Open Water Swim Clinic - Another day in paradise

I conduct Open Water Swim Clinic's for people that are afraid or have anxiety about open water swimming.  Most triathletes don't like the swim.  The swim is my favorite part, I would like it to be longer.  It's the smallest part of a triathlon :(

I swim in the ocean often.  As I may have mentioned I live in South Florida near the beach which is usually warm, clear and beautiful.  There are also a lot of other people in the area that like to swim so I never have to swim alone :)

I often find myself helping out people that are very anxious in the water so I decided to do clinics to help people conquer their fear of open water swimming.  There are techniques and tools you can use for this.  The open water swim can be the most fun part of the triathlon, plus there are numerous open water swim events throughout the year that can be lots of fun too.  I teach people how to turn it around from fearful to fun.

This morning I had two ladies that are signed up for their first triathlon in Key West.  Today was, for one lady, her first swim in the ocean and she had a wetsuit on (no anxiety there, right?)  Yikes!  She did amazing.

The water was beautiful, not too cold, actually perfect temp.  Fairly clear with some swells.  The ladies did amazing.  Each of them had breakthroughs about swimming in the open water and are looking forward to more!

I am so lucky to be able to share part of their journey, one of the many things I love about triathlons.

Life is amazing, it can take you where you never thought you would ever go.

I never in my life thought I could do a Half Ironman Triathlon let alone a full Ironman.  Sometimes circumstance and the stars just align and things come together to make it possible.  I never understood those crazy triathletes that put themselves thru incredible training and events.  Why?  I get it now.  It's so empowering, it shows you that you are capable of more than you ever thought.  It teaches you that you can endure thru tough conditions.  It toughens you mentally to get thru extreme conditions and adversity.  This all translates to real life, it's so much bigger than just competing in a triathlon.  It's the camaraderie of all your fellow triathletes and the support of family and friends along with those training with you.  I can only speak for myself but triathlons have changed my life, how I think.  Anything is possible.  And I have such admiration for everyone that does them, from the pros to the last person thru the gate.  I know what they've done to even get there, the sacrifices, the hours of hard work and the obstacles that get in the way.

No one ever has to do triathlons to learn these things, everyone has their own journey and it's different for everyone.  I find that fascinating.  I've started a few new projects and will be posting about them in the future.

1) Open Water Swim Clinics - I love swimming, I love swimming more in the ocean than the pool but love both.  I'm fortunate to live near a beach that is warm, clear  and usually calm most of the year.  But I've been surfing and swimming in extremely rough water with 6-10 foot waves.  Not much bothers me, I understand the risks and how to navigate rough water and big waves.  I also know when it's too much and not to go on.  I know that the swim in triathlons is usually a  problem for most triathletes.  It's my favorite part and too short for me.  So I'd like to help others overcome their fear/anxiety of open water swimming.  With a few tools open water swimming doesn't have to be terrifying.  Some of our swims in rough water has been lots of fun.

2)  I'm actually writing a book,  Survival Guide for Your Orthopedic Issues.  From being a Personal Trainer and a triathlete, from my own experience as well as all the people I work/train with, I've received a lot of knowledge about how to cope with orthopedic problems you may have.  How to manage it and get the best results you can.  It's a work in progress at the moment.

3)  I've just signed up for a full Ironman in Panama City, FL.  That's going to be one heck of a journey, will post the journey as I go.

And looking for a new job.........  as well as trying to keep up with my husband, never enough time in the day!

Don't give up! Get a 2nd or 3rd opinion! Stay positive!

I have a good story for why you need to get 2nd opinions and never stop asking questions. A friend of mine, who is a personal trainer, developed hip pain in both hips. It got worse with running and cycling. She went to a doctor and he said it was Bursitis, gave her an anti-inflammatory and said to give it a rest, back off on the biking and running. It did get some better but didn't go away. This went on for months. She happened to mention it to a physical therapist and he suggested it might be iliaccrest syndrome. She went home and used her foam roller, specifically on her glute medius (she said it hurt like crazy) and that relieved the pain. That's the thing with the foam roller, if it hurts it means you really need it. So now she is utilizing stretching techniques and the foam roller to help manage her issue. If she hadn't kept on asking people she would be on the anti-inflammatory indefinitely and never really resolve the issue. Luckily this issue can be resolved. Even if you have an issue that can't, like arthritis, there are always options to make it the best it can be. Don't give up, be proactive and stay positive!

It's been way too long since I posted.  Got busy with work and life.  I live in South Florida and it's very seasonal.  When season hits it's all out until season is done.  Good and bad, summers are easy but season is so busy there isn't much time for anything else.

It's been 3 1/2 years since by double hip replacement.  I've continued to work on my mobility and I am still getting more range of motion in my hips.  I also continue to compete in triathlons.  They have taught me amazing valuable lessons and I've met some incredible people thru them as well.

I just finished and International distance triathlon, Rocketman Triathlon, at the Kennedy Space Center.  I wasn't race ready but I had enough base I knew I could do the distance.  I did it because you get to bike through the Kennedy Space Center!  How cool is that?

Doing triathlons also reminds me how thankful I am that I can do them.

I've learned so much orthopedic issues, from being a personal trainer, coaching beginner triathlon groups, kids triathlon groups, swim coaching and just talking with others about their issues.  Many people don't know there are options out there to get better or manage whatever their problem is.  So I'm in the process of writing a book.  I want to give people a checklist of options for them to manage their orthopedic issues.  Whether that includes surgery or not.  Sometimes it's so minor if you get a handle on the issue before it becomes big. 

I've also developed an Open Water Swim Clinic for people afraid of swimming in open water.  I'm very lucky to be able to work in an industry I have a passion for and can help people.  I also want to get my Level I USAT coaching certification so I can do more coaching for beginner triathletes. 

Everyone's orthopedic story is different, even if we are talking about the same joint.  I love hearing people's stories and will always try and pass along any good information.

My first words of advice is don't ignore an issue.  My sister ended up with a frozen shoulder because she just ignored the pain.  Finally it got so bad she couldn't use her arm.  She thought it was a rotater cuff issue and would have to have surgery.  The doctor sent her to physical therapy for exercises and now the pain is going away and she is getting the use of her arm back.  She went years with pain and loss of mobility.  Had she gone when it started bothering her she could have avoided that and the rehab time would have been much less.  Plus, if it had been a torn rotator cuff and required surgery, waiting that long would not have given her the best chance for the best recovery from the surgery. 

When you have pain that's not a sore muscle or just wrong, go find out what it is.  Then you can decide what you want to do about it.  Make informed decisions don't ignore it!  That in itself may save you lots of pain and time in rehab or even surgery.

My husband teases me that I see my doctor too much.  But I'm very active, not young and issues come up.  I've found if I go to my doctor when things aren't right he can often give me a fix to get me back to working order pretty quick.  Sometimes that means not working out and resting, sometimes it's a therapy called Active Release, sometimes it's specific exercises.  I know that I would not be in such good shape or functional if I didn't do this.  I want as much mobility as I can have considering I have osteoarthritis everywhere.  Life is going to throw stuff at you, it's what you do with it that makes the difference.  Don't be an ostrich with your head in the sand.