open water" feel"?
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UFTriGator posted 1 year ago.
I was a pool swimmer for just about forever and switching to open water is really weird, especially if you can't see the bottom. It feels like you're not moving sometimes (no big, fat black line).
Doing a lot of drill work and focusing on that during the open water swim helps.
______________________________________________
-Matt
Not fast enough.
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burnman posted 1 year ago.
has anyone NOT felt this at least once!? when I look back on my first few open water swims, I think I would've fared better if I were drunk, blind, and tethered to the Exxon Valdez.
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StephenPDennis posted 1 year ago.
It's safe to say that this didn't even occur to me until I was about 100 yards into my swim and it scared to crap out of me. But I feel like I was able to turn that fear into motivation - "I gotta get the hell out of here!!!"
Still no clue how I'll do with a mass start, probably just stick to the back
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KitKat posted 1 year ago.
Open water shock happens to almost everyone. It's good to get a 3-5 practice swims in open water before the big race. Also swimming 15 mins before the start of a race will help you get acclimated.
**Pain is weakness leaving the body**
*Smile, it does a body good*
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TryScott posted 1 year ago.
My biggest open water shock was luckily during my first OW practice. I felt like I was taking it easy, but I kept gasping for air and just could not get in a rythem.
During a race I'm so focused on sighting and other people, I don't have time to think about breathing, form, dirty water, etc... Maybe because of the wetsuit, lack of turns, or something else, but my races are much faster times than my pool swims, so I'm not complaining.
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jsk85 posted 1 year ago.
I have done like 5-6 OW swims and never really had an issue in races with very little OW practice, but I recently got the availability to do some practice in a lake occaisionally and was excited to be able to work on OW swimming. I used a buoyed area in front of my fiance's lake house and had a couple of her family members spot me from the deck as they were sitting outside.
I was out there no longer than like 15 minutes. I couldn't take more than 20 strokes or so w/o feeling uneasy, or just unfocused if nothing else. I think it was the idea of feeling alone out there more than anything for me, but I'm gonna give it another go this long weekend and see if I've improved at all. i doubt it though.
maybe group OW swims would be a better place to start
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Ultrarunner posted 1 year ago.
I think everyone here knows how you feel. Personally, I love the open water, it feels more natural. Actually my first open water swim this year I did horrible. The water was 68 degrees and rough and I had a terrible time. Since then I have been in the lake(s) more than the pool and love it and I am very comfortable again. As far as not feeling like you are going anywhere and siting, it sounds like your stroke is right on so Just trust yourself and tell yourself that you will not sight except for maybe every 50 yds or 30 strokes or so (you can come up with your own number). Keep it up. The more you're in it the more comfortable you are.
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TriSooner posted 1 year ago.
max ping wrote:
maybe out of proportion to my environment
That's deep (no pun intended). You put a lot of thought into this, probably while swimming. But I curse you for putting that 'out of proportion' thought in my head! :) That's all I'll think about now in open water.
OT: That 'feeling' of discomfort is probably instinctive. Homo sapiens aren't really meant to swim. We have no natural adaptations to surviving in the water (ie, gills, scales, fins, eyes and ears that work under water). In fact, I thought I heard Jane Gooddall say that chimps are horrified of the water.
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grindylow2000 posted 1 year ago.
StephenPDennis wrote:
It's safe to say that this didn't even occur to me until I was about 100 yards into my swim and it scared to crap out of me. But I feel like I was able to turn that fear into motivation - "I gotta get the hell out of here!!!"
+1. You get acclimated as you do it more often, like anything. Also, with a longer distance i find that you think instead "i gotta get the hell out", its more "ok, well im here for 1.2 or 2.4 or w/e miles...better just put my head down and do it".
Tip: try popping the OW swim cherry in a familiar lake or pond. you know the one you and the family always used to swim in during the summer! this will definitely help calm you and associate those feelings with other OW swims...
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508 days
trigirltina2 posted 1 year ago.
My friend, Carrie, just wrote an article for Amteur Endurance.
http://www.amateurendurance.com/2008/06/venture-out-of-your-comfort-zone...
Take a peek. The other thing I learned from my coach is you just do it. Swim with a buddy, glide in the water, take in the scenery and relax. Ocean is scary and with recent things in San Diego our open water swims continue in groups every Friday night at the cove.
Some people may not swim in the ocean prior to their event and that would be scary for me. If you cannot, then you make sure you warm up before the gun goes off.
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azmojo804 posted 1 year ago.
I just did my first OW swim in a "splash and dash" in Tempe, AZ just about 1 month ago. It was a blast! I've always loved swimming (consider myself more at home in the water than on land). It took me about 25 yards/meters to get into the groove, and about 500 yards/meters to get into the spotting while swimming groove.
I did have 1 little freak out when I was hit in the face with a stick! I thought it was Jaws or something, but I was just in a lake. It didn't help that my foot was sucked on by a fish while waiting to start...that set the stick thing as getting attacked a little higher on my list! :)
I think it depends upon your comfort level with swimming. I have full confidence in my swimming, and so I think I relaxed a little quicker than most. Although, I may tense up if I went to swim in the ocean...endless, no bottom, very wavy, etc. That may get me a bit more than the lake.
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max ping posted 1 year ago.
MAN! all good responses...i love this place...thanks
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248-n8 posted 1 year ago.
I just had my first OWS tonight based solely on reading this post. I have my first tri on Saturday so I went out to the lake where the race is and swam for about 45 mins and it was great! I for sure had all the things that people have been talking about on here about not being able to follow the black line, and not knowing if I was moving, and people bumping and getting in the way all of which I got out of my system tonight. So I know now what to expect for the race and it has calmed me down sooooo much so Thank You to everyone on here for being so helpful!!!
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jtrimom posted 1 year ago.
I think I feel weird b/c the water is so darn dirty! It grosses me out that I KNOW people peed in there, and all the dirt has usually already been kicked up and I can't see the foot that's an inch away from my nose- and heaven forbid I swallow any of it. blagh! The OW around here is filthy and mostly man made neighborhood "lakes"; I am sure that if there was somewhere clean and clear (there are places like that, right?) I wouldn't be so disgusted.
Taper Naked
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TonisTri posted 1 year ago.
Tell me about it. My first tri is Aug 3 and the OW swim is in the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. When I tell people I am doing a triathlon, their second response is "wow! You're doing a triathlon!" Their first response is "You're going to swim in the Schuylkill?!?!" I am just trying to block that part out. Besides, my local pool where I train is so gross. Despite the lazy efforts of the teenage lifeguards, the pool is filled with bugs and I can only assume an incredibly high "pee" content. For me it just feels like another part of the challenge. Nothing about this is easy, right?
That which does not kill me makes me faster...
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jperubog posted 1 year ago.
ahh, the old "suck kill" river, I lived in philly for a few years, I can't imagine what's floating around in that river, well I could, but I will hold my tongue. good luck in philly. Sometimes its better not to be able to see what's in the water.
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trigirltina2 posted 1 year ago.
Mission Bay-- Practice tri last year I think it was. Early morning sun not up got in the water and on my face, hands and feet felt stuff. I didn't know till through the warm up it was all jelly fish.
Team still did the practice tri and held our mouths shut. Just a few stings, but the fastest swim out of everyone.
my first tri was open water... i was not ready for that!
my next two were pool.
im doing a longer (olympic) distance in two weeks. i got to do some open water work this past weekend and i was wondering about feel, or maybe feel (ings). i mean its wierd out there. i even had my wife and son pace me in a kayak, so i had no fear of boats. i spent my teenage years in the hawaiian surf. i have absolutely no fear of being out there, but there is something that is well, wierd. like i feel like i have to keep looking around (spotting), even though when i do spot im dead on.
is it just the lack of perception (no big fat black line)?
i couldn't get into a grove. i could keep swimming forever maybe... but i didn't want to. i just felt wierd. maybe out of proportion to my environment, no target destination, i don't know... please someone say they feel or have felt this...
steve