Open water swim
runningjen74
Posts: 312 Member
I've my first triathlon 2 weeks today. My swim was my weakest, so I did a couple of lessons in the pool and I'm confident I can easily swim the distance. But went out in to the sea yesterday for the first time. For the triathlon I will be wearing a wet suit. I've hired one, which I'll pick up next Monday (I'll have it for about a week before the race). It was a beautiful day, sun was shining, the water was calm. But I struggled putting my head in the water. It was just so cold, I'd to gasp to catch my breath. Current sea temperature is about 13C/55F according to interwebs.
Any suggestions, besides, practice practice practice.... I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it was just so shocking. I'd forgotten how cold it could be - long forgotten summers of us purple with cold on the beach (it's Ireland)
Any suggestions, besides, practice practice practice.... I'm sure I'll get used to it, but it was just so shocking. I'd forgotten how cold it could be - long forgotten summers of us purple with cold on the beach (it's Ireland)
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Replies
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Yikes! That's cold.
My first (and only to date) ocean race I couldn't put my face in. I panicked (and I'm a strong swimmer). I pretty much hacked my way through it with a combination of a couple of strokes and breaststroke. Do you know how to backstroke? There is nothing that says you can't backstroke if you want/need to.
Is there a lake you can practice in that maybe is a little warmer?
I'm sorry I don't have more words of wisdom. The wetsuit will definitely help your body stay warm.
Good luck!0 -
In for the advice. I'm in a similar situation.0
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The wetsuit will give you a little thermal protection (if I was scuba diving in water that temperature I'd be wearing my drysuit) and a little extra buoyancy. Most triathlon wetsuits are about as thick as what I'd wear diving in the Caribbean.
If you have a chance get in the water a couple of times with the wetsuit before race day, at least you'll know what to expect. Other than that.......brrrrrrrrrrrr. If it's a sprint distance you'll be out of the water before you know it. (I have many childhood memories of blue lips and the early stage of hypothermia after swimming in Lake Ontario, but when you're a kid you don't seem to care :happy: )0 -
They also make neoprene caps and booties. I think they are race legal below 60 F. Good luck!0
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Thanks for all the posts. It's a sprint, so yes, hopefully I'll be out in no time. No suitable lake to practice in - only near one is far too dangerous and all water sports are banned.
I get the suit the week before so I should get in to the sea between now and then, I'm hoping for say two swims with my togs and another 2-3 swims with the wet suit. I hope, in 2-3 sessions I'll toughen up a bit. I used to manage okay as a kid in the water, though I don't remember putting my head in very much (even though I'd have been a swimmer as a kid)
I'll try two hats on, that's what I plan to wear for the race, it might help a little. failing that, I'll go look up the neoprene hat.
Anyone else get a bit freaked seeing the sea bed when swimming - I'm a bit afraid I'll see something swimming under me! When I'd have swim as a kid, I didn't wear goggles, so could see nothing. I was only at the beach and didn't go in very deep. But my race is in the harbour - it's far deeper. I'm not worried about being out of my depth, I just don't want to see a jelly fish or a sea lion... Or anything that might want to nibble on me.
I think I'm just afraid of the race and I've bitten off more than I can chew....Oh don't mind me, just being a nervous nellie. I'll get over it.
thanks - Jen0 -
Anyone else get a bit freaked seeing the sea bed when swimming - I'm a bit afraid I'll see something swimming under me!
I'm the opposite, it took me a while, when I started scuba diving, to get comfortable rolliing off the edge of a boat where you couldn't see the bottom.....0 -
I think it is pretty normal to get nervous about that. I am OK in lakes and I sort of like seeing little fishies swimming below me. Takes my mind off of the race. I'd freak if I saw a snake!
The ocean is a whole other ballgame. Not sure if this will make you feel better but mine was in Maine with a running start off the beach. I took a mouth full of water trying to get past the first wave and it was all over. LOL I somehow made it through the swim though I was giving it a serious thought to DNF. (It didn't help that I was undertrained for the tri.) There's a reason why I've only done 1 ocean swim!0 -
Phew, we've no snakes here - anything snake like must be an eel. I'm safe on that front.
Man - I'm getting married 5 days after the triathlon. I'm far more nervous about the triathlon. (probably a good omen for the marriage that it's not top of my list of fears. Might not bode so well for how I'll be feeling the day after the tri!)0 -
wear a thick swim cap underneath the race swim cap that they give you.0
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Neoprene cap is the way to go. It doesn't help with your face (practice is the only thing that will) but it does help retain heat loss from your head. They're pretty cost effective if I remember correctly (been out of the game for about 6 years, but used the cap each year for my season closer--a race in Casco Bay where the average temp was a balmy 52 degrees--complete with a standing start 1/4 mile offshore (you'd cover the 1/4 mile as 2 waves in front of you went out and then sit at the line until your wave left).
Good luck and have fun!0
