For a few years now I’ve struggled with poor circulation in my extremities (recently a nurse-friend suggested it might be Raynauds?) Think frozen toes/fingers in ski boots/gloves etc. More recently I’ve been swimming in the Irish sea (temps 50 - 60F) for open water training. I usually swim about 1.5 - 2k which is about 20-30 mins depending on conditions and my energy levels. During the swim I feel ok temperature-wise but I can feel things starting to go numb. My lips are usually first and sometimes I can’t make a seal with them which doesn’t really bother me but is annoying nonetheless.
Once I get back to shore my feet are like blocks of ice and running faster than a light jog is uncomfortable. Biking isn’t really a problem but unless the weather is good the feet stay numb for 15-20 minutes.
Have any of you found ways to combat this numbness? I’ve tried jumping jacks etc prior to the swim but that doesn’t seem to work as I’m in the water for 20+ minutes.
edit: I could train with wetsuit booties but they’re illegal in races I assume. gloves are another option but I find they put unnecessary strain on my arms due to the additional weight.
Are you sure it’s Raynaud’s? Do your extremities get white with cold or red? I haven’t been officially diagnosed, but developed Raynaud’s a couple years ago when my hands went painfully white and cold on a 55 degree day when I was wearing gloves. I get attacks when my core is cold–it has little to do with whether my hands are cold but that’s where the symptoms manifest as white, numb fingers (except the thumb). I started Norseman last year and my hands were fine during the 80 minute swim in 56 degree water. It’s when I was on the bike and soaked through to the core that my hands went numb (along with the rest of me . . .). I dropped out at mile 45 or 50 of the bike because I was shaking so bad I couldn’t ride. My humble advice is to concentrate on keeping your head and body warm.
Here’s a pic from a thermal camera of my hands during an attack.
I’ve had Raynauds for at least 15 years that I can remember. My best advice is I don’t pick races where cold might be a factor and go do warm races where the low will likely be above 60. If it’s truly Raynauds then it’s pretty pointless to chance poor performances in the cold, they’re going to happen.
That said, anyone that swims in 50-60 degree water is going to get really cold so that may not be your problem.
You could also search the topic on here. There are a few decent threads from a few years ago that have tips on helping deal with it during workouts - types of gloves, etc.
I’m not 100% sure about the diagnosis but what you’ve described there and indicated in the image is exactly what I experience. I get a lot of wide-eyed looks when I show people pale white fingers, even though my palms are warm/red. Sometimes only a few fingers will go white. I get it in the chiller sections of supermarkets, even short dips in the sea to clean out the cobwebs after a night on the beer!
