Women's Practice Suits

Women's practice suits have advanced within the past few years.  When I started swimming, the only option I had to choose from was a racer-back, lycra suit.  This suit lasted me about a month before it became stretched out, saggy, and see-through.

Now, things are different.  Speedo, Nike, TYR, and many other brands have developed different materials that last longer and are chlorine resistant.  Some are made from polyester, PBT, lycra.

Below are some definitions to familiarize yourself with the different materials that you will be wearing:

• Polyester--- Polyester is a woven fabric with less stretch.  It is highly chlorine resistant, so chlorine will not harm it. 
• PBT--- PBT is a light, textured polyester that has a stretch resembling spandex.  It has less give or stretch that a regular Lycra suit, but chlorine does not hurt PBT.  It is a great choice because it is chlorine resistant.
• Lycra--- Spandex is the generic name for Lycra.  It has a great amount of stretch.  It is usually lined on the inside with another layer of Lycra.  This suit is not chlorine resistant; chlorine harms this suit.
• Xtra Life Lycra---  These can be found in Speedo bathing suits.  They can be combined with polyester to produce a suit that stretches and is highly resistant to chlorine.

Most training suits are now made of polyester with a combination of PBT or Xtra Life Lycra.  My advice would be to stay away from Lycra-- It easily stretches out and fades.  I would rather spend my money on a polyester suit that will last me well over a year.

There are many great suits out there!  Check them out!  My advice would be to go to www.swimoutlet.com.  They have awesome suits, and a great description of the suit's materials.

Good luck! Swim well, fast, and swiftly! :)

Morning Practice

Most high school, college, and club swim teams are beginning their morning practice routines.  These practices can start anywhere from 5AM to 7AM and last for what seems to be hours upon hours while swimming thousands of yards.

Morning practices can be tough:  it’s tough to wake up, tough to actually get out of bed, tough to wake up enough to drive to practice, and tough to get through practice when you’re half asleep.

Through my experience as a high school, club, and collegiate morning swimmer, I have come across some helpful  ideas and tips to help me ‘wake up’ for morning practices.

In chronological order:

• Pack everything the night before.  This includes a backpack, breakfast, lunch, snack, and gym clothes.  I even leave out a protein bar to snack on before morning practice.  This way, you’re not rummaging around in the morning darkness.

• **If you don’t wear your suit to practice—double check that you have packed it!

• Set two alarms!  I know how nice my bed feels at 4:30 AM, and I am always tempted to shut off my alarm instead of hitting the snooze button.  Even if I do shut off an alarm, the second one will go off momentarily.

• **I also suggest setting the second alarm on a different device, such as a watch, cell phone, alarm clock, ipod, etc.  That way, if one device dies, the second one will go off.

• Wash your face with cold water—cold.  Hopefully, this will wake you up enough to drive to practice.

• Grab a bite to eat.  I would suggest snacking on a protein bar, granola bar, dry cereal, or even just a Gatorade.  I need fuel to swim!

• Drive safely.  Don’t drive asleep.  That’s just not smart.  Make sure you get enough sleep, so you can be an alert, awake, and safe driver.

• Get ready for practice, splash more water on your face if need be, and swim well, fast, and swiftly!

Enjoy morning practice! :)