What off-season? Early season racers Mentor Group - OPEN! (Page 5)

Good luck!

Do it!

This is the shortest route from point A to point B. Do some research on local coaches - I'll even help you find them if you'd like - and you'll take a HUGE step in the right direction. 

People tend to avoid this route (price, pride, time, or many other reasons) but unless you're a fish, you can learn a TON and improve a lot in just a few sessions with a competent coach. 

Good luck, and HAVE FUN!!

First of all: Not a doctor. Just a coach. Background is in Engineering...

Disclaimer: hip pain can be really serious. In Basic training for the Army, any mention of hip pain would get you a 3-day profile instantly (no physical activity at all)

Is it on the outside, like in this photo:

I've dealt with IT band pain, but in my knee. It gets tight and rubs on the bursa sac and causes pain.

If it is your IT band, these are my go-to exercises, along with foam rolling your entire leg - not just the band!

Even now, when I feel the tightness/pain coming on, doing this consistently keeps it at bay.

Ug, high 80s in the pool makes me wanna barf!

Speaking of barfing, I've got an FTP test on the bike trainer tonight.

Ran 5 miles this morning with the dog, he's really getting in shape!  Felt my legs at the start from yesterdays trainer ride but came to me in no time.  Said bye-bye to the cold and mild humid air is back, ahhhh!

Some riding and swimming later. Neither of which should be hard. Been kind of sick the last few days. Never really felt that bad, but just enough to make working out look unappealing and to be very disruptive to sleep. Seem good enough to do something again, but going to pass on Masters tonight to go on my own.

I've had various things happen, but can't remember too much detail as it usually isn't persistent through several workouts.. Mostly it was slow down or even stop, try to get things to loosen up. Done if it doesn't. I didn't try to press through because of what Elaine said. Tend to do this for a number of pains.

Thank you Elaine.  I will check on my local Aquatics center for a coach. How much do you think this cost  per session?

BTW, I had to change my username since it goes more with the theme

OK question for you all.  Who here incorporates CSS or Critical Swim Speed testing and pace into their swim training? 

http://www.swimsmooth.com/training.html

I recently heard about this and like the concept as its based on "testing" and is adaptable to any distance as the CSS Pace is determined between 2 distances and times.  So if you're like me and don't swim much but need to build I can test at short distances and extend as I progress.

I don't regularly test my own swimming - I've been a swimmer since age 5, swam in college, all that good stuff.

Currently, though, my CSS is roughly my pace used throughout my swim practice. I swim in the 1:20/100 yd lane, and our intervals are based off of that on distance days. So, I use it, but don't usually test.

I do test with my clients though - and for two reasons: 1. to gauge progress, so they can see their improvement clearly, and 2. to adjust workouts. I usually use the 200/800 for most of them, but I may consider the CSS with a new client I just got, who isn't currently swimming long enough workouts to justify an 800m TT.

You can also ice directly on the bursa sac. 

I don't really test either. On my own, there is no clock to use anyway. At masters there is, but I usually have a decent sense of what I can accomplish. I'll generally get into the fastest lane I think I can do. We've had some nice additions since summer and so more people up towards the faster end (for us at least). Always a couple on the border between lanes as the times will be close now. Right now I'm also swimming at ~1:20/100 on longer stuff and should be able to pick it back up quickly enough if I can stop having various sickness problems.