature is different teaching (standing around) versus actual swimming. I would prefer it a good 6 degrees cooler but that isn’t happening so I really wanted to know how much of my slowness I can blame on water temp and how much is just me sucking from not having swam consistently in years. I felt particularly bad doing a 1000 TT followed by a 500 Friday night so shorter swims may be better tolerated so the point about it not being linear is quite likely true.
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