David Goggins, former Navy Seal and ultra-distance athlete talks about how to use your mind to overcome great challenges.
He argues that we seek comfort and it’s important to put yourself into uncomfortable situations in order to grow.
He says the biggest war we are going through is right in our mind and we have to train our mind to be tough.
His story about his first 100 mile run in under 24 hours is amazing. Would you have been able to do what he did? How can you strengthen your mind so that when life gets tough, you can overcome great challenges?
Is swimming part of your regular fitness routine?Check out our products that make you life a little better outside the swimming pool.
A chlorine leak at the Strood Sports Center in Rochester, England sent four to the hospital to have their breathing checked. Reports indicate that everyone was okay and the pool was only temporarily closed until the leak was identified and fixed.
I think we are all grateful that chlorine is used in swimming pools, at least for the sanitizing health benefits–and for the use of chlorine at low, “safe” levels.
Chlorine, however, isn’t always safe. At much higher concentrations chlorine can be dangerous. It is so toxic in fact, that chlorine was one of the the first chemicals to be weaponized.
Chlorine gas, used on the infamous day of April 22, 1915, produces a greenish-yellow cloud that smells of bleach and immediately irritates the eyes, nose, lungs, and throat of those exposed to it. At high enough doses it kills by asphyxiation.
Let’s just say that chlorine is dangerous and is not to be messed around with. If you smell an unusually strong chlorine odor (yes stronger than “normal”) evacuate the pool and call you emergency number.
Pool chlorine leaks are rare, but not uncommon. Twice in the past year Berkely High School has had a chlorine leak. You’d think once would be enough, but apparently the problem wasn’t fixed properly after the first incident.
Here are some articles related to the Strood Sports Center chlorine leak:
One essential in every swimmer’s bag is soap. In this article we discuss:
What you should look for in a swimmer’s soap.
Alternative products to soap that you should consider.
Products that work well in combination with chlorine removing soaps.
You may be asking if soap removes chlorine? The answer is: yes it does, and here are soaps made just for swimmers.
What makes a good soap for swimmers?
When looking for soap that removes chlorine, find those that are made for swimmers. Swimming-specific soaps have special ingredients that neutralize chlorine. Quality soaps are also gentle and moisturizing.
Has these features:
Neutralize and gently wash away chlorine.
Moisturize your skin.
Chlorine is a tale of two stories. We are happy that it is sanitizing the swimming pool, but unhappy about wearing it around all day after swimming.
It’s a fact of a swimmer’s life, they have to deal with chlorine. Swimmers who want to look and smell like a normal person after swimming seek products that remove chlorine.
What alternatives are there to soap for swimmers?
When it comes to skin care for swimmers, there are a few alternatives to using soap.
Here are two products you should consider:
Shower Gel — Our anti-chlorine shower gel is highly effective at removing chlorine. It’s a product you should at least consider. Our customers often will use the shower gel at the swimming pool and the soap at home between swims.
Anti-Chlorine Spray — If you just want the strongest product that removes chlorine, try our
ELITE: For competitive athletes who are in the swimming pool more than 5 times per week.
Goodbye Chlorine: For avid swimmers who are in the swimming pool up to 5 times per week.
Swimmer Kids: For kids who love to, or who are learning to swim.
Protect: For people who want extra protection from chlorine.
Our soap is one of the most effective ways of removing chlorine after swimming. Use it in combination with our other products for maximum results.
What product do we recommend to use with soap?
Try our anti-chlorine lotion made for swimmers. It returns moisture to you skin that was lost to the chlorine in the swimming pool, and it also neutralizes chlorine just in case you missed any spots in the shower with the soap.
I speak for most all swimmers: We are extremely grateful for the discovery of chlorine and for sanitary swimming pools. Science ABC wrote an easy-to-read article explaining how chlorine works to keep our swimming pools sanitized.
The last point they make is that although we’re happy chlorine is used to keep our pools clean, it is also an irritant. Here is what they say:
Is Chlorine an Irritating Agent? While chlorine undeniably helps in decontaminating the water, the potential drawbacks of treating pool water with chlorine cannot be ignored. It has a very sharp, distinctive smell that is not particularly appealing to many people, and it can also cause itching of the skin, which is thoroughly irritating to swimmers. Hypochlorite ions can also stick to fabrics if not rinsed immediately after leaving the pool. This is the reason why the colors of swimsuits fade rather quickly. At unusually high levels, chlorine can even cause breathing problems and be hazardous to human health.
We make moisturizing skin lotion and hair conditioners for swimmers. If you would like to see these moisturizers for swimmers then follow these links: lotion and conditioner. See our buyer’s guide to find out which product line is best for you. Otherwise, keep reading.
Chlorine makes your hair and skin dry
If you’re swimming, you’re most likely swimming in a chlorinated swimming pool. It’s by far the most used method of sanitizing swimming pool and is very effective. That sanitizing effect, however, has it’s side effects. The most common complaint of avid swimmers is they have dry hair and skin (and smell like chlorine).
You’re not alone if you’ve been a frequent swimmer and have noticed your hair and skin becoming dry. “Swimmer’s hair” or dry, brittle and crunchy hair is a common swimmer stereotype not to mention that swimmers often smell like the same chlorinated swimming pool they use. What’s also common but not talked about as much is dry skin.
Chlorine irritates the skin of many swimmers. Some people call this “chlorine rash”. Whatever you call it: a rash, eczema, or dry skin, it’s terribly uncomfortable. Dry, itchy skin caused by chlorine can drive you crazy.
So here is what happens. Chlorine bonds to organic matter. This is how it sanitizes the water. And guess what? You are large organic matter. It follows then, that when you jump into the pool, chlorine bonds to you.
This chlorine bond s not easy to break. Have you ever thought that to get the chlorine off you will just take a longer, more thorough shower? And were you disappointed by the results? Of course, because chlorine forms a strong bond with your hair and skin. It has a way of just hanging around. The proof that chlorine is still on you is that you smell like the swimming pool long after getting out of it.
The proof that chlorine is still on you is that you smell like the swimming pool long after getting out of it.
Frustrating indeed. Instead of taking super long showers, what you need are products designed to release the chlorine bond and gently wash away the left over chemicals.
Moisturizer for Swimmers, lotion and conditioner
These are great moisturizers for swimmers: Our lotion and hair conditioners are designed to neutralize chlorine (and bromine), balance pH, and return moisture to your hair and skin.
These products contain moisturizers including Olive Oil, Rice Bran Oil, Cacao Seed Butter and She Butter as well as conditioners that quickly return moisture to your hair and skin.
The combination of: neutralizing chlorine, balancing pH and returning moisture makes these products ideal for avid swimmers.
Congrats to Caeleb Dressel and the US National team. They had a dominating performance at the Short Course World Championships.
Caeleb Dressel and Kelsi Dahlia each earned nine medals, while Mallory Comerford and Olivia Smoliga racked up eight each as the U.S. easily topped the medal standings at the world short-course swimming championships that ended Sunday.
Getting up in the morning seem like an unbearable chore at time, but Mel Robbins has a brain hack that she claims is a successful remedy to sleeping in.
She calls this hack the 5 second rule and claims it helped her deal with severe anxiety and found out later in life that the method had scientific and biological merits. Since then she has written a best selling book by the same name (The 5 Second Rule) to spread her ideas to people who are stifled by anxiety.
The 5 second rule is simple: When you feel anxious simply count backwards from 5 to 1. A method she admits seems too simple to be true, but is adamant it works.
One simple thing everyone can use the 5 second rule for is getting out of bed when the alarm goes off in the morning. Simply count backwards 5-4-3-2-1 and then after finishing the countdown get out of bed. She says this works because we are wired to act when a countdown is complete. Think of a rocket launch. We all know when the countdown reaches 0 the rocket blasts off, and that’s what you’ll do in the morning after using this technique.
Additionally, the 5 second rule diverts our attention away form the thoughts that are causing our anxiety. She says that it only takes five seconds for our minds to sabotage previous agreements we made with ourselves, so the countdown sidesteps that problem as well.
She says this technique can be used for all sorts of things, especially when faced with uncomfortable situations when we would rather be quiet. Do you want to say something in a difficult negotiation? Simply say to yourself 5-4-3-2-1 and that should give you the courage to deal with the uncomfortable situation.
If it works for getting out of bed in the morning that seems like a win.
Check out her interview with Chase Jarvis.
How can you apply the 5 second rule? What anxiety will you be able to overcome by using it?
When it comes to swimmer’s hair, an “ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” as Benjamin Franklin said. The best ounce of prevention to avoid “swimmer’s hair” is the good ol’ swim cap.
Use a swim cap to prevent “swimmers’ hair”
Coincidentally, a latex swim cap weighs in at about an ounce. Putting on a swim cap is easiest when you fill it with water and dump it over your head. Use tap water from the shower if possible. Yeah, we hear you, most avid swimmers just dip the cap in the pool and dump it on, but if it’s swimmer’s hair prevention you want, the best is to use tap water.
So how does it work? First, the tap water is absorbed into your hair making it more difficult for your hair to absorb the pool water. Finally, the swim cap provides a physical barrier between your hair and the pool water, and helps to keep it out.
It helps, but it won’t completely keep the pool water out. Let’s be realistic, you’re swimming in the pool. Pool water is going to find itself into every nook and cranny of your body. And over time, the accumulation of chlorine will do what it’s best at and dry out your hair.
Use conditioner to prevent “swimmers’ hair”
There are other ways to prevent chlorine from damaging your hair.
If you want to keep your hair looking good, you’ll need more than just a swim cap. Our all-time favorite product is our anti-chlorine conditioner. You can apply some before you put on a swimming cap, and use this product after swimming in the shower. It neutralizes and gently removes chlorine as well as returns moisture into your hair. It’s an excellent product and we’re sure you will get great results with it.
We sell our conditioner in shampoo and conditioner packs, so if you want a discount by purchasing them bundled check this link out.
There are two videos below: One that is a fun video 12 Ways to Put on a Swim Cap, and a serious video about putting on a swim cap with long hair. Enjoy!
