Open Water Swimming Tips?

pezhed

I did my first open water swim last night and have a triathlon coming up June 17th. The swim yesterday was TERRIBLE. I've been swimming regularly in the pool and planned to take breaks from freestyle, but I hardly did any proper freestyle last night due to anxiety in the murky water. Couldn't make myself exhale into the water at all.

I plan to spend as much time as I can in the local reservoir in the next couple of weeks but any pointers this community can provide would be greatly appreciated!

__TMac__

Your plan to spend more time in open water is good. Familiarity will help with comfort. I grew up on a lake so I don't have that issue, but lots of people do. You're not alone.

This won't help with murkiness, but I found that alternating breathing sides (every 3, rather than every 2) was helpful for keeping a straight line and dealing with waves.

mitch16

I'm doing my first sprint tri in September--following for tips!

Penthesilea514

TmacMMM wrote: »

Your plan to spend more time in open water is good. Familiarity will help with comfort. I grew up on a lake so I don't have that issue, but lots of people do. You're not alone.

This won't help with murkiness, but I found that alternating breathing sides (every 3, rather than every 2) was helpful for keeping a straight line and dealing with waves.

I never did triathlons, but I was a former swimmer that did multiple open water swims in different types of water (river, lake, brackish water). Totally different experiences, each with different issues (oil! boat wake! jellyfish!). But I found that breathing on both sides as suggested kept me on track, regardless of the conditions. Getting used to murky water will also help. Good luck and have fun

Also, don't know if you are swimming in an indoor or outdoor pool, but goggles that are tinted/reflective (like sunglasses) for sun protection are very nice to have- sun glare off of the water can be very blinding.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

My favorite topic! I love the challenge of swimming in open water, ponds, lakes, and ocean. I even swam at Nauset beach on Cape Cod last year, where there were shark sightings. Now that gets you going! (There were lifeguards and lots of people-- and seals-- in the water. It was high tide and I swam along the beach within about 10ft of shore.) OK, so you don't have to do that!

For ponds and lakes: practice practice practice. There is nothing in there that can get you. Maybe swimming in shallow areas first will help. I like seeing fish and plants. On Cape Cod, the ponds are full of stuff to look at, including fresh water clams dotting the bottom. It's wonderful.

My only concern has been the microbes. I use a nose clip and have very well-fitting (TYR) goggles (also tinted and polarized). When I get out, I put alcohol in my ears to reduce the chance of infection. I may start gargling with mouthwash as well.

I have signed up for a mile swim in the Charles River tomorrow!

mitch16

Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »

My only concern has been the microbes. I use a nose clip and have very well-fitting (TYR) goggles (also tinted and polarized). When I get out, I put alcohol in my ears to reduce the chance of infection. I may start gargling with mouthwash as well.

I have signed up for a mile swim in the Charles River tomorrow!

Ha! Might want to bathe in bleach after that one! (We live out in the suburbs of Boston.)

Penthesilea514

I swam a race in the Delaware River years ago- we had to be sprayed down with hoses as we got out because of all the oil/chemicals/etc. It was a fun experience otherwise. @Jthanmyfitnesspal good luck in your swim tomorrow!

peckchris3267

I used to be a triathlete, competed in two ironman distance triathlons and countless shorter ones. Now I just do open water swims. My longest so far was a 5k open water ocean swim in Salem MA. Just keep at it and you will get comfortable with it.

nickiphillips1

I used to train a lot in the lake for lake swims. There are different kinds of open water swims, will you be swimming around buoys? Then you might need to practice picking your head out of the water to look for the buoys occasionally.

I would also start out in the water and just get yourself balanced. At the start of a triathlon, there are a lot of people fighting to get out first. Your best bet is to just get comfortable in the water and not fight the other people at the start. In fact, you can probably get a good draft for the first 200 meters or so and just drift out without too much effort. If you fight, you will expend way too much energy.

Remember that your legs are used more for balance, than anything else in the lake swim portion. I have seen way too many triathletes kick and kick and go nowhere. Then they are tired when they get to the bike. If you are in the ocean, you should have no problem with buoyancy. In a lake, you might need a light kick if your a sinker.

I would just work on a nice, balanced stroke. I would try to find out which side you pull toward (most of us pull harder on one side and go right or left). You could have someone watch you swim in the lake and let you know. That will help you position yourself better in the open water.

Every chance you get to swim in the open water, the more comfortable you will become. It sounds like you might want to just start with getting your positioning and going slow to get a comfortable pace. And remember to breathe and blow out your nose!

Good luck!

OregonMother

I love open water swims, and I thought I wouldn't because I am still a little skittish about what might be down there in the muck and murk, but there is nothing more beautiful than an open swim. It does, however, take more endurance. I didn't realize how much of a break I was getting at the wall until I first swam in a lake.

Practice is the most important thing. Bobbing and exhaling in the water might help you get more comfortable. The fishy smell sometimes put me off, but that still beats chlorine.

I'm jealous. Have fun!!

pezhed

Thanks everyone for the pointers! The swim will be in a lake around buoys. I can fortunately practice in the exact lake (a different section of it) that the race will be in so maybe I can get used to the sights and sounds. All of your love for open water swimming is extremely encouraging and I really appreciate the support here! I was struggling with the oil or whatever from boats last night, and I'm sure that will be the case in my local reservoir. And sun glare was an issue so I might invest in some tinted goggles.

@nickiphillips1 that is so interesting about the kick! I figured I was failing if I didn't kick the way I have been in the pool. Good to know that I shouldn't be trying too hard to get my kick to be strong.

Alisonswim46

Sighting! Sighting! Sighting! Look on YouTube for sighting drills you can practice on the pool and outdoors!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

The Charles has been clean enough for swimming for several years. I kayak and SUP upstream frequently, and I have seen every manner of wildlife. Some trips, it has looked like an Eden, with fish, birds, muskrats, you name it. Anyway, not too late to get into the swim:

https://runsignup.com/Race/MA/Boston/charlesriveronemileswim

pezhed

Just revisiting this thread in case other people need help too. I went to an open water swim clinic last night and got the following tips in addition to/expanding on these above (maybe should have known these already from just regular swimming, but I'm pretty new to that too):
- Breathe on one side, every other stroke so you're never holding your breath
- Only kick once per stroke, opposite leg with opposite arm
- glide with each stroke, don't pull while breathing
- sight every ten strokes or so AFTER you breathe to the side
- Look to the side, not the sky, for your breath
- there's no shame in backstroke to get some air--this one I knew already but am happy to have validation

jjpptt2

First priority should be getting comfortable in the water.
Second priority should be getting comfortable swimming near other swimmers. This can be hard to practice, though.
Third priority should be to practice sighting.

deannalfisher

open water swimmer/triathlete here too

9 times out of 10 you will swim differently in open water vs. the pool (no ability to push off the wall etc - which many people forget about) - it took me a good season of weekly OWS to get to the stage where my open water and pool 100yd times were similar

dmkoenig

Even experienced triathletes can struggle with anxiety especially in the first few hundred meters so work really hard on establishing a comfortable rhythm and relaxing, swimming well within your own capabilities. I completed a 70.3 IM in April and briefly chatted with a fellow combatant at T2. He was a veteran of numerous Iron distance events and he said he experienced a panic attack at the start of the swim and almost quit right there, something he never had dealt with before. Fortunately he decided to keep going and was able to recover. Conditions were rather choppy with strong currents but it was not a mass start so there were not a lot of bodies crashing into each other. The mind does strange things sometimes so just stay with it and keep your focus on breathing and moving. I breath only on one side every time I stroke. I know it's less efficient and limits awareness/sighting, but having plenty of air is one less thing to get all panicked about so any time I may lose is a small price to pay.