Overcoming the Open Water...Tips please!
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Runningirl7284
Posts: 274 Member
Hi ladies! I am new to the Triathlete world only doing it a year now and coming up on my third tri. I was a runner for years and have come to love swimming & biking if not more than running as it is easier on the joints (which I tend to have an issue with at the age of 30) My problem is I am decent in the pool can swim a 400y in 6:40 but my sprint tri I swim a 10 minute 400y due to I can not get my breathing in control and get anxious running into the water with all the other people at once, after swallowing water I really couldn't get my breathing under control and had to swim with my head up 2/3 of the race. I have swallowed a lot of water in this last weekend's tri which ended up making me feel nauseous the rest of the race. It is embarrassing and really upsetting as I train so hard during the week and I need to overcome this. People are in front of me that I smoke in training.... I finally find my stroke/breathing on the way back to shore, which is too little too late for a decent time. This cost me placing in my first tri by 7 seconds and getting 1st place in my second tri by 10 seconds which is very upsetting for me. I train with a Master's group in a pool 3-5 times a week, around 3000y each practice, which includes drills and speed. The open water in my area has a lot of bull sharks currently in it so I can not get anyone to go with me to practice and it is a safety issue to go on my own. Any tips greatly appreciated!
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Well, you addressed what is likely to be everybody's first recommendation, which is to get more open-water swims in. That said, one recommendation I've seen is to try and recreate the starting thrash in the pool. You'd need some like-minded pool swimmers to join you, but the idea is that a number of you would crowd into a lane and try to replicate the feel of swimming with a lot of people in not a lot of space.
An alternative is to avoid the big pack at the start of the swim, by moving off to one side or by hanging back a bit at the start. Either one of these might cost you some time, but it might be worth those seconds to be able to maintain your composure, which would pay off over the duration of the swim. With any luck, others will weigh in with more and/or better advice.0 -
Thank You for the tip Bob, I was going to recommend to my Coach to pick up the lane lines so the pool will get real choppy with all the swimmers. I definitely struggle with getting a mouth full of water when I'm expecting air. I was just wondering if other people have these same issues?? Do they just breathe on one side to avoid people/waves? I naturally breathe bilaterally so I am more comfortable with it despite our one sided breathing drills. Do other triathletes typically expect to get a mouthful of water or two in a race or is it just me?
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Runningirl7284 wrote: »Hi ladies! I am new to the Triathlete world only doing it a year now and coming up on my third tri. I was a runner for years and have come to love swimming & biking if not more than running as it is easier on the joints (which I tend to have an issue with at the age of 30) My problem is I am decent in the pool can swim a 400y in 6:40 but my sprint tri I swim a 10 minute 400y due to I can not get my breathing in control and get anxious running into the water with all the other people at once, after swallowing water I really couldn't get my breathing under control and had to swim with my head up 2/3 of the race. I have swallowed a lot of water in this last weekend's tri which ended up making me feel nauseous the rest of the race. It is embarrassing and really upsetting as I train so hard during the week and I need to overcome this. People are in front of me that I smoke in training.... I finally find my stroke/breathing on the way back to shore, which is too little too late for a decent time. This cost me placing in my first tri by 7 seconds and getting 1st place in my second tri by 10 seconds which is very upsetting for me. I train with a Master's group in a pool 3-5 times a week, around 3000y each practice, which includes drills and speed. The open water in my area has a lot of bull sharks currently in it so I can not get anyone to go with me to practice and it is a safety issue to go on my own. Any tips greatly appreciated!
you've just described 99% of everyone's first open water swim race. my tri club had a Triathlon 101 workshop last night for newbies, and we spent a good time talking about the swim. this was all addressed. you will get anxious, you will get kicked, you will swallow water.
i was a competitive swimmer in college, and nothing could prepare me for my first triathlon. it was a full contact event without any lane markers to keep me on course. the best thing to do is to just keep doing races, and eventually you'll start to get used to the whole thing.
it's a good idea to have a recovery/rescue stroke. i've been known to throw in a few yards of breast stroke to catch my breath while still moving forward. practice the Tarzan drill in the pool (swim freestyle with your head above water) to strengthen your neck.0 -
Wow thanks so much that makes me feel a lot better that I'm not the only one really struggling here...we do the Tarzan drill I think that's what actually saved me as I saw a girl doing backstroke and I was able to go quite a bit faster even keeping my head up freestyle. I don't want to give it up but I just need to conquer this if I want a chance at getting the times that I know I'm capable of. I have another one in 2 weeks in a river so I am hoping to redeem myself! Thanks again for the tip 0
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I've got my first ever open water swim in less than a month - wetsuit came yesterday :-) I've got an online coach who is getting me to get used to breathing by doing 50m spits at the end of my normal training - 25m out using as much energy as I possibly can- forget efficiency just go for a near burnout, and then 25m gentle back. This is allowing me to get used to keeping going and not internally freak when I take water on while I'm absolutely burned out. It seems to be working as well . I have no real experience of this but it seems to make sense.0
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Remember, there's no one way to cover the swim distance. You'll see people doing backstroke, sidestroke, breaststroke ... I'm not proud of it, but I have at least twice been reduced to a furious dogpaddle when things got out of hand.
If this is your first time with a wetsuit, you'll want to practice getting it on and off. Maybe not in a chlorinated pool, though, since that's murder on a wetsuit. First, let it soak in cold water overnight, then hang it to dry. Even after it feels dry to the touch, it will still be more ready for use. If you have Body Glide or something similar, put that on your forearms and lower legs. Put the suit on when you're dry, like you will in the race. Then, get in the shower with it and get good and wet. Practice taking it off when you're wet, like you will be in the race.
Of course, if you can get in an open-water swim or two with the suit on, that's the best thing. It will likely feel like it's a bit constricting, but you get used to it. It's just better not to get used to it during your first race. Apologies if you know all this stuff already, but ... maybe not.0 -
Yes, I think triathletes do try to become proficient breathing on both sides, but on any given open-water swim, you might need to breathe on only one side. This will depend on the direction you're swimming, the choppiness of the water, wind direction, other thrashing swimmers, etc. You do what you can to take in air and not water.Runningirl7284 wrote: »Do they just breathe on one side to avoid people/waves?
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Thanks everyone again for the tips. I decided to swim in the river on Sunday despite the shark warnings as I need practice desperately. I think my big downfall is that I am used to bilateral breathing so then in my last two tris I am swallowing a lot of water from the people next to me & waves. I am definitely going to practice more drills breathing on one side so I am more comfortable with it. I will not be wearing a wetsuit as I am in Florida and the water is quite warm already.0
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Runningirl7284 wrote: »Thanks everyone again for the tips. I decided to swim in the river on Sunday despite the shark warnings as I need practice desperately. I think my big downfall is that I am used to bilateral breathing so then in my last two tris I am swallowing a lot of water from the people next to me & waves. I am definitely going to practice more drills breathing on one side so I am more comfortable with it. I will not be wearing a wetsuit as I am in Florida and the water is quite warm already.
funny, most triathletes have to learn to breathe on both sides, not the other way around.0 -
Runningirl7284 wrote: »I decided to swim in the river on Sunday despite the shark warnings as I need practice desperately.
Well, you are officially my hero!
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True dat. I can't imagine any scenario in which I would use the phrase "despite the shark warnings" to refer to myself.ephiemarie wrote: »
Well, you are officially my hero!Runningirl7284 wrote: »I decided to swim in the river on Sunday despite the shark warnings as I need practice desperately.
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Go to a busy beach and practice in open water. I'd still work on bi-lateral, but expect to have to change your rhythm or timing depending on conditions. Sometimes if there are a lot of people or waves then you are forced to breathe out of one side or the other, but then may have to change sides unexpectedly (ie you have to swim the other way against waves, or the patterns of legs in your face changes). It can be quite anxiety inducing, but you get used to it.0
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One more tip on the wetsuit - Some wetsuits have a little flap on the back of the neck that folds down over the top of the zipper. Then another flap folds over this to hold it down. I didn't know this when I rented my first wetsuit The flap chafed the back of my neck for the whole race and gave me a weird burn that took several weeks to heal. In talking with other athletes, this is a pretty common newbie mistake.0
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I just volunteered at an open water clinic this weekend. The instructor (who is an open water swimmer, I don't think he actual does any pool coaching, only open water stuff) had some great tips. The three I came away with this weekend were:
1) get your face wet first - if the water is colder than what you're expecting, the splashing on your face will get your body regulated faster than just getting into the water by wading in. It will also keep your HR and body temp under control a bit better than the surprise of jumping in at the gun all jacked up with nerves.
2) warm up (either get in and swim prior) or jumping jacks, running in place, etc. Get your HR up so that it's not a shock when the gun goes off.
3) focus on breathing OUT not in. You'll take in more water and freak out faster if you're just focusing on getting air in...and that air will have difficulty getting out if you're not focused on breathing out. So think hard and focus on that one.
Then the regular stuff others have pointed out: stay back, stay to the side (closer to land), draft to conserve energy (think bird migration patterns), flip over rather than upright, head down.
Also start out slow...and stay slow. You don't win it on the swim, but you can lose it on the swim. Stay slow and steady...the energy you lose from FTFO (freaking the F out) you're not going to regain. Conserve that for the bike and run.0 -
Preach! My first few open-water triathlons I finally emerged from the water already completely spent. My last one was better, and I'm planning to get in the water a few times before my first tri of this season. Surprisingly, panic is not part of a good race strategy....the energy you lose from FTFO (freaking the F out) you're not going to regain. Conserve that for the bike and run.
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