Scary and Weird, all in the same day

Stitcher · Jan 28, 2011

Scary:
 
So, I manage to get up and out of bed on time to go to my metabolic testing appointment at 6:00 am. You can't eat before it, so early mornings are the best time for them. Plus, I could do it and still get to work on time for our monthly fun-fest-faculty meeting.
 
Sooooooooooo There I am, driving along in the pre-dawn hours, the only car on this particular road at this particular time,...
and what do I see?
It appears to be a mailbox, with reflective junk on it to keep cars from running it over.
There's very little relative motion of it....I mean, there's some because the road undulates, but in general, it appears pretty stationary.
However, as I get closer to said "mailbox" I realize that it's a runner, in a VERY reflective vest. Yay!.
But, it looks like the runner is in the MIDDLE OF THE DANG ROAD!!!!! 
I brake, so as to avoid smushing said runner, only to realize that the runner is on the other side of the road, running facing traffic, and generally doing everything right.
Whew!!!! 
I then realized that the illusion was a result of a curve in the road, and the runner happening to be at the exact right place at the exact right time to create it.
 
So, crisis averted.
And, I was DEFINITELY awake after that.
 
So, PSA: (Not that we need to be told, but just in case)....If you're a pre-dawn runner, make darn sure you're LIT, and REFLECTING, and running the correct direction. Don't forget to be aware.....because, in spite of doing all of that, one of them nearly got smushed today due to a strange convergence of conditions.
 
 
 
Weird;
 
Master's swimming today was POWER day. When we do long course, that means lots of sprints. Today, it meant circuit training. 
 
2 times through:
station 1: Weight rack swimming (wear a belt, connected to weights on pulleys. Swim till the line runs out. Put percentages of body weight on the rack)
station 2: In the middle (15 yd) pool - dive starts to the other side, and back easy)
station 3: from a push - 3 lengths FAST using fins
All elements on a 1 minute interval....so, 42 straight minutes of hard swimming.
Do you know how hard it is to cough and hiccup at the same time? It actually causes pain.
 
Of course, all this after the 1200 yd warmup.
 
Anyway......during the warmup....many flip turns and open turns for breast stroke and drills.....I start to realize that I feel .............. "funny."
 
Then, in the middle of a turn, I realize that the pool is tilting. And, when I look up at the ceiling (turned to do backstroke), the ceiling was tilting.
Yep............... vertigo.
 
Normally, I combat it by making sure that I squeeze my ears extra special hard so that I'm not torquing my neck w/out realizing it, and make sure that I focus my eyes on markers in the pool the same way a dancer "spots" rather than letting my vision blur. 
 
Worked a bit, but not much.
 
Nearly every single flip turn, I was markedly dizzy, and had to spend at least 3-5 strokes figuring out which way was straight to finish the lap.
Pulling myself up out of the water to get on the blocks during station 2 was an adventure, to be sure!
 
 
 
So, I decided to get pizza for lunch after practice.
Surprisingly.....the vertigo is mostly gone now, with just a slight feeling of motion (like I'm on a boat or something),
and, even though it's not gone all the way.....that pizza was sure a nice treat.
 
 
 
Ok, I just re-read this.....even I think it's a bit rambling. That's what happens at this time of day on a Friday, though.

MBannon · Jan 28, 2011

Also, don't be one of those dufus runners that wears a blinkie red light on the FRONT. EEesh. Okay, maybe not so super critical for runners, but cyclists who do this should be banned from the roads!!!
 
Sorry about the vertigo, Stitch. Sounds....weird.

melistic · Jan 28, 2011

First I had no idea swimming could sound so cool!
But how do you suck wind and swim at the same time?
what happens when you are weighed down and the line runs out and your on minute 37 and exhausted? 
 
<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Stitcher <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980343"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> Weird;
 
Master's swimming today was POWER day. When we do long course, that means lots of sprints. Today, it meant circuit training. 
 
2 times through:
station 1: Weight rack swimming (wear a belt, connected to weights on pulleys. Swim till the line runs out. Put percentages of body weight on the rack)
station 2: In the middle (15 yd) pool - dive starts to the other side, and back easy)
station 3: from a push - 3 lengths FAST using fins
All elements on a 1 minute interval....so, 42 straight minutes of hard swimming.
Do you know how hard it is to cough and hiccup at the same time? It actually causes pain.
 
Of course, all this after the 1200 yd warmup.
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 it was dark last night as the boy & I played leapfrog with a runner as we dropped off preteen girls around a subdivision. he/she had a mini flashlight used to point at every other foot in stride and bright vertical reflective stripes down her back. Now we had seen him and her us several times. He was running with traffic and was easily seen from the back (easy since we were looking) she had NO reflective light visible from the front. Just the flashlight playing back & forth, to which I must admit I would not have seen if the boy wasn't commenting on it. Then a biker and a wheelchair joined our whole leapfrog brigade, riding against traffic. The chair only had a reflector on his backback and the biker was all in black with reflectors only on spokes. So the runner was running with traffic and seen from the back but hardly seen from the front, unless looking. The wheelchair and the bike were riding at us yet neither could be seen. Also, the biker/chair turned in front of us, as if they had the right of way. To conclude stupid folk are everywhere. lesson: pay attention when you're driving - pay attention when you're sporting
 
 
NOW, what's this about Pizza for vertigo? How's that? Never heard that one!

Stitcher · Jan 28, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melistic <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980388"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
First I had no idea swimming could sound so cool!
But how do you suck wind and swim at the same time?
 
-----You cough and hiccup while holding on to the wall between repeats. 
 
what happens when you are weighed down and the line runs out and your on minute 37 and exhausted? 
 
 
-----The line pulls you back to the wall, very fun.....makes butterfly a bit easier.

it was dark last night as the boy & I played leapfrog with a runner as we dropped off preteen girls around a subdivision. he/she had a mini flashlight used to point at every other foot in stride and bright vertical reflective stripes down her back. Now we had seen him and her us several times. He was running with traffic and was easily seen from the back (easy since we were looking) she had NO reflective light visible from the front. Just the flashlight playing back & forth, to which I must admit I would not have seen if the boy wasn't commenting on it. Then a biker and a wheelchair joined our whole leapfrog brigade, riding against traffic. The chair only had a reflector on his backback and the biker was all in black with reflectors only on spokes. So the runner was running with traffic and seen from the back but hardly seen from the front, unless looking. The wheelchair and the bike were riding at us yet neither could be seen. Also, the biker/chair turned in front of us, as if they had the right of way. To conclude stupid folk are everywhere. lesson: pay attention when you're driving - pay attention when you're sporting
 
NOW, what's this about Pizza for vertigo? How's that? Never heard that one!
 
-----Oh yeah......definitely a good antidote. It wasn't the best pizza I'd had.....but it was yummy enough for a treat.
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melistic · Jan 28, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by Stitcher <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980391"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> <div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melistic 
 
what happens when you are weighed down and the line runs out and your on minute 37 and exhausted? 
 
 
-----The line pulls you back to the wall, very fun.....makes butterfly a bit easier.

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ugg, how do you not drown? doesn't all the water go right up your nose! shudder! that's why I "swim" from the beach chair. Well. one of many reasons, lol

Stitcher · Jan 28, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by melistic <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980394"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> 
ugg, how do you not drown? doesn't all the water go right up your nose! shudder! that's why I "swim" from the beach chair. Well. one of many reasons, lol
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvucbwr35QI" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cvucbwr35QI</a>
No sound, but note how he wears a belt, and how he returns to the wall.

KitKat · Jan 29, 2011

Neat! And totally worth watching just to see a dude in a Speedo. I swam with a parachute on Wednesday which was a first for me. Probably somewhat of a similar sensation except it doesn't pull you back!

Stitcher · Jan 29, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by KitKat <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980398"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border:0px solid;"></a> Neat! And totally worth watching just to see a dude in a Speedo. I swam with a parachute on Wednesday which was a first for me. Probably somewhat of a similar sensation except it doesn't pull you back!
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 Yes, exactly....AND, the line on the power rack is only 10.5 yards, so you can't go the whole length of the pool. With a parachute, you can (I think).
 
There are some power racks where you can have LOTS of weight on them......but, for me today, I was working with just 30 and 25 pounds (I took off 5 pounds on the second time through the circuit). When the varsity swimmers are there.....their power rack work is LOUD...you can hear them zipping the line through the pulleys.

melistic · Jan 29, 2011

OH *slapshead* hehehe you turn around!
See I thought it pulled you literally backwards - feet first - PHEW, I'm sure it would pull me literally backwards and I would die! it looks much easier in the video than it was 'in my head'
 
I'm off to the sand... where there's little chance of drowning!!!

Stitcher · Jan 29, 2011

he he he he he.....
 
And, I was having a brain-fart and couldn't explain it with words, so the video was a good thing!

pcsronbo · Jan 29, 2011

Pizza cures all, just sayin'
 
that drag line sounds FUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN where can I get me some?
 
I have BPPA (Benign Position Plahplahplah Adunnothename) - anyway, where the crap in your ears bounces around and gives you vertigo. Not solution, just desensitisation (wow me spell gud and me remember good too) really sucked for 4mo of flip turns, now only rare. Nothing like trying to make it to the middle of the pool without running into the lane line !

Stitcher · Jan 29, 2011

Ron, my mom has that too.
Only, when she has an attack she gets so nauseous that she hurls.
Dad had to rescue her from a ladies room in a Pro-shop at a golf course once when she was incapcitated. She now carries dramamine with her in her purse at all times to help combat an attack if it comes on.
 
I tend to get dizzy and lightheaded from standing up too quickly but it's a different sensation than when I get it in the pool.
 
I find it mildly entertaining, to be quite honest. I've found my "squeeze the head" and "spot" techniques tend to help while in the water. 
Today, though, the odd "in motion" feeling lasted for a few hours after the workout. Just enough so that I hung out at work until everyone was consistently straight up and down.
 
Posting from bed now....getting ready to sleep...super early.
Sometimes I wonder if fatigue is a contributing factor.

Stitcher · Jan 29, 2011

<div class="quote-container">Quote:
<div class="quote-block">Originally Posted by pcsronbo <a href="/forum/thread/72387/scary-and-weird-all-in-the-same-day#post_1980416"><img alt="View Post" class="inlineimg" src="/img/forum/go_quote.gif" style="border-right:0px solid;border-top:0px solid;border-left:0px solid;border-bottom:0px solid;"></a> Pizza cures all, just sayin'
 
that drag line sounds FUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN where can I get me some?
 
 
 
Master's workouts!
Or, for a couple hundred, you can find a supplier that will sell one.
But, they're at least 7 feet tall and are HEAVY...so transporting it to/from the house will be a bit of an engineering challenge.

<img alt="wink.gif" src="http://files.kickrunners.com/smilies/wink.gif" style="width:16px;height:16px;">
 
I have BPPA (Benign Position Plahplahplah Adunnothename) - anyway, where the crap in your ears bounces around and gives you vertigo. Not solution, just desensitisation (wow me spell gud and me remember good too) really sucked for 4mo of flip turns, now only rare. Nothing like trying to make it to the middle of the pool without running into the lane line !
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Scary and Weird, all in the same day

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