i'd agree with Gator if you don't mind getting passed and bumped. my experience with over a dozen sprint swim races (if beach start) has never been to really get in a good rhythm anyway. its too short.

Here is an update:

Had a race last Sunday in a beautifully clear, 75 degree lake. It was a small race, 70 or so participants. In my last post, I wondered whether I should "move up" in the swim leg instead of starting at the back and left (when the swim course is clockwise and to the right). Well, at this race, I moved toward the front, but still stayed on the left. I could not settle down, I could not get into my "groove" --I would swim freestyle a bit, then shift to breaststroke, then a couple of more strokes of freestyle --I would bilateral breath every 3-5 strokes, but two minutes later I would be breathing every left arm stroke. I just could not settle down. So, adding to the natural excitement of the race, I then have the "voices" of doubt starting in my head --"this is stupid, why am I doing this; this is my last triathlon; Im not doing this anymore; Stupid sport; why aren't I at home sleeping; mmm bacon and eggs sound good right now...." You get the picture.

SO I am just struggling to get out of the water. I get out of the water, breeze through transition, suck wind on the bike because the course is very, very hilly, survive the bike, get to the run, finish and...drum roll...I just found out I was 7th out of the water in a field of 70 and finished the swim in a time of 13:00 minutes for the 1/2 mi swim. Im totally mystified. And just a bit po'd because I feel that if I could just settle down I would just crank on the swim. Any thoughts?

And, by the way, I do OWS at least once a week (granted its just usually me and another buddy or three of us total), but there is no problem in that situation.

I am not panicing about having my face in the water; I don't feel as though I can't breath, or anything like that. Totally stumped.

Anybody else experience anything like this?

One of the things I need to keep in mind (and repeating in my mind --like I do (sometimes) when swimming laps, is a mantra --like "my race, my pace" or, as I have seen on here (Ironmom, perhaps) "Slow is smooth, smooth is fast."

Sorry this post is so long.

I guess I am the wrong person to tell you this. I used to get very upset if I was not in the front group at the start of any race, now to think about it I was always in the front group. I was in the front 5 and if any one tried to move on me I would just swim faster.

Work on your technique and find out how to swim fast and not die.

I often try to start to the outside of the pack. That way I have a clear shot at the first buoy. By the time I round that buoy, I'm in the groove and have avoided the melee in the main group.

So I did another sprint this weekend --500m S, 20k B, 5k R. The swim went really, really well in part because I kept in mind responses to my earlier post. So, thanks everybody. I did start toward the front. The swim was clockwise, and although out in the front, I also shyed toward the left. It worked out fine --a couple of bumps at the beginning, but I just kept thinking --"I love swimming," "I can do this well," and "My race, my pace." I finished in 12:50; I was hoping to come out just a little bit faster in time, but I will take it. My swim time put me at 34th out of 160th overall and I finished 55th out of 160 in the race (run still kills me --gotta start focusing on that over the winter to get those race times down).

In any event, thanks for the tips guys. I appreciate it. I was able to put them into practice. One more tri to go this month, then on to off-season training!