New Toys

I mentioned in an earlier post that I placed my first order in two or more years from SwimOutlet.com. So what did Santa bring me?  First, I acquired some new goggles. Those are always needed, and to swim with a new pair is incredibly refreshing. It always amazes me how much better I can see when I put on an unused pair. Swim with old goggles long enough and you begin to hit your head on the wall while failing to negotiate flip turns. That doesn't feel good and can be dangerous. 

I also got a pair of fins that fit. For the last few years, I have been operating with a pair one size too large. To make them work, I would sometimes pack a pair of heavy boot socks in my swim bag. But I really don't like treating big socks like that. Besides, that necessitates putting on the socks, and packing the wet heavy ones back into my bag at the end of practice. What that meant practically was that I did little work with fins. My mind goes all over the place on the need to even do kick sets. As a marathon swimmer, kicking is not a big deal. But with this new interest in the big swim meet on the coast, I am beginning to think like and train like a pool swimmer and that means kicking.

Besides goggles and fins, I also picked up a new jammer. Jammers are to swimmers what barbie dolls are to little girls. You can never have too many because putting on a wet one is not fun. Usually my daughter gives me jammers for Christmas. I hope she does that again this year. I have decided that I like the cheap ones from Sporti the best. They are a little thinner and thus they are more comfortable than the more expensive models and don't start pulling down in the back like the thicker ones do. When your jammers started drifting down, your concentration is challenged. Nothing is worse than having something to worry about when you are trying to do a really long set or worse, a marathon swim.

And finally, I bought a new pair of paddles. Paddles also are like barbie dolls. I have lots of them, and I want more. This latest pair is an extra, extra large set from TYR. Mostly I bought them to see if they were really as big as advertised. They are as humongous as advertised. I do most of my paddle sets with Speedo Power Paddles. I have the small, medium, and large pairs. Now I have a really extra large pair from another company. Those things are so big they frightened me a little. I used them last night and refused to swim over 25 yards at a time with them. They will either make you strong or destroy your shoulders one. Or both. I will continue to use them but sparingly, and  hopefully I will build an immunity to their destructive potential.

Notice how the clear TYR dwarfs
my go-to Speedo paddle.

So now I am planning my next order. I want more goggles, more jammers, and more paddles. I even thought of getting a tempo trainer and a mono fin. Not that I need anything, but what does need have to do with it? That's right, nothing. Thank you, Lord for toys and time to play with them.